FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I just received some Dionaea and Sarracenia in from Hawaiian Botanicals that I will be planting this Friday. I'll be doing the usual 50/50 peat & perlite mix, but I have been really wanting to try out adding pine needles into the mix, as well as a top dressing. I've read up on the experiments people have done with pine needles, and found that some growers say they do benefit from that, and some say that any improvements were barely noticeable. Does this give me the green light to go ahead and add them in the mix? If so, anyone recommend how much?

Four of the plants will all be going into a plastic half barrel style planter with corrugated plastic used just below the soil right to the bottom to keep them all separated. The planter is 18" across and about 8-10" deep. I've drilled some holes in the bottom and was thinking of laying down a few layers of sterile gauze wrap to help with soil erosion at the bottom. Yay or nay on that?

As for watering the pot, I've never used a container this size for CP's before. Would I be better off keeping it in a tray of water and adjusting the level and frequency or should I treat it as a mini bog and bury a pvc pipe with holes drilled in and water that way?

Thanks for your help.

Please post some pics of the result

For the planter...I wouldn't worry about separating the plants unless you're concerned about the roots tangling, but that's not really a big deal. I used one of those half barrel things and below is how I did the drainage. I just drilled a hole slightly smaller than the pvc and forced the pvc through. I drilled dozens of holes in the pipe before hand and put a cap on the end. Then I wrapped the area with the holes in landscape fabric to keep the soil out. Gauze would work too but will degrade. It's not in the pic but on the outside I attached an elbow pointing up and inserted a piece of pvc that ends about 2 inches below the soil line. It's not for watering so much as to see the water level. It's all hand fitted so in the winter I remove the tall piece of pipe to keep the water level down. Or I will stall the pipe when it rains and then remove it allowing the water to drain and pull oxygen into the soil from the top. I just top water mine.