Herself's Houseplants

Predatory underwater plant

January 18, 2009–An oddity among oddities, this newly discovered carnivorous sea squirt traps fish and other prey in its funnel-like front section, scientists announced today. Most of the 2,000 or so known sea squirt species are filter feeders that strain plankton from seawater.

Tethered to the seafloor 13,143 feet (4,006 meters) underwater, the 20-inch (50-centimeter) sea squirt, or ascidian, is one of the deepest-dwelling animals ever found in Australia. The new species is one of many new deep-sea creatures discovered on a recent expedition that used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) near southern Tasmania, Australia. . . . [ read more and see more photos Bizarre Species Found, Predatory Squirt

See also:
Research Cruise blog
Scientists think ‘killer petunias’ should join ranks of carnivorous plants

Rising fertilizer prices have been effecting farmers and home gardeners all year.  Prices doubled then tripled in 2008.   Most of the rise in prices is due to the idiotic ethanol fiasco.  Another reason is that natural gas prices have been rising which is the main source of nitrogen in many fertilizers.  So you would think a company that makes organic fertilizers, would benefit from the rising market.  Instead one company California Liquid Fertilizer spiked its organic fertilizers with ammonium sulfate.

California Liquid Fertilizer claims to make organic fertilizer from fish and chicken waste and by products.  The rising price of gas would not have effected their costs, yet make it able for them to charge more keeping with current prices.  So it is difficult to understand why they would do such a stupid thing.

Many organic farms are now at risk of losing their organic status.

The California regulatory agency was informed of the problem by a whistleblower in 2004.

More information:
Organic Farms unknowingly used a synthetic fertilizer
Rising fertilizer prices causing quite a stink

Another, yet unamed organic fertilizer company is also under investigation.

Big Thicket Nat’l Preserve has a large section of carnivorous plants growing. There are several trails you can take along wooden walkways through the swamps to view them. March and April are best if you want to see them flowering.

[ These are wild Drosera, likely brevifolia ]

Sundews can be found all over the world including the south eastern United States. They are not found in desert regions or rain forests. Most of the 160 species known are found in Australia. While not as easy to grow as pitcher plants they are much easier to grow than fly traps.

Their small size and cool coloration make them great for dish gardens and terrariums. Most lay flat and are only a couple of inches across. Some grow upright but even those are very tiny and tend to have super thin strands like a spider web. Very few of them are large or viney.

At the end of each leaf is a gland that emits a sticky fluid to trap insects.

The most important factor in growing sundews indoors is sufficient light. They need a very bright window and some direct sun each day. They easily flower indoors, flowers are also quite tiny and grow on a long stem that shoots up from the center of the plant.

I find sundews do best in regular unfertilized potting soil. The wild ones I saw on my expedition were growing in a half sand, half soil mix so I trying that now. The part sand/part soil/part peat mix was also recommended to me by an expert carnivorous plant grower. Since they like acidic soil it is also recommended that you mix a bit of peat in with the soil when you repot them. Be cautious buying soil, I had to look far and wide to find potting soil that did not have fertilizer mixed into it.

I place the potted sundew in dish with about and inch of water and keep the water level at about an inch. I use tap water and rain water when available.

Droseae have a dormant time in the wild and you may find yours will die back in the winter. Give them less water, you don’t want the roots to rot. You should see them perk back up come spring.

Never give them fertilizer. It is far to strong for them. They are accustomed to growing in poor soils. That is why they developed their bug eating capabilities.

Remember the bugs they eat must be very tiny, these are very small plants. Do not feed them meat. They eat bugs, not animals. ( at least all the ones we’ve found so far ). They really love mosquitoes which is as large of a bug as you should ever consider feeding your sundews.

The Droseraceae family of plants contains waterwheel plants, flytraps, and sundews. Waterwheel plants use sticky substances to trap prey while both flytraps and sundews actively trap their dinner.

Most of the sundew plants are perennials. Some sundews have storage roots, some do not.

The Drosera name is derived from the Greek word, droseros which means ‘dew covered’.

Sundews were well known in the Middle Ages and covered in many herbal books of the day. They were often recommended in the treatment of respiratory ailments, heart ailments and as aphrodisiacal. Extracts were most commonly added to alcohol. ( ‘Rosoglio’ ). In Australia they were used as a nutritional supplement and the red dye was used to color foods. Today they are mainly used as ornamental plants.

Charles Darwin was the first to demonstrate that there some plants were carnivorous.

You can fertilize them but only use the fertilizer at one tenth the normal dose and spray it on the leaves only.  Do this no more than monthly.

Aphids, mealy bugs, scale and thrips can all be a problem for fly traps.  Orthene or some other systematic insecticide is best.  Follow the directions on the label.  Do not use soap based insecticides.

Black spot and other fungus can also be trouble.  Captan is the favorite fungicide right now. You should be able to find it at any plant supply store.