FlyTrapCare Forums

I've just been doing a bit of good ol' trusty googling, ((always ends in more questions than answers for me))

I'm thinking of creating an underwater garden and stumbled across some info on the Bladderwort plant and just wondered if any users here had much experience with growing this type of plant?

If they have could they just give me there experiences of this plant as google is great for research but nothing beats the voice of experience when it comes to growing plants, especially when your thinking about all angles from ease of upkeep to aesthetic value, possible size of tank required etc etc.

All experience, thoughts and advice greatly appreciated.

i dont know much but from wat i have heard they like clean water like all CP's but i am not sure i am just assuming

Use clean water, and add some peat moss into the water. It will make it muddy, but they need acidic water, which in this case, is why peat moss is there.

If you want the bladderwarts, umm, bladderworts, to grow faster, you can fill a bottle with a little water, and yeast. Then close the lid and poke a hole big enough for a straw to fit in, and then bend the straw into the water. The straw needs to be a bendable one. I don't know the amounts though.

Let's have a science freak explain the growth thingy.

I assumne you want to grow submerged aquatic Utricularia. Alot fo these plants will live in very small amounts of water, while others will do best in very large quantaties. Species like U. australis have been known to grow in other carnivorous plants water trays, so if you want to grow this species you could just fill a large glass jar with rain water and chuck a few plants in. You could also fill a large aquarium and put several species in there. Lilly suggested that you put peat in the water, If you do do this you will have to let the water settle for about a week before introducing the plants. As for the yeast in a bottle device lilly talked about, that is basically a Carbon Dioxide generator. What you do is get a large soda bottle, fill it half way with warm water and add some sugar. once the sugar has disolved, add some yeast. Then take the bottle lid and make a hole in it, big enough for some air hose to fit through snugly, then put an aquarium air stone on the end of the hose and screw the top on. Basically the yeast, which are a type of bacteria, feed on the sugar water, and give off Carbon Dioxide, which the plants use in the processes of photosynthesis. You must always make sure that the air hose never touches the sugar water, otherwise this mixture will be pumped into yout Utric tank. This whle set up is described in more detain in Barry Rice's book, Growing Carnivorous Plants.

Hope this helps, Pat.