Winter blues

It's that time of the year again. Yep, that time where it is cold, snowy and freezing outside and even if I were to be able to get down the slope that leads to my greenhouses without slipping up, I'd still be greeted with plants that are in dormancy and are doing absolutely nothing of interest. A theme that will be reoccurring for the next 4 months or so.

Still, it's been a very good year. I made a couple of hundred quid in plant sales, and my YouTube visitor counter is now at the 3.2 million mark! As you'd expect, I will be making more videos and having more updates next year when the plants come out of dormancy. I've re-potted a few of my plants, namely lots of Venus Flytrap Big Mouth's, but that will be it. I simply don't have the room to divide any more. Not until I manage to sell a bunch at least. Here's hoping that happens next year.

You can find me on twitter: @plantsthateat

Until then, to carnivorous plant enthusiasts and people who are reading this blog,
have a Happy New Year!

Photo's galore!

It's been a while since I've added a bunch of photos to this blog, so here's my collection of photos from both greenhouses as of May 2014:

The first plant I have grown from seed

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Seed's for VFT 'Shark Tooth' form

Flower from a Cobra Lily

The 'B52' crew :D

Nice to see one of my Sundews catch a good sized fly

Spot the spider!

A picture of a Sundew that ISN'T a macro? I must be mad!

Wacky Weather

We are now in March, and this winter, we've had probably the least amount of snow I've ever known for a winter. How cool is that? Well, not very apparently, as during one or two of the latter days of February, my automatic vents on my greenhouse opened up, due to the greenhouse getting to near 20'c inside! In February!

My Drosera Regia's are also still alive. Not something I was expecting as they come from South Africa. Infact, fingers crossed of course, most of my plant's seem to have made it through the winter, with the exception of one or two sundews.

My website is well under way now. I had considered getting rid of this blog and using the new website's blog to update things, but the truth is, I really like the layout of this current blog, so I will be doing a link to it from my website instead.

This reminds me, soon I have to order some new labels for plants, and of course a table and couple of chairs for when I go to the gala's and car boot sales to sell these plants in person. Roll on May!

Now. We. Wait.

I've had a number of people ask me over the last few weeks when I will be ready to  sell my plants. The answer is about April / May time because at the moment, they are all in dormancy (as the photos below show).

Repotting is now complete for this year, and I am totalling around 540 plants. I have also tried out some experimenting this year. A few of my Sarracenia's (Pitcher Plants) are nearly 2 ft tall but are in pots so small that the root's are sticking out of the holes in the bottom. Not only have I put them into a larger pot, but the pot's I have put them into are several times the size. I am hoping this encourages them to grow even taller and maybe even max out their height (1.2 metres) within a couple of years.

Also worth noting that I won't be selling my plants internationally. They will be strictly UK only. Plants are not allowed to be posted to the EU, and the expensive posting price to the US simply isn't worth it. Besides, you US/Canadian lot have a greater variety of plants with easier access over there :)

Ready.....set........repot!

Although February is the most 'ideal' time to repot, or at least the most common time among carnivorous plant collectors to do it, I tend to lack patience. A week or two early won't make a difference anyway!

So far, I have repotted all of my Venus Flytraps, most of my Sundews, and started on my Pitcher Plants. For the flytraps, I was using a slightly different compost mix to usual. I bought it from a different site and its one that I have used for my flytrap seeds, and they seem to be doing really good. I think I will end up preferring this new compost as it is already quite damp, so unlike the previous compost, I don't need to be standing there watering it for 11 hours just to get it a bit damp.

I have had a few deaths, admittedly. Most, if not all of which, were sundews. Typically the tropical ones which don't tend to like temperatures dropping below about 8'c, which doesn't help when some days it is just above freezing. Still though, a handful of sundew deaths while over 40 still remain is a pretty decent ratio.

Speaking of ratio's, once again my venus flytraps surprise me. Times when I thought I could divide a plant 2 or 3 times and end up splitting the contents of a single pot into 8 pots is always great. Assuming they all survive this winter, I will be rockin' over 300 flytraps alone.

I've had less success with the divisions of the pitcher plants though. Admittedly, you are supposed to divide them every couple of years rather than every year, which would explain why I have taken half a dozen out of their pots, only to realise they are one whole plant and don't want to be divided yet.

I'm also doing a bit of experimenting this year with plant sizes. Pitcher Plants are said to be able to grow to just over 1 metre in height. My tallest ones last year were about 2ft in height, so to help encourage them to grow further, I have ordered and received a few extra large plant pots, which are 5cm wider and 5cm deeper than my current largest ones. This is obviously to encourage the roots to dig deeper and give them more space. Hopefully at least one of my plants can reach the 1 metre mark in the next couple of years!

It's also worth noting that I have made several divisions of the Cobra Lily's. There is certainly a fascination about them among people who see my plants. Truth is, they are still relatively 'new' to me in terms of understanding how they work and what conditions they like compared to other carnivorous plants. Still, I have 7 or 8 pots of them now and this is the first proper divide that I have put them through, and their root systems seem slightly different to that of my other plants, so we will see how well they do.

It's the dormant time of the year again...

I hate this time of the year. Yes its cold, often damp, probably soon to be snowy and icy and the days are far too short. To top that off though, carnivorous plants go dormant until about March/April time and currently look.........a bit crap really. In Spring, they will once again form new traps and stand colourful and tall and ready to help diminish the insect population.

Until then though, I am continuing to work on the new website. And by "work", I mean of course telling the designer what I am after! All being well, it will be up and running by next spring and I can start selling some plants. Not just via the website though, but also, perhaps even more importantly, through car boot sales. I enjoyed being at the Caythorpe Gala this year (or last year if your reading this in January!). It was a good opportunity to talk to people about these plants and also to put my finger on the pulse of what people were after and interested in. One of the best examples being that although venus flytraps are the most well known plant, it was the Pitcher Plant's that generated probably the most interest for people.

I also found out this year that Venus flytraps, or any plants for that matter, can't be posted internationally to Europe. I put a group of 6 flytraps on ebay, setting the, erm, settings to make sure only people from the UK could buy them. Somehow, the winning bidder was from Latvia. I didn't really bother questioning how it happened in spite of my specific settings, but instead set out to post it to his/her country, curious as to how much it would cost me in postage.

I took the parcel to the post office, and the lady said "do you mind me asking what is in the box?". I told her "oh, nothing too expensive, just a few venus flytraps". "Oh", she said. "You can't post them to Europe". Low and behold, she gave me a leaflet containing the 7000 item categories you're not allowed to post abroad, and the 3 items you are. I apologised to the ebayer and refunded him/her. Was feeling slightly crushed that being an international seller of these plants went out of the window though. Still, this mean's that I will be completely focused on the national sales for these plants and frankly, I can't wait!

Venus Flytrap Care Guide

Venus flytrap Care Guide

Light

If you are keeping your flytrap indoors, its best to keep it in a south facing window to maximize the amount of light it can receive, as these plants love light and it is good for them to get at least 4 hours of sunlight each day. Alternatively, you can place your flytrap outside, but make sure it’s in an area that is open enough to get direct sunlight, but make sure it isn’t in a location where it could get knocked over by gusts of wind. If you keep your plant outside, you should still bring it in during winter as flytraps aren’t keen on frost.

Water

Do NOT use tap water, use Rainwater

Tap water contains chemicals which will harm the plant. You can use distilled water, reverse osmosis water, but the best water to use is rain water. Stand them in 1 - 2 cm of rain water, but during the winter months, its best to just keep them damp (such as using a mist spray) rather than fill the tray up with water.

Feeding

I could say that you don’t need to feed your plant because it can catch insects by itself, especially if it’s outside…..but I know you will anyway, because I still do! Your flytrap will do fine even if it only eats one insect every few weeks (that’s the whole plant, not a single trap). If you’re going to feed it, feed it live insects.

The trigger sensors on the inside of the trap need to sense movement in order for the trap to know it has caught live prey. Each trap can close and open (with an insect inside) roughly 3 – 4 times until the trap dies off. If it falsely closes (for instance, you put your finger in the trap to make it close, which I advise against but I know  you will do it!), it can close and open 5 – 7 times before the trap dies. Each time the plant falsely closes (due to your fingers), the plant’s energy is wasted. This energy could be used by the plant to make even bigger traps!

Don’t feed the plant an insect that is too big. When the plant closes, it makes itself air tight and releases digestive enzymes, but if it isn’t able to close fully, it can become vulnerable to bacteria (the trap, not the plant).

Winter dormancy

Winter dormancy for a flytrap typically takes place from late October to February. During dormancy, the plants leaves will die back and so it is important to prune them. If your flytrap is outside, bring it inside, preferably somewhere where it still gets daylight but feels cooler (such as a conservatory).

Flowering

Usually around June/July time, these plants will start producing stalks for flowers. Typically speaking, it is usually best to cut these stalks when they are less than a few inches long as the flytraps put a lot of effort into making them and can weaken the plant. If you really want to see the flower or are planning on collecting the seeds, by all means, let the flower grow. But if you’re more interested in having a healthier plant that produces good sized traps, its best to prune the stalk.

Repotting

Flytraps don’t grow as fast as other plants and therefore, only need to be repotted every year or two. It’s usually best to buy compost mixes specifically for carnivorous plants from online retailers, but failing that, get ‘nutrient free’ peat from your local garden centre. It is important that the peat be nutrient free, otherwise the plant will likely die.

Growth

One of the misconceptions of Venus flytraps is that the traps that are there when the plant is brought are the only traps it will have and that they will grow and that when a trap goes brown/black, the plant is dying. None of the above is true.

Flytraps are constantly growing new traps that you will see emerge from the centre of the plant. These new traps will replace the old ones and the plant will continue to make these new traps during the entirety of the growing season. Individual traps naturally get brown/black as it is part of their life cycle. When this happens, prune them (only the brown bits).  

 Another thing that some traps do when their trapping days are over is open extremely wide to the point that the trap is no longer cupped. When a trap is like this, it is being used by the plant purely for photosynthesis.

Pitcher Plant Care Guide

Pitcher Plant Care Guide

Light

Pitcher plants enjoy sunlight and if they are being kept indoors, a south facing window is ideal. These plants are typically winter hardy (UK) and can be kept outdoors (though I would recommend bringing them in during the winter). If you keep them outdoors, place them in a position that gets plenty of sunlight but is protected from the wind.

Water

Do NOT use tap water, use rainwater

Tap water contains chemicals which will harm the plant. You can use distilled water, reverse osmosis water, but the best water to use is rain water. Stand them in 1 - 2 cm of rain water but during the winter months, its best to just keep them damp (such as using a mist spray) rather than fill the tray up with water.

Feeding

Insects are attracted to the colour of the plant and the rim of the pitcher which is covered in sweet nectar. While the insects are walking around, the rim, things get slippery. It is also believed that the nectar is poisoned and can make insect’s ‘drunk’. All these things combined and the prey will fall down into the trap. Downward pointing hairs prevent the prey from escaping. 

Pitcher plants only need a person to feed them if they are being kept in a place which doesn’t typically get flies. In which case, feel free to feed it houseflies or hoverflies.

If they are in a greenhouse or outdoors, they will catch plenty of food themselves. Sometimes they catch so much food that they get indigestion, and their traps go brown and can fall over – though this is a good sign.

 

Winter dormancy

Pitcher plants like to be cool in the winter. An unheated greenhouse or conservatory is ideal but they are also ok outside, as long as they are in a fairly sheltered position. Prune the brown traps over winter. Keep damp during the winter.

Repotting

Pitcher plants only need to be repotted every year or two. It’s usually best to buy compost mixes specifically for carnivorous plants from online retailers, but failing that, get ‘nutrient free’ peat from your local garden centre. It is important that the peat be nutrient free, otherwise the plant will likely die. 

Growth

Given ideal conditions and good care, pitcher plants can grow up to be just over 1 metre tall. New traps will be produced from the centre of the plant fairly regularly and after a while, the current traps will start to go brown in parts. Typically, brown markings on the traps are an indicator of indigestion, this is a good sign. After a while, these traps will weaken and eventually flop over. 

Personally, if a trap does this but still has good colour in it, I leave it for a while (figuring it’s probably still digesting its food), but when much of the trap starts turning brown, then it can be pruned.

Sundew Care Guide

Sundew Care Guide

Light

Sundews are the ideal windowsill plant. Putting them in a place that receives a lot of sun is fine, but in the wild, sundews grow among grass and larger plants, so they don’t mind being in the shade for part of the day, as long as they get a couple of hours of sunlight. They can be grown outdoors, provided the climate is warm enough, but it’s usually best to bring them indoors during winter.

Water                            

Do NOT use tap water, use  rainwater

Tap water contains chemicals which will harm the plant. You can use distilled water, reverse osmosis water, but the best water to use is rain water. Stand the pot in 1 - 2 cm of rain water, but during the winter months, its best to just keep them damp (such as using a mist spray) rather than fill the tray up with water.

Feeding

The leaves of a sundew are littered with tentacles which have what looks like a dew type substance on the end of them. Insects are attracted to them by the sweet mucilage and when they land on one of these tentacles, they get stuck! 

The tentacles near to the prey all lean towards the prey to prevent it from escaping and bring it towards the leaf of the plant for it to get digested. In the case of some plants, such as the Drosera Capensis, this can all happen within a few minutes. In the case of a Capensis, the leaf itself will sometimes actually curl over the insect to make sure it’s well and truly trapped.

Sundews most commonly eat small insects such as gnats and small houseflies. If you see a small fly going around the house, when it lands, you can use the sundew to catch it (feeding time!). Just be sure not to overwhelm the leaf with too many insects. Depending on their size, only a few insects are more than enough per leaf. Though like the flytrap, they are good at catching insects on their own.  

Winter dormancy

Winter dormancy for a sundew typically takes place from late October to February. During dormancy, the plants leaves will lose their stickiness and die back and so it is important to prune them. If your sundew is outside, bring it inside, preferably somewhere where it still gets daylight but feels cooler (such as a conservatory).