Question
Hi,

I got one of those pitcher plant growing kits that sort of resemble the shape of an Easter egg with the top half being clear to act as a terrarium last summer.  It took about 3 months to sprout and after about 2 more months it started to produce pitchers.  It has 16 pitchers on it with the tallest being 2 inches.  I am not sure what kind of pitcher plant it is. I live in the Florida panhandle, so I have kept it on my window sill since I got it because it is so small and Florida weather changes so fast that I did not want a Thunderstorm to pop up and carry the whole plant off to who-knows-where.  I have pitcher plants outside so I know this is not an inside plant for my region, but when will it be large enough to place outside by itself?  And when should I start to see more growth since it has stayed at this size for the last 6 months.

Thank you,
Kolton

Answer
Hi Kolton,

By the plants third season they will begin to look more like what they are going to be.  It's usually year 4 or 5 to see the first flower, and maturity.  You can speed up the process by about a year using this technique:  http://www.carnivorousplants.org/howto/Feeding/SarraceniaFertilization.php

Once you are on year 3 they should be large enough to pot up and put outside.  Using a top dressing on your pots such as long-fiber sphagnum or coconut chips can help with the splash erosion from heavy rain.  Keeping the water trays shallow helps too.

Good Growing!

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