Question
I live in Wisconsin and am trying to prepare for my first winter with carnivorous plants. I have mostly Nepenthes pitcher plant highland species.  I am wondering if melted snow can be used instead of always having to buy distilled water. I also have a seasonally depression light that I am wondering if It can be used on my plants, it's 27 watts.  Other wise do you have any light lighting suggestions for someone without much space or natural lighting.

Answer
Hi Becky,

A S.A.D.D. light is of good spectral output, but the way most of them are designed is not of a useful shape for plant growing.

The simplest, most effective lighting for a small number of plants is a two-tube "Shoplight" type fixture with either T-12 or T-8, cool-white tubes.  Total investment will be around ~ $20.00.  Suspend it by chains, put it on a timer, instant plant light.  If you want something brighter, they now make T-5 fixtures in the same design, but they are more expensive.  Suspend your light about six inches above your plants for Nepenthes, much closer for other plants.  You sometimes have to block up sundews to get them closer; they should be about 3 inches.  Double that if you use T-5's.  Put the timer on a 13 hour day.

You'll see on all kinds of forums and websites stuff about LED plant lights.  They are without a doubt far more efficient, but they are also infinitely more complicated.  There's a dizzying array of different kinds, spectral outputs, intensities, sizes, blah, blah, blah...  For someone new to this, the white light sources are far easier to use, and more predictable on how the plants will react.  We've been doing this for decades, and we are still trying to figure out the best way to use LED plant lights, and what kind.  The plants behave differently under them than white light sources.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com