Purple pitcher help A.S.A.P.!!!?
Question:i just got a purple pitcher from Lowe's and i have no idea what kind of bugs that they eat all i know is that they eat bugs! are you so post to be able to see the water in them by looking in the top? if you any thing about purple pitchers tell me!!
Answers:
This plant, and most carnivorous plants, thrive in a 50/50 mixture of peat and coarse sand which must be kept constantly damp for best results. This keeps their ability to maintain their own moisture at a premium. They eat whatever is regional. Mine have caught animals as large as bumble bees, but they'll digest whatever will fit in their "pitcher". They are easy to care for. You do not really do anything, but they prefer full sun. Mine are all in pots outside all year long. No fertilizer is needed, just moisture. The flowers are odd and other-worldly, but be aware, they smell strongly of cat urine, so don't be tempted to leave them indoors for long!
Hi Hannah,
I haven't grown the purple pitchers, but I grow many nepenthes species and am quite frequently on www.gardenweb.com It's an excellent site and if you go to the garden forums, you'll see listings for every type of plant imaginable... clink on the carnivorous plants forum and you'll get tons of info. The people there are SO knowledgable. Purple pitchers are basically bog plants that like constant moisture, preferably rain water or distilled/reverse osmosis water. They've evolved naturally in low nutrient soil which is why they have traps. Purple pitchers aren't actually the most efficient traps out there, but they do fine on their own if they are outside. Purple pitchers do best with some humidity so if you're in a really dry area they won't thrive out of doors. The above post is basically accurate... some people throw in some perlite as well as sand, but a good peat/sand mix would work just as well. The idea is to provide great drainage.
If you're wanting to grow it inside it MIGHT do okay in a bright east or south window, but would probably do best under lights... a 60 or 100 watt compact fluorescent or 3 fluorescent tubes totallying 100 watts (I've got 3 tubes all 40 watts each in my 75 gallon terrarium). A once a month feeding of a fly or spider would keep the plant happy. The good people in the forum I recommended would have better advice for that particular species... Some of them put in bogs just to grow their pitcher plants! Goodluck!
Rosanne pretty much has it covered so I'll just provide you with a great link. http://www.cobraplant.com/cmd.php?af=385... Here you will find care sheets for your pitcher plant as well as other great plants.http://www.cobraplant.com/sarracenia-pur... There is a feature called Go Getch Spike that will tell you exactly what plants are suitable for your region. There is also an ask the experts link you can use if you run into trouble later on.
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