Any Carnivorous plant experts out there?

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:36 am

I went to Lowes and seen they had some small pots with Purple pitchers and venus fly traps however they looked dead or mostly dead. I grabbed a few that still had some live green plant parts and they gave me a discount. Now I'm not sure whether they are dying/rotting or going into dormancy. Some of the green portion has turned to a light brown and by the end of the day dark brown then black. I was just reading some info but wasn't sure if there is an easy way to tell what is happening? Trying to save them if possible. I watered them and for now have left them in the same pakage but upon reading I will be moving them to bigger pots. Any info welcome.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:56 am

I'm not very familiar with carnivorous plants but here is a link to a really helpful site that should get your plants up and going.Apparently these plants need lots of strong sun light at least four hours a day and wont do well on nutrient rich soil fairing better on nutrient deficient soils.They need lots of water and will do okay in lower humidity levels since they come from bogs and wetlands in Carolinas regions.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:17 am

Thanks that's the one I was looking at earlier and decided I'd ask here first, but I have now signed up on there and will bug them with my questions. I'm not sure I can give them enough lighting though.

Tongue Flicker · Post by **Tongue Flicker** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:55 pm

Not an expert but i have a couple of lowland and highland tropical pitchers. Yours could be dying, signs of low humidity

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 7:03 am

That's what I'm afraid of. They were dry and in just the regular store light when I found them. So I've put them in front of a window and watered them using my tap well water only after that finding out that if it has much minerals or metals in it that its harmful to the roots. So now I'm using the crabs water that's been treated. No significant change yet.

Tongue Flicker · Post by **Tongue Flicker** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:58 pm

Keep it under normal light or just use an ordinary desklamp. Do not use high wattage bulbs, as it cause the tips to burn and raises air temp. Carnivorous plants rely on little light and will do well in cool temps (75-88 degrees F) provided they have high humidity (95-100%). Provide good drainage but keep the soil slightly damp. If unsure, the best way would be to keep its soil slightly moist but not damp, put it on top of wet pebbles or gravel (but dont let water touch the bottom of the pot) and then place it inside a sealed glass enclosure with minimal lighting.Just wait, some carnivorous plants undergo some dormant phases to rejuvenate itself. And oh, use rainwater when you water it. If unavailable, water from a fish tank with 6.0-6.5 pH is good.

jenok · Post by **jenok** » Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:06 am

Thanks.