Pondside Sarracenia cultivation help

[Keith]

Hi all, I hope all are well. A friend has a garden pond with permanently wet edges. In full sun and no shade it seems ideal for Sarracenia and/or VFT's. Being aware of pH needs and the pond full of fish, I wonder if anyone has had success planting straight into the pond edges?? When I say wet, I mean like a dripping sponge. Any views are very welcome. Thank you.

[Tropfrog]

No experience myself with that combination,  but ill imagine "full of fish" equals too much fertilizer for the plant.

I dont know what fish it is. But low ph as sarracenias wants is not really Good for Most ornamental garden pond fish. At least not in a pond full of fish which needs biological filtration to keep the fish healthy.

So....I would not try myself.

Br

Magnus          

[Argo88]

Hi! I’ve not experience at all in this kind of coultivation... Topfrog has said the true, but I think that you can sacrifice a single plant for an experiment.... I’d try with sarracenia purpurea purpurea that grows in wild in Ireland and Scotland where people had introduced it.... in Canada grows a variant of this plant that grows in alkaline substrate... so if you want to make an experiment I’d try with sarracenia purpurea ssp. Purpurea. Good luck! ;-)

Edited June 2, 2020 by Argo88

[Tropfrog]

I second argo. As long as the plant is sacrificed to the test and not the fish it is not a big deal.

Maybe I try once I have an excess of sarracenias to sacrifice. My collection is quite small at the moment.

Br

Magnus 

 

[Keith]

Thank you for your comments. Yes of course, you have correctly identified the potential problem of pH being to high (the fish are goldfish and Koi, also a good population of frogs, newts and toads). If I do go ahead, I have a variety of carnivorous plants to experiment with, including S. Purpurea. But, I was wondering if anybody had already tried and what were the results. I believe the Irish populations of S. Purpurea are causing problems due to their illegal introduction, with the CPS. organising regular clearings. On that note, I will need to clarify my position with the appropriate authorities.

[Alexis]

There are some purpurea ssp. purpurea populations in alkaline marl bogs, so they are tolerant of a wide range of pH

[Dunc]

I have a number growing in my pond margins for many years without problems. Did have fish until the herons finished them off but still full with frogs! Plus I have to top up with hard tap water in the hot weather (it'd be a waste of the collected rain water). Give it a go, you might be surprised.