Oh, I know! It always bugs me when I see little kids poke their fingers into the traps at the store. Thank goodness their "spines" aren't really sharp, or we'd all have lost a finger! (I admit to triggering a venus flytrap at least once. :stuart: I saved my pennies and bought one when I was littler. It died. :wacko: )
Glad to hear that you think they look healthy!
I tried to be a good plant mommy and only fed them small flies and fruitflies.
You can only use distilled or reverse osmosis water. tap or bottled water will usually kill them. there are minerals in most types of tap water that are bad for carnivorous plants. the water in some areas is ok, though. check with the local water people. I believe the water is ok if the disolved solid level is under 50 ppm. if that's too much hassle, than just use filtered water to be safe. A very mature plant may tolerate the water, but young or new ones most likely can't.Okay, so... take my plants, place them outside in a tray of water... That seems too easy!
Not necessarily true, given ScienceGirl's location the water is likely to be safe. I lived in the same are and was quite successful using the local tap water. A TDS meter is a good investment.
I took these pics last summer when I was packing for the move. Some are from "reputable growers", some are "weakened hardware store plants". Care to tell me which are which?
I was speaking from my experience as a newbie. you are a much better grower than me.
My school just did that play!I never would have guessed that there would be some flytrap providers to the whole US right in my state! Lucky me, lucky me, look at what I'm dripping with... carnivorous plants! (From the movie Annie)
I love the really big traps! I want to take them all!!!
That one came from Jerry Addington of Courting Frogs Nursery. He generally does not deal directly with the public but his plants can be bought through Karen at Willow Creek Nursery in Snohomish, WA or a handful of other dealers.
You are in a great area for carnivores, Flytrap Store is in Ashland, Cook's in Eugene, Sarracenia Northwest in Portland, Willow Creek and Courting Frogs in the Seattle area and California Carnivores is near San Francisco. There are probably some others I am forgetting, there is a very large and active carnivore community on the west coast.I never would have guessed that there would be some flytrap providers to the whole US right in my state! Lucky me, lucky me, look at what I'm dripping with... carnivorous plants! (From the movie Annie)
I love the really big traps! I want to take them all!!!
(but if I didn't have a readily available supply of pine needles/cones.....would anything with a lower PH do? (Like vinegar? Or citric acid ir something?)
