Ever tried growing Sarracenia? Don't know what it is? It is a genus of pitcher plants. Most people say they had one but it died. Here is the easy way to grow Sarracenia.
Step 1
Know the species. This may sound strange, but some stores label the pitchers plants wrong.
Step 2
If you bought the plant in a nursery in one of those little domed pots from the indoor section, the nursery is wrong. The plants are probably a light green with long-spindly leaves, indicating they don't have enough sunlight. You will need to acclimate them to full sun:
- Take the dome off, put it in a shady area of your yard that receives a little morning sun. Keep watered
- After a few days, move it to an area that receives a little more sun. Make sure you keep it watered.
- Keep moving it to sunnier locations, allowing it to adjust, until you have it in full sun. Keep watered, and enjoy the beauty that your plants now have!
Step 3
Right amount of sunlight. All Sarracenia species require 6+ hours of direct sunlight. Now before you go and put them out, remember give them time to adjust. Many people question why to grow Sarracenia outside, but why doesn't anyone question why to grow Sarracenia in tanks?
Step 4
Give them lots of water. Remember that they are bog plants so they like the water a few inches below soil level. water them with rainwater, distilled water, water that went through a RO unit, or in some cases tap water. What we are trying to do is getting a water that has less than 100ppm in minerals and has no chlorine or heavy metals. Use the water tray method to water your plants.
Step 5
If you don't have distilled water or a reverse osmosis unit, don't worry too much about using tap water. Your plants will do better with distilled water but will survive fine with tap water. Just make sure they always have water. You can also run water through their trays to flush out any mineral build up.
Step 6
Right soil mix. This is very important. Use peat moss and perlite in a 50/50 mix. Remember to keep the soil wet as they are bog plants.
Step 7
Pass on the fertilizer on them, please. Because Sarracenia originate from bogs which have very little compost, they have adapted to catching bugs as fertilizer. Does this mean that u have to feed your plants bugs? No, as your plants can catch them by themselves if they are growing outside (which they should). The plants are very voracious, and will consume large quantities of insects.
Step 8
Leave them outside in the winter. They are temperate perennials so leave them outside for winter dormancy. This is why most people think growing them is too hard, they don't grow them outside and/or let them have winter dormancy. In zones 5-9 they can grow with minimal protection outside all winter(Except for when there is a arctic font, and the temperature is below 20F. If you have a sunny location that is protected from wind, you can keep them out even longer. The heat from your house will help. Avoid keeping them on a deck in winter, as it is exposed on all sides and freeze dry your plants. Bring them into an unheated garage or shed where the temperatures are below 55ºF. After it warms up, bring them back outsize.
Tips
- Always remember to research your plants before you buy them.
- A green thumb always starts out black. No matter how hard you try your plant can still die. Just empty your pot and start again.
- If your plants die keep an open mind as it isn't the end of the world. If you take it too seriously you might as well get a new hobby.
