FlyTrapCare Forums

Was browsing the ICPS website (any members here?) I was considering membership, and while perusing the faq section, I ran across this:

http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2120.html

Man, reading that answer would make one think that growing VFT's is nearly impossible. I wonder how many folks read that kind of stuff and decide they can't devote the time involved in re-creating the exact conditions of the Carolinas... This fellow has written a lot of books. He states elsewhere that if you don't live in the southeast US, your VFT will require a terrarium. Wow, no wonder there are so many confused folks on VFT's needing rescuing!

I suppose this post is just a GREAT BIG THANK YOU!! Between this forum, and Sarracenia Northwest's DVD series, I'm enjoying a very rewarding and very relaxing hobby. I've killed countless VFT's I bought in stores, or from Boy's Life magazine as a kid, and I was only following the instructions. Now, I'm getting great plants from FTS, FTR and SNW, along with great information, and even rescuing a Death Cube typical here and there. My plants are thriving, even without the high humidity of the Carolinas!! I like SNW's take on CP's, "If you can grow tomatoes, you can grow CP's".

I'm glad in my research, I came across this forum before I came across that FAQ!!

Yes, there is a lot of misinformation out there about how to care properly for Venus flytraps. Barry Rice's website, sarracenia.com, has a lot of good information on it, but that page isn't an example of it. Flytraps are actually exceptionally easy plants to grow and readily adapt to most climates and can thrive, even in some harsh conditions, if they are provided with the care they are needed, which isn't really all that hard to provide.

So glad that you've taken the time to educate yourself and are enjoying this hobby! And I like SNW's quote: "If you can grow tomatoes, you can grow CPs." So true!

I'm an ICPS member. It's nice to support the organization plus it gives you access to the seed bank. Plus you get the newsletter which has great articles and is the place new cultivars are published.

Barry's site was the first thing I found online when I got my first VFT from the hardware store. I put off repotting for a while for fear I would kill it and when I finally did repot it you'd have thought I was performing open heart surgery with how delicate I was being.

Barry's site is certainly worth a read, I still read "cover to cover" a couple times a year. But take everything with a grain of salt and just use it as one more source of info, not anything definite.

I can always tell when new members of this site have read the FAQ at sarracenia.com because they come in stressing repotting and worrying that they've killed the plant when a few roots break off. They'd probably have a heart attack if they saw how I treat my plants when potting.

parker679 wrote:I'm an ICPS member. It's nice to support the organization plus it gives you access to the seed bank. Plus you get the newsletter which has great articles and is the place new cultivars are published.

I forgot to even respond about the ICPS. I believe it is a great organization. I too am a member and really enjoy the seed bank benefits along with the newsletter.

Yeah, it was originally my point to ask if membership was worth it, although I didn't explicitly ask in the post.

I just read about the seed bank benefit. I think I'll join!

Parker679, It had me doubting that my plants were doing as well as I can see they are doing! LOL, but I did see plenty of good stuff on there as I've been perusing...

kcbugs wrote:Yeah, it was originally my point to ask if membership was worth it, although I didn't explicitly ask in the post.

I just read about the seed bank benefit. I think I'll join!

Parker679, It had me doubting that my plants were doing as well as I can see they are doing! LOL, but I did see plenty of good stuff on there as I've been perusing...

The best part of the site is the section on taxonomy. It goes into pretty good detail as to where the different types of CP's based on location. And the Sarracenia taxonomy section is a great resource. He's also done a lot of site visits and has a ton of pictures of them.