Some of the ingredients used in African Violet soil can actually be used for carnivorous plants, however; I would avoid using the sum total of the ingredients and use only the peat/perlite or silica sand in a 50/50 mix unless the sundew your growing is one of the oddballs that likes a slightly different mix.

Most African Violet mixes contain potting soil, fertilizers, vermuculite, perlite, and peat moss in various mixes. I would avoid the typical "carnivorous plant" books you find in the libraries as my experience with those has been rather on the dead side of carnivorous plant growing when I was about 8 years old. Go for books by Slack, D'Amato, and Ebooks by Sarracenia Northwest for live plants for years to come.

I bet that instructions come from these general gardening books they often get sold at Home Depo or Lowes. Some have a chapter, a page worth at least, how to grow CP. I usually find advice and instructions that if you apply them to your plants. You will end up killing them.

Some of my favorites they advice for Sarracenias and VFT goes something like this: "Place plant in the shade, to much light will kill. Place plants in a terrarium to maintain high humidity or they will dry up and die"

Or "Mix garden/ potting soil with peat moss and perlite."

Plus they the add the plant will evantually die in a few months. The plants are only for novalty purposes and should not expect for them to thrive.

That's why many people get discourage when they follow this silly advices and kill their plants.

Good point about those silly writers and salespeople thinking that keeping a potentially endangered plant for a couple months is novelty for most folks. I think the true novelty would be getting the plants to thrive as they were meant to be... especially since most people that are first time CP growers become enthused with the idea of having a beautiful and cool plant of a different type for years to come rather than just a couple months.

The writer that said that these plants die after a few months obviously follow their own advice, which sounds quite worthless from any vantage. It is a wonder they sell any gardening and houseplant books at all considering their ineptitude. I might not know much about non-carnivorous plants, but if I intend to look into information about African Violet soil I am darned well going to research the subject before I use it... just like Doowop is doing. Unfortunately those second hand gardening book writers just want a quick buck at the expense of the readers and their plants.

Ty every one for some facinating advice and experiances .I think we've all have in common .I think another smart thing to do befor planting would be to visit the companies web site . Just incase they don;t list fertilizer on the package . I avoided potting soil's . Coconut fiber was also avalibal / However thats for Nepenthies in the future ,And the salt content .if low has to be rinced out .I sure wouldn;t use coconut fiber for fly traps and sundews . This is my second attenpt to grow sundews ,After the expence involved it's best to get it done right .thank good ness for my ossmois maker lol . good luck and ty for responding all.Sincerly Scott

Here is a perfect example http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.plantcare.com/oldSite/httpdocs/images/G/IMG0089090.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/list.aspx%3Fletter%3DC&h=256&w=384&sz=39&hl=en&start=17&um=1&tbnid=6TF_GlKC3MsZYM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddrosera%2BBinata%2Bstaghorn%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN good luck and happy growing .

Doowop,

Apparently the person that wrote that encyclopedia entry has never even seen a Cape Sundew. They not only list a wholly inadequate and myth filled spiel on the plant's growing conditions, but also think that this plant does not flower or have fragrance. Not only that, they are overly worried about acidic rain water, something that we as carnivorous plant growers do not actually have to worry about since the soil we use is acidic peat and NOT garden humus and leaf mold. No wonder the plants don't flower for them... they are sick from inadequate care. I hope someone that knows about carnivorous plants rewrites that entry soon before too many people kill their cape sundews following that advice.

Holy Guacamole! "Can be fertilized monthly spring through fall if its owner is feeling generous. An alternative is a granular slow release fertilizer if applied annually in the early spring." If your generous enough to kill your plant!

Definitely this person has no idea how to grow Cape Sundews! Look at the pic this person is providing! The poor thing! Under developed leaves and stringy stem, obviously due to lack of light!

ThatâÂÂs what I mean they give general instructions of how to care for your CPs, like adding potting soil to your mix will definitely kill you plants. Reading, "Use a GOOD rich potting soil" is killing me and it will kill your plant! The true and proven potting mix is 1:1 perlite and sphagnum peat moss (no additives added to it like wetting agents and/or fertilizer).

"be careful as it could be acidic", that where these plants grow in, in an acidic media. And only suitable for greenhouse is totally wrong! ThatâÂÂs the reason people get discourage with these silly instructions.

I feel like kicking the person on his⦠you know where⦠;^D

One thing I don't understand is why it says it doesn't flower yet states cape sundews can be grown from seeds. O_o ??

I clinked the link for Carnivore and they have those silly instructions for Pings, VFT (according to them VFT donâÂÂt flower either), D auriculata (which require media that drains well). This person was coping and pasting the instructions on how to grow these plants.

They at least provide better potting mix for the neps.

Hello mutant ,,and all . I'm very pleased for the responces .It is a very halarious in a tragic way . The main reason this site exist's . Or my plants would be toast . there is enough confussion and a lot of grey ariea's even when the info on ligitmet sights .The main confussion I find counterdictory info . Some CP'S are listed in what I call grey ariea's .Example Drosea Binata staghorns need to go dormant..while other information states they don;t reqire a dormancy and will grow year around . I find these grey aria's just as damning as I do about soil Conditions , Good luck and good growing. Sincerly Scott