Instructions for planting and growing Primal Plants
Give all the plants good bright light, and make sure you
keep the humidity on the plants for 2-4 weeks after transplanting.
Tuberous
Drosera |
–
winter growing Sundews |
These plants are unique among Carnivorous Plants, as
they produce dormant tubers/bulbs in the Hot/dry, summer
season, and then emerge again in the cooler/wet winter
months.
Cultivation
| Pots: |
Deep larger pots are preferred. (10-14
cm dia.) Minimum. |
| Temperature: |
Temperate (warm summer, cold winter). |
| |
Growing period:
|
Winter 3-28 Celsius. |
| |
Dormancy: |
Summer 25-40 Celsius. |
Large containers seem to be important, as fluctuations
in soil temperature appear to have a negative effect
on overall health.
Growing conditions
Tubers will start to break dormancy at the end of
autumn or the start of winter when the temperature gets
cooler. The rosetted species tend to emerge first, with
the exception of a few species.
Most tubers will need to be placed a minimum 5-9 cm
below the soil surface.
Soil
Most species can be grown in one of two different
soil types depending on species. Either a sand based
mix or a clay/loam mix should be suitable.
- 1 Sand mix
For species that grow in a sandy habitat, we use &
recommend approx. 80% river sand and 20% sphagnum
or fine grade coco peat. Please note that many species
grow in nearly 100% sand in their natural habitat.
- 2 Clay/loam mix
(To be updated)
Watering
Autumn – near the end of Autumn, start to water
the pots and keep the soil continually moist.
Winter – Plants should have broken the soil surface
and start to grow rapidly. Keep watering. Growth is
generally very fast at this stage.
Top
Tropical Drosera
These beautiful plants basically have the opposite requirements
to Tuberous drosera. Ideal for terrariums.
| Light: |
Bright light. Ideal should be 70 - 100%.
Direct or filtered light |
| Pots: |
7-10 cm pots are ideal |
| Soil: |
40% peat/60% sand or perlite, Sphagnum
moss can also be used on some species. |
| Temperature: |
Growing period:
Dormancy: |
Summer 22-40 celsius.
Winter 12-20 celsius. |
Cultivation
Growth is best during the hot, wet summer season.
Plants will tend to reduce in size and basically slow
in growth during the cooler, dryer winter period. Plants
should not be exposed to temperatures below 15 Celsius
for prolonged periods.
Tropical conditions are generally as follows:
Wet Season – Warm wet humid conditions
above 20 Celsius - 40 Celsius.
Dry Season – Cool, but not cold temperatures
approx.12-20 Celsius. Reduce watering to a minimum.
Plants should be kept in warm wet humid conditions during
the summer growing period.
Allow the soil to partially dry out during the cooler
winter dormancy. Do not over-water.
Plants should be kept in warm wet humid conditions
during the summer growing period. Allow the soil
to partially dry out during the cooler winter
dormancy. Do not over-water.
Top
Nepenthes
Also known as Tropical Pitcher Plants.
Absolutely amazing plants. Many of which are very rare
and endangered and/or close to extinction. Nepenthes are
a vine-like growing plant consisting of about 96+ species,
with most species originating from South-East Asia.
Cultivation
Nepenthes are generally grown in one of the following
conditions based on their altitude, either Highland
or Lowland.
Highland plants are from the upper altitude areas of
mountains that experience the cool climate during the
daytime, and cold temperatures at night.
Lowland plants are from the warm/hot tropical lowland
areas.
So you have to know which species are suitable for the
conditions you can provide. It is not good, trying to
grow a Lowland(Warm) growing species, in Highland(Cool)
conditions, or vice versa, as the plants will surely
suffer and eventually die.
Temperature
- Lowland(Warm) – min 18 Celsius- 38 Celsius,
preferably above 22 Celsius at all times.
- Highland(cool/cold) – day temperature between
18-30 Celsius grow best with cool night temperatures
of 8-15 Celsius.
Light
Most species require bright filtered/partly shaded
light with a photo period of 12-14 hrs. Although some
species may prefer more shade,( eg N.sumatrana, N.ampullaria).
Soil
Nepenthes benefit from an open(rapidly draining) mix
that will allow good drainage.
* These plants can be grown in a wide variety of soil
mixes, but most are a combination of one or more of
the following.
You can use a combination of any of the following mixes.
Coco peat, Sphagnum peat, Sphagnum moss, Sand, Perlite,
Small pine bark chips, charcoal.
* We try to use as simple a mix as possible, but it
is a good idea to try a few different combinations to
get the best results.
- 100% sphagnum moss works well for most highland
species.
- 70 % sphagnum moss/ 30 % perlite.
- 40% Coco peat, 30% sand, 30% perlite for Lowland
and Highland species.
We would recommend using live sphagnum moss for most
Highland species, but this moss generally requires
good quality water to grow, eg rain or reverse osmosis.
Tap water generally has too many chemicals and is
only advisable for short term use.
Water
Generally Nepenthes do not like to have their pots
sitting in water or have waterlogged soil, as this can
lead to root rot. So a potting mix with good drainage
is recommended.
Nepenthes will tolerate Tap water, but due to the chemicals,
tends to make the potting mix break down prematurely.
If available we would recommend Rain water, or Reverse
Osmosis. If these are not available to use then most
tap water should be ok. The purer the water the better.
Sphagnum moss will not grow if there are too many chemicals
in the water.
Humidity
We have found that if humidity levels are kept high,
then most plants will tolerate temperature fluctuations
outside their normal limits. The best method to keep
humidity levels high is by using a greenhouse, or use
a terrarium/fish tank.
A greenhouse can be equipped with a misting system to
keep humidity high.
It is a good idea that you join a local Carnivorous
Plant Society, and talk with members that successfully
grow these plants to gain more experience.
Top
BYBLIS
Soil
Top
CEPHALOTUS
Soil
We use approximately 50% sphagnum peat and 50% river
sand.
Temperature
* Temperate Climate (Summer/Winter, 5Min /32Max)
respectively.
Watering
Keep pots wet/continually moist over winter/spring
period.
Reduce watering, but keep soil a little moist over
the Summer/Autumn months.
Mature plants should flower at the end of summer.
Top
|
|