I’m trying something different with the Darlingtonia. I recently transplanted a few Darlingonia in Kanuma. I was first introduced to the stuff by fellow carnivorous plant grower extraordinaire, Mark T. Kanuma is this granular sorta spongey-crumbly-clayish thing that is primarily used for acid loving bonsai. With a box of Nepenthes, Mark included a small sampling of Kanuma to plant those new Neps in. (Thanks, Mark!) The Nepenthes seem to like it, so I wanted to try it out with the Darlingtonia. It’s porous, breathable, and able to hold water. Seems like it could provide good moisture retention and air flow simultaneously to the Darlingtonia roots. I have had good success with growing Darlingtonia in pumice rock, so I figured I would give this a shot. The plant in the rock seems to be more robust then their peat/perlite counterparts and roots/runners are not constricted by the sludge of the peaty medium. Kanuma appears to be similar in function to the pumice. I am also trying some Darlingtonia in Fluval aquatic substrate – which has similar properties to Kanuma.

The plants were planted up in mixes that incorporated varying amounts of sphagnum moss, perlite and sand along with the Kanuma. Some pots have holes drilled into the sides to encourage air movement. The other pots I’m using are clay pots. Quick note: terra cotta pots are usually a no-no for carnivorous plants since they contain a high level of salts and minerals. That could be detrimental to the plants. To make the pots carnivore-friendly, I soaked the pots for a few weeks in a tub of water. Some of the other terra cotta pots have also housed the Darlingtonia for the past several seasons with no issue, so I feel pretty confident in re-using it with the new mix. I’m hoping that the increased air flow to the roots is beneficial. I’ll post another update later in the season.