NORTH AMERICAN PITCHER PLANTS, SOME SUNDEWS, AND FLYTRAPS GO DORMANT
Even though we don’t get the cold season that some carnivorous plants are accustomed to, there are things you can do to keep them popping up again in the spring. Even though it appears as if they are dying, carnivorous plants are great to invest in this time of year. Many of the north american pitcher plants, sundews and flytraps go dormant in November in Hawai’i – December which is the ideal time to repot or divide tubers.
DO IT YOURSELF:
- Cut back browning tubers, stems and flowers
- Separate and divide clumps of tubers to make more plants!
- Repot in 1/2 peat, 1/2 perlite mix
- Place in 6″ plastic pots
- Keep in moist cool place for winter, with soil remaining damp
- In spring, move to a sunnier spot (4-6 hours full sun) in water tray or atop a water garden and, behold!
It is a great joy to watch in wonder as the dormant north American pitcher plants wake up!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
First, in the spring, they send out their unusual and beautiful flowers to be pollinated. Once the flower’s petals have drooped and fallen, the plant will begin to send out its pitchers (its ‘mouth’).
The reason the flower forms first, is so as not to risk having its own pollinators (bees) become lunch (how considerate!). The pitchers develop and open, working to attract many insects into their pit fall traps – including flies, ants, and wasps.
The insects will slip into the cocktail of digestive enzymes and be slowly absorbed by the plant. Carnivorous plants may be ‘fed’ insects, collected, and dropped into their pitchers, blurring the line between plant and ‘pet’. An excellent hobby!
MORE TIPS ON CARNIVOROUS PLANTS:
- Divide and repot in November- December when dormant, with a carnivorous soil mixture of ½ peat moss and ½ perlite (available at Garden Ponds).
- Water with purified water (rainwater or water that has been sitting out)
- Do not fertilize via the soil, as this can shock or damage the plant
- Feed insects via pitchers or sticky dew drops on sundews. You may supplement with a foliar spray, if needed.
- Include sundews and north American pitcher plants on the surface your sunny water gardens but be careful to have the top of the pots be above water level or the perlite will float on the surface of the water and the fish will nibble on it. WARNING! Perlite is a glass-like volcanic matter that will harm fish if nibbled!
