Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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Carnivorous plants are some of my favorite underused container gems.

They garner a lot of attention and fascinate old and young visitors alike.

As long as you’re willing to care for them properly and choose the best

varieties for your gardening zone, container-grown carnivorous plants

will live for many years.

Note: Never collect carnivorous plants from the wild, even if it’s on

your own property. Instead, purchase only nursery-grown plants that

have not been collected from the wild.

There is a sly comic irony to this project. Planted in a casserole

container, this garden is not meant to be eaten, but to do the eating.

Types of Carnivorous Plants Suited to Container Culture

• Pitcher plants (Sarracena spp.)


• Sundews (Drosera spp.)


• Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)


• Butterworts (Pinguicula spp.)

MATERIALS NEEDED

1 ceramic or stoneware

casserole dish

Enough sphagnum peat

moss or peat-based

potting soil to fill^2 ⁄ 3 of

the dish (do not use a

potting soil with added

fertilizer or compost;

they’re too “rich” for

carnivorous plants)

Enough clean, sharp

builder’s sand to fill

the rest of the dish

3 to 5 carnivorous plants

1 selection of another

bog plant; I used a

dwarf umbrella palm

(Cyperus alternifolius

‘Gracilis’)

1 handful reindeer or

sphagnum sheet moss

CARNIVOROUS

CASSEROLE

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HOW TO MAKE A CARNIVOROUS CASSEROLE

STEP 1 Mix the peat moss or potting soil with the sand

in a small bucket or bin, and fill the container with an

inch or two of the mix. Carefully remove the plants

from their containers and plant them one by one

into the casserole dish. Loosen any pot-bound roots

as you plant. After all the plants are in place, fill in

around them with more of the peat moss/potting soil

and sand blend until the container is filled to within

an inch of its rim.

STEP 2 Cover the exposed planting mix with decorative

reindeer moss or sphagnum sheet moss to aid in

moisture retention and give the container a finished

look. When you water your carnivorous casserole

planter, use rainwater or distilled water and fill the

container until it’s completely flooded. Then, over the

period of a few days, let the water level drop, but never

let it dry out completely. Add more water when the soil

is merely damp.

STEP 3 Put your carnivorous casserole where it will

receive 4 to 6 hours of full sun per day. Contrary to

popular belief, do not feed your carnivorous plants raw

hamburger. They’re unable to digest the proteins in it.

If you leave your carnivorous plants outdoors, the

plants will trap plenty of insects on their own.

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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