All the Carnivorous Plant Supplies You Will Need
These beautiful and intriguing plants are, without a doubt, the most misunderstood member of the plant world. A science fiction novel ‘The Day of the Triffids” and the B-movie that followed never helped their case either, and yet these plants may be the most rewarding to grow, but only if you knew a few tricks to keep the plants thriving.
Many carnivorous plants across the globe have adapted to survive in poor soils, usually in waterlogged areas, by enticing and capturing prey using tricky ingenious ways. From the sundews with sticky tentacles that quickly close around the struggling insect to the Venus flytrap with the toothed leaves which snap shut when the prey alights on them, there is a wide variety of carnivorous plants that make perfect houseplants.
Read on to learn about all the carnivorous plant supplies that you will need to take care of your carnivorous plants successfully. The following list of supplies you need daily is 100% essential.
Carnivorous Plant Books
These are essential for learning the intricacies of your new hobby. While you may find many books about carnivorous plants out there, some absolute best that you can get from us include Cultivating Carnivorous Plant and The Savage Garden.
Seeds/Plants
Finally, the most important thing that you need to grow carnivorous plants is seeds. You will not have any plants if you do not have them. Just like other plants, carnivorous plants reproduce either by vegetative (asexual) or seeds (sexual). It is always good to make sure you get your carnivorous seeds from an accredited grower to warrant that they are high quality. That will ensure you get the best seeds available and help you grow your carnivorous plants without issues.
Plants:
Seeds:
Soil
The nutrient lacking soils that carnivorous plants thrive in are usually rich in sand and peat. This can be duplicated with horticultural sand and sphagnum peat moss. It is always essential for you to carefully check for the sphagnum moss in the peat label. The other types will not work correctly. Also, the sand ought to be washed and cleaned. While playbox sand is ok, the horticultural sand is preferred. One thing to avoid is the contractor’s sand because it may contain clay, silt, fine dust, and other minerals. The mix ratio is also essential; 1 part sand to 1 part peat works perfectly for the carnivorous plants. But research your particular species for the best results. For instance, nepenthes prefers large amounts of sand, while Venus flytrap needs a bit less sand.
Only use professional-grade peat moss. You must be cautious not to use perlite and the Miracle-Gro brand peat since it has added fertilizer and will harm the plant.
We often use the New Zealand long fibered-sphagnum moss as the baseline for most plants, including Heliamphora and Nepenthes. Most retail garden nurseries and centers unknowingly sell Oregon green moss as the Sphagnum moss. It is important to note these are different, using Oregon green moss will kill your plants.
Terrariums
Purchasing a terrarium will make it easy for you to control both humidity and temperature. All you need to do is put a little gravel at the bottom of the terrarium then set the pots on top. Adding distilled water will help in making sure the plants remain humid. They
will be the best option if you are looking for a growing chamber that will also improve your home décor. The good thing about terrariums is that they can close and can be placed anywhere, including the bedroom, living room, or in the kitchen. Then reopened to access the plants inside and for maintenance purposes.
Lots of Sunlight
Carnivorous plants often grow and thrive in sunny conditions. The nutrient-poor, soggy bogs offer adverse conditions for many plants. Those that grow in bogs are short and stunted.
For this reason, the carnivorous plant habitats are open to a lot of sunlight. These plants also grow properly under artificial light, with the timer set at about 12-14 hours. Fluorescent tubes that are developed for the growth of plants work perfectly.
Bright sun is always the best; therefore, always keep the carnivorous plants in a window that faces southwards. If you have a patio or balcony, you can also opt to grow them outside. You must always do your best to protect your plants from the hot air of heater vents and drafts in the chilly weather.
Water
All carnivorous plants ought to be grown in pure water that is low in minerals. For instance, if you only have hard water, we recommend that you use deionized water, reverse osmosis water, distilled water, or collected rainwater. Water vending machines in your local grocery store are ideal and inexpensive sources of pure water. Pur and Brita filters never remove sufficient dissolved salts to make any reasonable difference. It is best to water with the Total dissolved solids (TDS) are below 160 parts per million (PPM). It will be easy for you to buy an affordable TDS meter, probably on amazon, for testing your water.
Hundreds of carnivorous plants need water for their survival. If the tray method is used to water them, all you need to do is put the plants in their pots, immerse it into a deep tray and then fill this pure water. This is by far the easiest and best way to ensure that your plant never dries out. Exceptions include Drosophyllum, Cephalotus, and Nepenthes.
TDS Meter:
These are a useful tool for determining whether the water that you are using to grow carnivorous plants is safe. Ensure you get one that compensates for the changing water temperatures. Even if you have a great source of water, this is still an excellent tool to have.
If you are top-watering your carnivorous plant, test the water coming from the bottom to determine whether the soil has accumulated too many minerals.
Misting Bottle:
Many carnivorous plants require high humidity to thrive. The plants should be misted with a spray bottle either twice or at least once every day. You should also consider spraying them more frequently in case the humidity in your house is low or when the weather is arid. Always use rainwater or distilled water for the carnivorous plants because they are highly sensitive to the minerals and salt buildup.
Acurite Humidity Thermometer:
Temperature and humidity are essential to the growth of carnivorous plants. You will need one to monitor the condition inside its pot or terrarium or for monitoring temperatures outside.
Pots
Glazed, plastic, and ceramic pots are usually the best for carnivorous plants. Unglazed terracotta pots are porous and will dry the soil out very quickly. With time they can leach salts out in the soil. We recommend using small plastic pots with a hole at the bottom to ensure the tray method works as expected. Undrained containers can be used, but be prepared to water your plants frequently.
You can use a wide range of vessels, and there are many varieties available to choose from. There are many glass containers for plant growth. Mason jars are ideal vessels for tall pitcher plants, and most of them have a folksy vibe, which is great for indoor kitchen window gardens. Always note the fact that the moisture inside will rust the metal lid. The plant will not suffer, but with the time, you might opt to switch for a new shiny top.
Final Thoughts
Although carnivorous plants come in over 100 varieties, they have one thing in common; they all feed on insects and at times, small animals. While you may think that carnivorous plants are very delicate and can only thrive in controlled conditions that are carefully monitored, that is not necessarily true. Most of the common carnivorous plants are very hardy and can thrive outdoors. Before you plant them is probably the best time for you to make preparations to get the supplies you’ll need. This article has provided a detailed list of what you need to grow carnivorous plants. Good Luck and Happy Growing!
