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THE BASICS

GROWING CARNIVOROUS PLANTS is surely a very rewarding thing to do. But to keep them going for many months and years can be quite challenging at the beginning.

Luckily, there are some simple rules that will make the very most of them happy.

LIGHT is the number one key to success. Most carnivorous plants need plenty of light - think of cacti, and even a bit further. Choose a place close to a south- or west-facing window, with at least some hours of direct sunlight, and you are already on the winning lane. If you haven't, you can use growlights - many experienced growers have great success under artificial light. But again - you will need plenty of it, best above 500 Watt per square meter of a good light source. Modern LEDs or compact fluorescents with a spectrum close to natural light will be suitable. Make sure the distance between lights and plants is not too small - most don't like heat nor drought. Growing them under glass can be of help here.

WATER is my second key factor. Most carnivorous plants come from habitats that are extremely low in salts and nutrients - that's why they developed their habit of catching prey. Lime is the worst salt to mention - most of them live in acidic environments. Rain water or distilled water with about 10% of tap water will be good choices. Same is true for the SOIL - if you plan to replace the soil they came in, go for a nutrient-poor peat like white peat, and loosen it a bit with neutral, airy supplements like perlite or expanded clay.

TEMPERATURE and HUMIDITY are already among the less critical cultivation factors for the easier plants (i.e. those you'll find in garden stores). They don't like it to be boiled or dried - but standing in a big tray of water and otherwise open, or in a half-open bowl, will make a nice home for these. As many of the "standard" cps come from subtropical regions, they will be fine with our room temperatures at around 75% rel. humidity. Only in winter they would need somewhat lower temperatures. A night drop will be beneficial. 

Some carnivorous plants are among the easiest houseplants to grow - for example the lovely MEXICAN PINGUICULA - they'll be fine with less light and even somewhat harder tap water. I'll dedicate my first setup example to these.

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