“Water tray method” means putting the pot on top of a tray that has some water in it. The main reason is to keep the media wet, which is what most CPs need. This method is recommended by most CP related books. With this method, we don’t need to water the CP daily. What we need to do is to make sure the water tray have some level of water.
Most of CP can be grown nicely in water tray. In my case, I grow sarracenia, drosera, VFT, cephalotus and nepenthes at my house. So far, I keep them using the Water Tray method, except for cephalotus and nepenthes; I try don’t let the media be waterlogged or too moist all the time for cephalotus and VFTs.
With the water tray, water from the tray and pot will evaporate, increasing the humidity around CP. The higher humidity around the tray is suitable for most CPs.
You can use whatever container as a water tray. If you have just a few pots, it is easy to find small containers. But, once you have 100++ pots, you will have to use bigger trays. What I using now are those yellow trays that are normally used by bakers to keep bread and cakes. It is same as those you see used by cake sellers in night markets. Each tray cost me RM14+-. You can find it at most plastic or kitchen accessory shops. What I found is, this type of tray is last longer then the others reddish tray that I am using. The yellow tray can last for 2 years + and it will not break if compare with reddish tray that will last for 1 year only.
Sarracenias, droseras and VFTs need different water levels. Sarracenias need the most water, followed by droseras and VFTs. So, possible, keep the water level for sarracenias half way up the pot. At my house, I kept the pot standing in 1.5~2inches of water. For droseras and VFTs, I grow them in 1~2cm of water.
Many people said VFTs prefer dry media in between a regular watering routine. But, if I follow that, I definitely will kill some of them, since my house area is really hot and the media will dry very fast and I may will forget to water them sometimes. So, I keep my VFT sitting in water as well and so far, they are doing fine. A few plants have been with me for 2 – 3 years. My VFT that won the 2nd prize at CP photo competition organized by PetPitcher is growing well with that method.
Sometimes, I find that it is difficult to specially create a higher water level tray just for sarracenias. So, I keep a few pots of sarracenia at water levels of 1 or 2 cm as well. This is working fine and doesn’t give me any negative results.
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With suitable size of square container (im using transparent disposable plastic food containers) and transparent A4 paper, we can build 1 easily. Make a hole at side of container for water overflow purpose. Distance of the overflow hole from bottom of container is 2cm. Fill in the container with wet spagnum moss. Then, plant yours CP in the spagnum moss.
Carnivorous Plants 