Carnivorous plants (CPs, in short) have never failed to arouse interest in plant growers. Even the most faithful orchid or tilllansia grower would take a second look at the Venus Flytrap at least. Over the past ten years, there is an increasing number of carnivorous plants growers (a.k.a CPers) in Singapore. In this first of a series of articles dealing with carnivorous plants, let's take a look at the carnivory of such plants and some cultivation basics.
Carnivorous plants can be classified into two types according to the type of traps they have: 1. Passive Traps - Darlingtonia californica, Nepenthes, Sarracenia and Cephalotus follicularis, Genlisea, Pinguicula, Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Byblis, Triphyophyllum peltatum and Drosera. 2. Active Traps - Dionaea muscipula, Aldrovandra, Utricularia and Polypompholyx.
There are 13 species which are native to Singapore. They belong to the genus of the Utricularia (Bladderwort) and Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plants). Out of these species, two are already extinct and many are vulnerable to dying out. Carnivorous plants growing in nature reserves are protected and the Nepenthes species are listed under the CITES Appendix II.
CULTIVATION BASICS So what carnivorous plants do local CPers grow? Well, almost every genus except for the rare ones (e.g. Triphyophyllum peltatum and Polypompholyx). A number of carnivorous plants species are available for sale locally at the nurseries but the bulk comes from overseas. Media There are several common components you will find in the media: peat, perlite, sand and sphagnum moss. Vermiculite, fern bark, pumice, cocochip and even charcoal can also be used for the growing of carnivorous plants. As you would have noticed by now, the word 'media' is used instead of soil. Soil is rarely used in the carnivorous plants mix. Most importantly, the media need to be low in minerals and nutrients.
Water If you carry out a search on the Internet, you will find that to grow carnivorous plants well, pure water (distilled, reverse osmosis) is recommended. In Singapore, we are fortunate to have clean, drinking water straight from our taps. And because of that, watering carnivorous plants here is a breeze. CPers here have so far found that tap water can be used with no harm caused to carnivorous plants. For those growing them outdoors in the garden, the source of water is the rain. Pots Plastic, drained ones are recommended for most carnivorous plants. For species which grow in media that is permanently wet, a deeper tray (or a recycled plastic food container) can be used. Growing Area and Light Many of us, who live in HDB flats, and even those with gardens, have an issue with light. The windowsill is one regular area where CPers grow their carnivorous plants. Other areas include the balcony, garden and even a brightly-lit washroom! Bright shade to several hours of direct sunlight is necessary as most carnivorous plants are light-lovers. If your unit is in the shadow of every building in your vicinity, do not fret. Carnivorous plants actually do well under lights. A simple set-up with two 4-ft 36W florescent lights or 55W PLL lights will put you in good stead to grow a large variety of carnivorous plants.
Feeding Some
CPers catch insects to feed their plants while others take pity
on struggling preys and release them. However, most growers simply
let nature take its own course and leave their carnivorous plants
to catch their own prey. The use of fertilizers is an area of controversy especially in the recent years. Fertilisers have been used on certain carnivorous plants, especially the Nepenthes species which seem to do well on a regular fertilizing regime. But do not expect carnivorous plants to accept the regular fertilizer used for household plants. When in doubt, skip the fertilizer and leave the plants to do what they do best - catch their own prey!
Dormancy Unfortunately, many of the carnivorous plants species are temperate. One of which is the well-loved Venus Flytrap. Dormancy is a time of rest for the plant and is necessary for the plant to do well the following year. It can be carried out by cutting back on the amount of light and water the plant receives, and putting the plant in a cooler place, for example, the refrigerator. Recommended Books Carnivorous Plants by Tony Camilleri - Excellent photos, inspires you to grow your carnivorous plants well. The Savage Garden by Peter D' Amato - Comprehensive guide for cultivation, hundreds of photos. A Guide to the Carnivorous Plants of Singapore by Hugh T. W. Tan - Native species, local growing. Carnivorous Plants of the World by James and Patricia Pietropaolo - 25 years of growing by the authors themselves, good resource for CPs terminology. ABOUT
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