My first Pitcher

[PhalNewbie89]

Meet Ricky. I have always been curious about carnivorous plants and I saw this guy when we went to Lowe's so I picked him up.

He is my first and I don't know a ton about them so any help would be great.


Here are some pics.







Thanks ahead of time for any help.

[PhalNewbie89]

Oh, and I was wondering about repotting. For a specific tip here... Would I repot just like I would my chids?

[PhalNewbie89]

Someone told me my Pitcher thread would not open so here is a retry.

My bf and I went to lowe's earlier and the carnivorous plants caught my attention. I had been interested before so I decided to pick one up.

This is my first one so any advice would be great.

I have done some research online and repotted him into sphagnum moss. I also put a little water in his pitchers because I had read in several places that they need some water. I was hesitant to put much in there.

Here are some pics, and thanks ahead of time for any advice.

[BluPeaches]

I'm no help but that is very interesting!

[orchids4me]

Yeah!!!! It opened! : )
There is another member that shared their pitcher plant a month or so ago I'm trying to think who it was, and it was good sized plant too and had had it for awhile. Hopefully that member will see your thread and can help you out. There was also another member that switched over to succulents and carnivorous but I don't see her posting on here these days..... Have you tried out one of the carnivorous forums as a guest ? God forbid you leave us too !!!! Lol please don't switch species on us : /
Emmaye

[Ron]

Hi Nice buy, they are not a very difficult plant too grow.
a few basic principles will help, as they are a bog plant, they need to be kept fairly wet especially in the summer.
Never fertilizer in any way as most likely you will kill it
Likes plenty of of sunligh, although I wouuld avoid hot evening sunlight.
Fairly high humidity is good for them.
Putting warer in the pitchures is a big No No. They will excrete it from the inside walls of the plant.
It is the same or similar content as our stomach acid, to be used to dissolve insects that fall into the pitchers.
Winter they appreciate a cold to cold rest.
Otherwise a fun and lovely plant to own and grow
Good Luck
Ron

[cerastes]

I too like carnivorous plants. I pot mine in 50% sand and 50% peat moss. I also set them in a saucer with water.

[Ladyofthelakes]

They grow wild here in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I have taken photos of them on a beach protected by the Nature Conservancy. They are wonderful plants.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy them up here.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Here are some pictures of Pitcher plants on a beach in the Upper Peninsula of Michgian.

[Phalcycle]

I don't actually grow these, but at a local swamp a few miles from my house, there are lots of pitcher plants. There is also a sphagnum bog, with is quite cool, but I would think these guys need High humidty, and the need to be moist at all times. The ones I see naturally grow in water and sphag

[amersault]

Ladyofthelakes - wow, that is briliiant! i've never seen those varieties before! i imagine they would like peaty/boggy conditions, so anything to replicate that environment would be welcome.

set these among your chids if you have a gnat problem - the gnats will diminish in no time

[lmartiny]

That is an interesting find for Lowes. I never see those types down here at the stores.
It is love bug season here in FL. (May and Sept. We all hate them. They hang out on the highway and coat your front end and windshield.)
There was a tray of Venus Fly Traps at check-out at HD's plant center and they were having quite a go with the love-bugs. It was interesting, and nice to see they have one foe anyway. (word is they taste bad, so the birds won't even eat them)

[zaeem]

Do they survive on insects trapped inside?
Many mouths to feed!!!
Lovely.
Zaeem

[PhalNewbie89]

I haven't had a big issue with gnats or flies lately but I am hoping I will never have to worry about them again with this guy. :P

Thanks for sharing pics and tips guys. I am super excited about this guy. I put him back into his small pot with some sphagnum moss and I put some water in his pitchers. I have been gone for a few days so he is just getting rewatered today he may have dried a bit in between. I'm sure he will forgive me though.

[PhalNewbie89]

I will definately NOT be switching plants. I love my orchids way too much and I know I can count on people here to have other types of plants as well. :P

Thanks a ton Ron. Water has been dumped from pitchers and plant has been watered. I also have him sitting in the lid that came on his death cube and I put some water in it for him to soak up. I don't even do much fertilizing with my chids so no problem there.
The winter is what I am most worried about. I am sure everyone will here from me again when we get closer to winter time. :P

[koshki]

Vivienne...wow!

Nancy, does Ricky tell you to do some "splaining????!!!"

[PhalNewbie89]

lol. No. My bf actually named Ricky after Ricky Vaughn from Major League because he is a pitcher. :P Finally got him to notice a plant. haha

[katsrevenge]

I've got one of these too. A sareanca from Lowes. First, it needs full sun. It should be purple or mostly purple with the right light levels. This kind doesn't make water (hence the open lid; the kinds with lids to keep rain out make their own water) and needs a bit tossed in if they get too low. It will want to go dormant for the winter too. I got most of my info from this website: The Carnivorous Plant FAQ It's like the AOS for carnivorous plants..

Mine looked a lot like yours did when I got it. Here it is a week or so ago:

[PhalNewbie89]

So, I should put a little water inside of it? ok. Will do.

Thanks a ton for sharing Kat, that is a very nice plant you have there.

[Leathal]

Wow, these are quite beautiful. I tried a Venus Flytrap and I killed it. Would love to try one of these.

[katsrevenge]

Oh! Forgot! You have to use RO water or natural spring/rain water or snow melt. They are VERY sensitive to trace chemicals in tap water. That's how most venus flytraps and pitchers die. I drop 40 cent on a gallon of RO water a month for that plant and a flytrap and a sundew (not doing so well, I can't get the humidity right for it) and the first two as very easy to grow. Keep them wet, water when they are no longer sitting in water and otherwise ignore.

As for the rest.. read that link. That guy knows his stuff... and the pitchers can be grown much like a flytrap.