Should I repot my carnivorous plants?

[plantlover]

My dad is forcing me to repot my plants which includes 3 sarra, a ceph, and 2 pings(1 is producing 2 flowers). I'm afraid I may disturb the roots and cause the plant to die or stop growing. Should I really repot them?

 

[Wolfn]

You can repot them if you like. It's winter-time now so it's actually the best time of the year to repot them.

 

[plantlover]

I live in the tropics, so no winter for me. They are all still growing. My dad once forced me to repot my rajah and I ended up killing it.

 

[Devon]

if your saying you don't give your temperate plants dormancy, they may die over time... to put them to dormancy in the tropics you can put them in your frisge with some moist sphagnum and in a baggie.

 

[plantlover]

Here in the tropics, plants go into dormancy different times of the year, not now. especially when the dry season changes into the rainy season. Here, we try the dry dormancy method which is better than the fridge dormancy method because the sudden temperature drop from 30-40 C to 10 - - C shocks the plant and kill it.

BTW should I really repot the plants? All of them are fine. My dad is driving me nuts by continuously asking me to repot the plants.

 

[theyellowdart]

Why is he forcing you to repot all your plants?

If all of your plants are growing fine, don't touch them. Explain to your Dad that cp's don't like to be frequently disturbed.

 

[plantlover]

Reasons from my dad:

'If the pot is bigger, it will grow fast and big.'

When I say CPs hate being disturbed, he says

'Nonsense. Can't you see the new Sarra you just bought, so big because the pot is big'

I said

'That plant is old, that is why it is big. And they repotted it during dormancy'

Dad

'Nonsense. Where is there such thing as dormancy'

Mom

'Mister, your son knows more than you in CPs.'

Dad

'Nonsense, use common sense. Big pot = big plant'

Me

Quietly slips away....

 

[Clue]

Reasons from my dad:

'If the pot is bigger, it will grow fast and big.'

Well, then we'd all use 36" pots for our prized Nepenthes.

'Nonsense. Can't you see the new Sarra you just bought, so big because the pot is big'

Just don't believe him on that.

'Nonsense. Where is there such thing as dormancy'

Here. Most trees have dropped their leaves and stopped growing. As have most of my temperate CPs. If this isn't dormancy... what is?

'Nonsense, use common sense. Big pot = big plant'

That works well with trees, who like to stretch their roots into the soil. AFAIK (and seen), most CP's roots are indifferent to crowding.


I think that your dad just wants to see some rat-eating monster-sized plants. Show him that when left alone (with water, of course), they will still grow.

 

[plantlover]

haha. It's hard, living with a stubborn father.

 

[marvin1997]

Aaron...Seriously you don't need to repot and I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT,don't you??Oh and I thought he was sarra-blind haha and you can tell him theres no rat eating plant

 

[plantlover]

I repotted my 3 sarras and a ping. i left the ceph and flowering ping alone.

 

[Not a Number]

Sarracenia tolerates root crowding but it is a good idea to repot and/or divide them when the are bursting out of the pots. Sarracenia are not very sensitive to root disturbance although S. rubra growth can be put back a year or so. I've had rhizomes that the roots snapped off during shipment come back to healthy growth after a year.

Nepenthes are a different matter and a lot depends on the species and size and age of the plant:
http://icps.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=nepenthes&action=display&thread=3580&page=1#22818

 

[plantlover]

I repot all my neps the minute I can. I'm not scared because nepenthes are easier for me. It's the ceph and pings.

 

[petmantis]

If you try to be really gentle and use the 'non invasive' method of repotting, you won't really disturb the roots. Gently tap the pot on the bottom so the soil ball comes loose, and have a bigger pot ready with soil in it. make a hole in the soil that's just big enough to accommodate the soil ball, and place it in. The roots will be virtually undisturbed, since you didn't rip them apart and try to fit them in the bigger pot. Just let them grow out of the old soil ball naturally

 

[carnivoure12]

I hope you're giving your plants dormancy at some point, if you live in the tropics a good method is to put them in the fridge method.

 

[plantlover]

I repotted my sarras that way, pressing the pot to loosen the soil, and then pull the srarra pitchers gently and out comes the whole medium. Then I put it in an empty pot and stuff more sphagnum inside.

I will be giving them dormancy. My D. intermedia 'Great Swamp' are already blackening and producing short non-carnivorous leaves(not sure what they are called). I will provide them with dry dormancy. Fridge dormancy is not so good for me.

 

[seedjar]

You should find some plants that like being root-bound and buy a few for your dad.
I can imagine how that situation would be frustrating - sorry to hear about it. But at least your dad takes an interest in your hobby. Try to explain to him that you just want to follow the commonly accepted instructions for growing your plants. Once you start making divisions and such, it might be nice to humor him and experiment with a few.
I haven't heard too much about raising temperate CPs in the tropics, but you sound like you've got a method. Good job!
~Joe

 

[w03]

Wait, so your dad pretty much got you to kill your rajah?!

You definitely know better, so just tell him that the plants will die like the last time he forced you to do something. In any case, just get authority from different growers and outclass him.

 

[plantlover]

I have emailed all your answers to him. i can't wait to see the look on his face.