FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi everybody. I am an student in South Africa and I love CP's, I have been growing them for almost three years and other plants for my whole life since I can remember, but I have read everything there is to read about these plants as well as others I have. I noticed a few things with the plants I have grown, this comes from my need to experiment (which is what I do with all my plants;)) and I would like to share this with you. The reason for this discussion is to address some basic physiological aspects of plants, and hopefully lead to a mind shift in terms of plant care. Now some of you might already know all of this, or even disagree with me, I am always open to correction:)

So if you're new to this game you are already completing the first part of my discussion! KNOW YOUR PLANT!! Most people go out, buy a plant and grow it like any other one in their home, or they look at the environment in the nursery and decide that’s the best!! WRONG!! All plants have unique physiological aspects with respect to growth rate and flowering, therefor water usage, humidity, sunlight and growing media differs... The best thing for a newbie to do is to go out and read all there is to read about the plant they intend on looking after. Know what the plant needs in order to flourish... I have had nurseries telling me to fertilise my VFT's, grow nepenthes in full sun and i ONCE HAD SOMEONE TELL ME IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GROW CP's IN MY AREA (SEMI-DESERT PART OF S.A. Very hot and extremely dry). All of these statements I now know are completely false!!

With that in mind I come to my second point... Providing the perfect environment is costly and mostly unnecessary; unless you live in an area with similar characteristics to the area the plant originates from. As mentioned before, sunlight, temperature, humidity and airflow, growing media, fertilisation and growing media water content are the basic aspects one has to consider when looking after a plant, but not all of these need to be replicated if you wish to successfully look after your new plant. Plants are immobile, meaning they can’t move away like animals when conditions become unfavourable. This has made them extremely versatile with respect to adaptation, their genetic make-up allows for them to switch “active” genes in response to certain environmental influences, whether it is changes in humidity or sunlight. So let’s look through the list again and see how many conditions are under our control:
Sunlight – controllable
Growing media – controllable
Water content – controllable
Fertilisation – controllable
Humidity and airflow – (generally not under our control)
Temperature – (generally not under our control) with the exception of keeping the plant indoors or outdoors depending on your area and the plants needs

This means that most of the aspects of plant growth are under our control, this allows us to replicate the environment in which most of our plants grow to about 80% similarity. And for plants which need high levels of humidity… Let them adapt, mist them once a day if you would like to further replicate their natural environment. Temperature is also generally misunderstood, although some plants do exist with very strict temperature requirements (ultra-highland nepenthes and some orchids), most other plants have the ability to adapt over a wide range of temperature differences. It is however important to notice that hotter and dryer environments would require you to water your plants more often, while the opposite is true for cold or wet environments. Also try to protect your plants from sudden temperature extremes, freezing nights and desert like days. This can be done by choosing the right spot around or in your home.

The main point I am trying to make is that looking after a plant requires some research and time to find the best environment you can give. After that let it be, your plants will adapt as long as most of their other requirements are met. Put a tropical pitcher plant in full sun, in the desert with no water and it will die. Put it in the desert, find a shady spot, water it regularly and mist it and you could very well get one to grow (extreme example to deliver the message). Do your best for your plant and it will do its best for you:)

Very nice essay on plant care, BackerRobert! Thanks. I grow lots of Venus Flytraps in the semi-desert of eastern New Mexico, U.S. (dry grassland prairie). The humidity is usually very low and the wind can be hot and dry. If I get a Venus Flytrap that has been growing in very high humidity, it is helpful to allow the plant to adapt gently over a period of weeks or several months to the very reduced humidity characteristic of this area, but once adapted it grows well without any special care beyond what I give to all the Flytraps I grow, including often putting them outside in full, intense sunlight (medium-high-altitude sun) in dry air with a warm or hot dry breeze, so long as they have enough water to keep them from drying out completely.

"Providing the perfect environment is costly and mostly unnecessary."

True but at the same time untrue.

Flytraps will thrive in many conditions but there is a perfect climate. Finding the perfect climate with good care will result in the best grown plant. I've grown these plants in most of half the united states, and I've been growing for 50 years. Places like California along the coast would be an example. They color up better there and don't get het waves often, they grow faster there because of the high humidity.

"unless you live in an area with similar characteristics to the area the plant originates from"

This is also untrue. For example, flytraps in CA will look better than ones grown in NC in the long term. The ones in CA wil have easier winters and hold their leaves which means more photosynthesis during the winter meaning more energy. The ones in NC would do to the crown, and you would have to protect them in the winter. The temperature of Wilmington in usually mid 30s bot they often get days in the 20s and a few days in the teens.

Fertilisation can be uncontrollable if the plant is outside, insects will pollinate the flowers. Water content and Sunlight are also uncontrollable. I have never heard of being able to control precipitation and hours and intensity of sunlight Misting them once a day outside will not replicate their environment, wait 2 hours and that extra humidity will be gone.

But of course, one can only grow them with what they have, but that does not replace the best place to grow them that no other place will beat. I just bought a house with .5 acres in CA just so I could grow Carnivorous Plants to look the best in my collection.

I should probably have elaborated more on the reason for the essay Jamez... Your points are valid and all true. All plants have an ideal environment, and I am not argueing about that, I am just saying that if you happen to be in an unfavourable environment like me, providing humidity ect can become costly and take alot of time. And with controlling sunlight and fertilisation I mean: you can decide on the light intensity by placing your plant in a different area, in full sun or in the shade of a tree... And with fertilisation I mean in general for all plants, you know not to fertilise CP's, but you should fertilise your orchids, also fertilising with the correct fertiliser for either growth, root developement or flowering;) With water content I am talking about how moist you keep your media, as well as the mix of media you use, some can hold more water than others. By control I literally mean you can affect these parameters and easily manipulate them to suit your needs. I am also aware that some environments give the plants a boost over their natural environment, but again, I am talking mostly about your more unfavourable climates, and should have probably stated that more clearly. The misting I have found just helps protect the plants from drying out in extremely dry places, like mine, the dry air tends to remove leaf moisture, but misting helps counteract that. I mist three times a day, but if you don't mist at all your plant are very likely to adapt if you help them through it..
Just to clear up any misconceptions. The point of the essay is to inform people in less than favourable environments that they can successfully grow CP's in many different climates. Even though they might not have the ideal environment for VFT's like in CA, they can do the best they can where they can. I know that someone who is new to the game can easily be confused by all the requirements to looking after things like VFT's, which is what I did!! I eventually learnt that keep it simple, like Occam's Razor, the simplest solution to a problem is usually the correct one. I have bought ultrasonic humidifiers and built artificial lighting boxes, and although they work very well, the plants that have adapted do just as well, if not better. Because when I am away I can't refill the ultrasonic or mist my plants, and those that have adapted do better in the long run... Thanx for the comments guys:) Hope some newbs can just learn from my useless expensive endevours.

I'm agreeing with you on the you can only give what you have part.

But if I may ask, what do you mean if not better?

Oh with that I mean about situations like when I am away for a week, the plants that adapted to less care do better because those which are used to being "pampered" take a dip when I am not there for a week. Those that are adapted are fine...

Thanks. I was confused there for a minute.

Hehe no worries:) Thanx for the comments, new to posting advice... Was a CP newb 2years ago, but have read so many books and everything possible on the internet I am now making my own experiments to learn more:)

Nice! I highly respect that you've only been growing for 2 years and know a great deal of knowledge. There are tons of people that have been growing longer than that and still don't know what they're doing.

Thanx alot for the compliment:) CP's are my only hobby, and I love it!!