Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Good evening everyone.

I was wondering if anyone ever tried to use Carnivorous plants in their Aquaponics Greenhouse in order to control some insect parasites.

If you did, wich species did you use? If not, any particular reason not to do so?

Thank you very much for you replies

I used to grow many different kinds of CPs. Haven't grow many in years.

The species that grow in bogs should grow in AP, but i don't know if the high nutrient load would be good for them. Since they grow in places that are low in nutrients, hence why they evolved to eats insects.

I did think about trying some as i have plenty of old seeds. All different species and varients. Many over 10 years old, some should spout?

I would be trying the Sarracenia(Pitcher Plant), Droseras(Sundews), and Dionaea(Venus Fly Trap) species. They all grow in full sun and thrive in moist wet conditions.

I have one Carnivorous plant growing on my window sill, a Nepenthes Pitcher Plant. Had it for a couple years

I might trial some in the AP setup if the seeds sprout. Maybe divert some sump water to them, as this should be low in nutrients?

Hi

I have just added a venus fly trap to my grow bed. My system has only just begun cycling. My plant was under the grow lights at first and seemed to be doing well. Then I shifted it to another place where the lighting wasn't good at all. There was a big difference. Symptoms being similar to the ones they exhibit when going into hibernation for winter ie the traps went nasty dead looking. I have added it to the grow bed because it's the only place where it is any good to me. I bought it because I'm dreading an insect infestation problem. I had a pitcher plant once and it died. So I am assuming that everything I did with it was wrong and I'm doing things differently with this one. It says on some web site that they are hardy. So I'm hoping that a high nutrient content than it needs will be less harmful than lack of other things like good lighting etc. Winter is nigh, though, so it is pointless for me to try different things expecting to see a response from it to give me feedback on how to proceed. When they hibernate, bits of them die off ... so that doesn't give me any feedback at all ... I will have to keep it constantly in the place where I need it and see what happens in the spring. I hope I have been of help