Carnivorous plant

Satyajit Ray’s short story ‘Septopasher khide’ (The hunger of Septopus) revolves around a precarious carnivorous plant and its insatiable hunger.

The first time I read the story, it gave me goose bumps. I have read about insectivorous plants before, courtesy my biology textbook, but to experience and visualize them weaved through a tale, sprouted my curiosity to know more about these interesting species of plants.

If you are a proud owner of a nursery, why not make it more intriguing by adding few carnivorous plants? Not only will you be fascinated watching them attract strolling insects and gorge them heartily, but you will also turn your space into a haven for visitors to come, enjoy and surrender to their buoyant delight!

Carnivorous Plant Requirements

Soil

Carnivorous plants thrive well in a nutrient poor soil. Go out there and prepare a mixture of coir, renowned for its eco-friendly properties, and horticultural sand. They cannot cope with nutrient-rich soil as their native growing conditions unveils an antithetical story.

Water

They are water-loving; hence, it must be ensured that they are bestowed with adequate supply of water. However, do not water them with tap water or potable water that comprises calcium salts, as it will ruin your ambition of possessing these carnivorous treasures by destroying them. The majority of carnivorous plants are located in rain forests, bogs and regions receiving dense amount of rainfall. This posits the corollary that these carnivores prefer to sponge rainwater or distilled water deionised by the process of acidification to pH 6.5 or reverse osmosis water.

Sunlight

Carnivorous plants respond favourably to sunlight. In fact, they love bathing in blazing sunlight that reaches them directly and in an unhindered fashion. This sun-loving attribute can be traced to the imperative of synthesizing purple and red anthocyanin. They generally grow well in a humid climate, but some of them are tolerant to cold temperatures too.

Food

If the carnivorous plants are growing in the garden or in an outdoor area, then they are self-sufficient to accrue their food. However, inside the greenhouse, you need to take the initiative of providing insects to the plants. They derive nutrients from the consumption of insects and arthropods. It is a myth that these carnivores won’t survive without eating for days. The flip side is that you might be crestfallen to discover that your plant has not appropriately grown.

Additional Care

During summer, grey mold may threaten to wreak havoc on your carnivores. Precaution being better than cure, your plants should be protected by shifting them to a cooler place with proper ventilation that would dissuade the augmentation and sustenance of any pathogens. Apart from this, don’t forget to get rid of dead leaves and maintain general hygiene. Keep an eye out for mealybugs and aphids.

Know Your Carnivorous Plants

Sundews

Members of the sundew genus are found in all blocks of the world. Sundews are made up of mucilage glands, which exist at the end of the tip of their elongated tentacles. Sundews are thigmotropics (plant that moves or grows in response to touch or contact stimuli.) and prey upon insects by sensing their movements. They are contingent upon the nitrogen resource of these insects. Tuberous sundews, unlike most carnivores, have a predilection for dry soils.

carnivorous plants
Drosera montana var. tomentosa, a type of Sundew

Pitcher Plant

Pitcher plants are gifted with the trapping mechanism of their pitfall trap, which is a survival strategy of plants growing near aquatic bodies for collecting, trapping and smoothly digesting prey. If you are planning to vouch for a pitcher plant, vouch for Sarracenia, owing to its hardy and relatively hassle-free growing advantages.

carnivorous plants
Pitcher plant

Venus Flytrap

Venus flytraps prey upon insects through their trapping mechanism known as snap trap. Also referred to as bear trap, man trap and mouse trap, they trap insects through leaves whose terminal sections are bifurcated into two sections, anchored along the midrib. The snapping of the leaves can be attributed to thigmonasty, which is an undirected movement caused by touch. The internal mechanism is such that the greater the force of the insect to escape, the greater is the magnitude of force exerted on the insects, which eventually steers them to their death.

carnivorous plants
Venus Flytrap

Bring home some carnivorous plants and the next time someone’s at your place, flaunt your new carnivorous collectibles.

Happy carnivorous plants growing!

Happy Gardening

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