Question
i bought a mixed container of sundews, venus flytraps, and pitcher plants(i think a purple variety).  the pitchers have grown inches beyond the top of the container (it was a tall container with a removable lid).  i think all the sundews have been killed out due to the growth of everything else.  we bought some items to set up a new growing environment that will be transportable (my husband is in the army).  my question is, what is the best way to transplant them without ruining the roots.  we have 5 little pots we wanted to divide them up into.

Answer
Hi Val,

I'm assuming that the pitcher plant is a US-native species, like the Venus flytrap.  This is important because pitcher plant is a very general term and is sometimes used in reference to Asian pitcher plants, which have a completely different growing requirement.

Although the best time to repot US-native plants is in early spring, you can do it during the growing season as long as you keep the root disturbance to a minimum.  This means avoid dividing the rhizomes and bulbs.  Do this only in early spring.

To transplant them in their own pots, simply take the plants out of the pot (soil and all) and gently separate the plants.  There's no way around not disturbing the roots.  Just do it as gently as possible.  If you accidentally get too rough, don't worry about it.  They'll recover.

Next, transplant your plants in their own pots with fresh soil.  For the plants you have, use a mix of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite.

For more information about growing these and other types of carnivorous plants, watch our video podcasts and read our care sheets on our main website:
http://www.cobraplant.com/videos
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin