(Propagation) Carnivorous plants

One container of D. paradoxa and two containers of P. primuliflora.

D. paradoxa.

P. primuliflora container 1.

P. primuliflora container 2.

Carnivorous plants

Just for some fun sharing.

Nepenthes albomarginata var. rubra – A growing pitcher. Looking fuzzy.

Another growing pitcher.

One of the teenage pitchers of the nep. albo. The white margin is getting slowly more pronounced everyday.

Typical venus flytrap after repotting.

Cephalotus follicularis (Albany pitcher plant) – I have two surviving pots; am a first-time grower at this species.

Left row down: ceph; nep. albo.; ceph; clump of typical VFT
Right row down: drosera burmanii (sundew); nep. albo.; mother clump of VFT.

(Updates and observations) Ginger mint; Chinese kale; tea tree; butterwort; pitcher plant

First off, I’ll talk about growing plants permanently in semi-hydroponics and such, using my tea tree (and chocolate mint) as examples.

What I’ve noticed if one plants a plant using any sort of hydroponics method is that over time, the plant shows sign of deterioration, even though the roots can absorb minerals and water easily. While my chocolate mint planted in semi-hydro showed very lush growth for a few months, after that, a large part of the leaves constantly yellowed and dropped off. Stalks turned limp and brown for no reason (that I could discern). After a while, the plant started looking bad. Since the roots had grown down the twine and ended in a mass at the bottom of the bottle, I ensured that they got to breathe by not filling by the whole bottle with the solution. However, the roots started breaking off on their own like brittle hair.

The corn mint I planted in semi-hydro showed the same symptoms more quickly than the chocolate mint. This prompted me to quickly transferred all of them back to soil.

I suspect the reasons are these: 1) that the constant soaking in liquid to ensure the plant doesn’t dry out does more harm than good over the long term. Maybe it causes the roots to really rot (even though I don’t see them rotting); 2) that roots might need something firm to grip upon (like LECA bits or soil) to be healthy.

So, my conclusion: I’ll recommend hydroponics/semi-hydroponics for plants which you plan to grow on a short term basis before harvesting (like vegetables; not those like rocket which you can pluck and they continue growing, but those which you have to harvest the whole plant), and not on a long-term (say, more than six continuous months) basis.

Currently, my tea tree plantlets are growing healthy and strong in semi-hydro. However, I’m keeping a very close eye on them. In fact, I might just plant them into soil very soon.

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Ginger mint

The only survivor out of the six. How sad. I transplanted the plug into a more well-draining mix of Tref potting mix with vermiculite, giving it adequate water and the morning sun. It’s looking good now, I hope.

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Chinese kale

Seeds from SJ. Finally sowed them last week. I don’t know why, but there are weird things growing on the soil in all the pots. Don’t seem to be harming the seedlings yet. But will monitor.

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Butterwort has been catching small insects lurking in my room. Good job!

Pitcher plant from May 2009 gathering being pudgy and cute.

The carnivorous plants in my life right now

Drosera burmanii

After giving away two thumbpots of burmanii to Vi and Karen about nine months ago, I bought one from YK and he gave me another pot.

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Pitcher plant from Green Baron during the gathering

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Butterwort from Carl

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Two drosera intermedias. One was from Carl

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Drosera paradoxa

Carnivorous plants update

My venus flytraps (those with the red genes anyway) have been reddening with the onslaught of constant half-days of sun. They’re terribly pretty now. =)

Red dragon venus flytrap plantlet turning red.

The reddening trap/s.

Reddening petiole and trap.

Unknown cultivar plantlets Delwin gave to me. Reddening also.

More red traps. 🙂

Closer.

Wheee.

Absolutely swamped Thursday

I went to re-pot and divide many of the carnivorous plants I have, simply because I either wanted to tidy them up, or they were too cramped, or I just thought I wanted to re-pot them.

I divided my mother drosera paradoxa plant from the Canadian mass order into five portions. Replanted the mother plant along with three plantlets in this huge container, so I can monitor if they grow. The last portion was planted into a thumbpot so that if it survives, I’ll give it to Delwin.

One of the baby paradoxa.

The new/second tray of re-potted/divided carnivorous plants.

So I have the English sundew, the parent plant of the red snap dragon VFT, the filiformis, the baby VFTs I randomly found, and the baby paradoxa plantlet.

Busy Tuesday

Anyone has any idea what plant this is? Mini capsicum?

The flower.

The leaf.

The whole plant.

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Okra seeds sprouting.

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Hydroponic kit for spinach seeds.

Baby clump of red snap dragon venus flytrap.

Onions.

Potato in the soil.

Friday update

So, this is how my small edible garden looks like, crammed amongst all my dad’s plants.

My plants are crammed towards the far left.

You can see most of my edibles here – tarragon, sweet basil, cat’s whiskers etc. Just a mess of green though.

Looking inwards.

Looking outwards. My neighbor also plants a lot.

The Chinese keys is really growing…something…

Carnivorous plants tray.

Drosera burmanii’s cute little flower. =)

Lemon balm after I snipped off a lot of branches due to mealy bugs.

Sweet majoram after pruning.

For Zurina – carnivorous plants

Sundew – Drosera filiformis.

Sundew – Drosera adelae.

Butterwort – Pinguicula emarginata.

Sundew – Drosera burmanii.

Saturday update

Condensation in the pure perlite sphagnum moss container.

The LSF container.

Sphagnum in pure water.

The absolutely stunning D. spatulata I got from Sandy.

Close up.

Sphag in pure perlite.

Sphag on LFS.

In water.

Carnivorous plant medium owning the bedside today.

The CPs must own it too…my bedside I mean.

Yups. All growing well.