Spring coming and preparing the plants for sunny conditions

It's wonderful to see snow melting here in Finland. And lovely sound of running water. In this week I repotted my whole sundew collection, just to make more space for new plants I'm going to buy. Before repotting my Drosera collection took about 884 square centimeters and after repotting only 690 square centimeters.

If only weather was warmer I could go and order some plants that I have wanted for so long. Some wonderful species such as Queensland sundews D. adelae and D. prolifera and N. ampullaria just gotta love those basal rosettes. And above all the other plants lovely and small and hopefully easy enough for me Cephalotus follicularis. C. follicularis is so interesting plant becaus it is totally unique.

In summer I'm also going to make a new terraria or maybe two. One for Drosera and another for Nepenthes, Utricularia and Genlisea. My current terraria is kinda crappy because humidity is not as high as it should be. This or there new terraria are going to be made out of either glass or plastic sheets with air cells in it. I've seen lots of greenhouses with cell plastic used in them and it would be interesting to try them to make a terraria.

And now I'm going to preform a test in summer about Nepenthes fertilizing. I'm aware that some growers fertilize their plants without losses. At the same time I'm interested in this and scared about loosing some of my plants. Thats why in summer I' going to take two N. x 'Ventrata' pitcher plants. One of them recieves fertilization(this includes mild orchid fertilizing and some seaweed solution) and another has to cope with just water and bugs.

Wonderful Sarracenia psittacina

I dont have very good experience with Sarracenia pitcher plants. In first year of my hobby all of my temperate plants died. One because of dryeness and another because of mold. But now I'm happy because I have found Sarracenia that is easy enough for me. The parrot pither - Sarracenia psittacina. First ever Sarracenia that survived dormancy and flowered for me. Because of this little plant I'm going to get more North American pitcher plants because now I know what is the best technique for me to get them through winter.



Looking under lady's skirt.

Glistening droseras

Last summer I bought many different sundew species. Actually over 60% of my current sundews.

Drosera affinis 'Namibia' came from BCP (Best Carnivorous Plants) and it had big problems with mold. All of the dead leaves got mold and it spread on the soil too. I repotted this plant about 5 times during half year period. Still this plant which looked like this:


Looks like this at the moment:

In my opinion this plant is as easy to grow as D. capensis or D. aliceae. This plant has flowered fed times but due to lack of space in my terraria I had to cut the flowerstalks. And right now there are 3 flower stalks growing from this plant.

Drosera spatulata came from BCP and has been growing nicely but has not flowered yet. Plants rosettes are very compact and hopefully they will have better coloration after summer. Plants in the picture with 10 cents coin.


Drosera venusta is one of the species I have grown from seed. It's very easy species to grow. Plants in 8cm x 8cm x 8cm pots.


Then the plants that I recieved as leaf cuttings. They sprouted in water and I potted them after they grew few roots. Plants are still young but vigorous.
D. capensis 'Red'


I think this one is going to be one of my favorite sundews. Drosera intermedia 'Gran Sabana'. Plants are pretty, easy and compact and grow rather slowly. I just cant wait till this plant is in its flowering stage.

Some of my new plants

Few days ago I went to flowershop. I just got to buy these.

Nepenthes sanguinea 'Black Beauty'


and it's pitcher


Found some nice Drosera aliciae too


Ludisia discolor - the jewel orchid. My favorite orchid at the moment


One more plant. Unknown Sarracenia. Maybe a hybrid. Looking kinda sad at the moment but luckily it has long summer forward. :)


And the details of the pitcher

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Then something about my older plants. My venus flytraps and Sarracenia psittacina are doing well and they are even making some flowerstalks.

Then about my Utricularia longifolia. It came to me as a happy looking clump but it suffered when I potted it to mix of peat and sand.


It survived in this mix for few months and then I potted it to small glass jar using mix of living sphagnum moss and orchid soil. And at the moment this little plant looks like this