Care For Carnivorous Plants
There are many different types of carnivorous plants, and the one that is ideal for growing inside your home is the Queensland Lettuce. This is a perennial herb that grows up to fifteen inches tall. In fact, it grows so well in the colder weather that you may be able to leave it on its own without taking any maintenance. If you have decided to grow carnivorous plants indoors, there are some basic tips that you need to know about this type of plant. These tips will allow you to choose the best plants for your indoor garden.
You need to provide adequate light and moisture in order for your carnivorous plants to grow. As with most indoor plants, the best way to do this is by using timers. The lower the temperature is outside, the more sunlight you should provide. On the flip side, the higher the temperature is indoors, the more moisture you should provide.
One of the first things you want to learn about when it comes to caring for carnivorous plants indoors is how much water they require. While you may think that a plant needs a lot of water, in reality it only needs a little bit. This is because this type of plant doesn’t store water in its roots like other plants do. In fact, these plants will dry out if you over-water them.
The amount of air that carnivorous plants need is very important as well. In order for these plants to thrive in their natural environments they need access to oxygen. Since this is not always available in the home, you will have to provide artificial air through a humidity system. If you don’t have this in place, then you will have to buy special fans to circulate the air in the room where you are growing your plants.
When it comes to feeding your carnivorous plants, you will need to mimic what you would do for other plants. Carnivorous plants are omnivores and will eat any kind of organic material, including starches, grains and vegetables. As long as the food doesn’t contain too much starch or sugar it will provide your plants with all the nutrition they need. If you aren’t sure how much, you can feed a teaspoonful of the food to the plant each day and check to see if the plant seems to gain any weight. If so, you should increase the amount slightly.
Another item that you should keep in mind as you care for your carnivorous plants is fertilizer. Although a lot of people will tell you to apply fertilizer in the spring, you should actually use it all year around. The reason you want to do this is because the nutrients contained in natural compost will be depleted as the plant grows.
Remember, your carnivorous plants are very susceptible to damage from wind, especially on humid days. On extremely dry days there is a reduced ability to absorb moisture, which will result in the roots becoming very weak and prone to breaking, splitting or drying out completely. To avoid this, make sure you water your plants thoroughly before they begin to bloom. Just like your other plants, you should water them daily during the hot part of the growing season.
Although many people think of Queensland as a lawn, it is actually an excellent source of green manure. This manure makes excellent compost and has a high nitrogen content, making it a great alternative to commercial fertilizers. The best time to feed your carnivorous plants is just after the rain, when the moisture from dew has evaporated. It is important not to over feed the plants, though, or they may become dependent on you! They should remain happy and healthy throughout the year, but depending upon the species, you should feed them every two weeks or so.