GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Sarracenia purpurea: gardeners dream or growers hype?

14-10-2003, 10:32 AM

(Andy Spragg) wrote in message ...
So now I have this plant in my possession, certain questions spring to
mind. Like: given that (in a pot context) it likes to sit in a saucer
of (rain)water, how are the slugs going to get across the moat? I
would like to plant it out in the garden, in a simulated peat-bog
micro-environment. Is this a reasonable thing to do (for instance,
sink a large container filled with peat, plant it in that and keep it
well watered at all times)? And like: is it possible to propagate this
plant? The thought of dozens of slug-eating plants dotted around my
allotment is almost too awesome to contemplate .....

Andy

I have a S. purpurea myself, however it's not been in a position for
slugs to get at it to be able to say whether it eats them or not. I
guess it probably would, along with flies and wasps. The pitchers fill
with rain water and then the beasties drown when they tumble in.
Your idea to sink a pot into the ground sounds pretty feasible.
Remember to use an undrained plastic one though. And mix the peat with
some washed sand as well. And definitely use rain water, unless you
live in a soft water area as they are intolerant of the high mineral
content of hard water.
S. purpurea grow from a rhizome and once your one gets a bit bigger
you'll be able to divide it up yourself.

For more info check out the faq at www.sarracenia.com

Good luck

Alastair