Re: Nitrogen sources for CPs
Rodney L. Boleyn (boleyn@scr.siemens.com)
Thu, 19 May 1994 08:43:05 -0400
>As a non-grower (yet!) of carnivorous plants, I would like to add something to
>the current discussion on nitrogen sources.
>
>P.S. Karlson & J.S. Pate showed for SW Australian species of Drosera that
>plant growth responded to artificial feeding with prey (Collembola) but not
>to extra mineral nitrogen (Oecologia v.92:8-13). Various other studies have
>shown that CPs are prey-limited in the wild. Is artificial feeding with animal
>prey a common procedure among growers?
I'm also an as-yet-non-grower, and I've been following this thread and
wondering exactly the same thing. My impression of CPs was that their
natural habitats tend to be nutrient-deficient, and that's why they
evolved their carnivorous capabilities in the first place. What I've
been wondering is: wouldn't feeding the plants through soil enrichment
be stressful to the plant (i.e., moving them a step farther from their
natural environment), and would it be better to feed them through
their naturally-evolved mechanisms?
-Rodney