all the plants you recieved will benifit from full sun. I have them all out in the full sun in my mini bogs if you would like some ideas on how to build one look at my posting on this site "mini bog from lowe's "if you have any questions email me at phal677@yahoo.com. Benjie

Ps. I am in Florida with lots of full sun. Also if you press back button and press gallery you can look at one of my bogs this was just started two months ago.

Ye I agree 100% with benjie.
I have never just potted and left the VFT's, I have always been to scared they will go into shock.
The Pitcher plants dont even worry about hardening them off, choose a BEEEEEEG pot, filled with perlite/peat mix with a nice layer of sphagnum moss on the top (big pot so the hot sun dont dry it too much)
The pitchers enjoy flooding, so use a tray method (deep tray) and when you want to top it up, fill the pot (from top watering) so that it soaks the sphagnum moss and the peat and drains to the tray.

Make sure they dont dry out.
If you start growing these guys you may need a small R/O unit like I have soon as they love wett soil as I said.
Theya re very tough and can take frosts as well.
They also enjoy foliar feeding but dont ever put any form of fertilizer down the pitchers.

Cheers

Sheldon

Sheldon:

So you think I should leave the plants in their current pots they are shipped with (or you talking VFT specifically)? What if they start to outgrow the 3" pot?

Ok

For the VFT and sundews, I suggest a 6" pot.
For the AMERICAN pitcher plant(Sarracenia), NO PERLITE IN TRAY!!!, this is ONLY with the ASIAN PITCHERS (Nepenthes), this is what Ive read and experienced anyhow.
The AMERICAN pitchers unlike the ASIAN require dormency, love full sun and can take extreme cold (up to -20 F).
So

For the Asian pitchers (Nepenthes) this is the requirements (note your order has no Nepenthes, this is just for your info)

A standard CP mix is fine such as 50/50 Perlite/Peat mix.
I have read and experienced that they dont like to sit in water (thus the perlite filled water tray)
They grow in and under trees in the wild, so they like bright sun but NO harsh direct sunlight.

Ok for the American Pitchers (Sarracenia)
They like flooding and love sitting in wet wet soil, so, definetly water tray method for them, the soil should not be allowed to dry out.
A standard CP mix as above is fine.
It is suggested to use either a BOG GARDEN or a BIG pot (my one much be about 20" across atleast).
The reason for the big pot is not only plenty of root room, but if you soak it in water, it cant dry out as quickly as a little 6" pot will.
Also I dont know the name but found an awesome insulated pot at costco, something like this is nice because it keeps the roots cool in hot hot days and also warm during the winters.
In winter during dormency when it gets cold, it is suggested as per a VFT to remove all dead leaves, use mulsh and/or a tarp if you are in an extreme cold zone that has freezing artic winds as these dehyrate your plants.

Ok, lets run through your plants one by one:
1 x Water Sundew (Drosera intermedia)
This is an American Sundew, thus it is also though and can handle cold, it goes into dormency so it would be nice if you can also find an insulated pot for this one (Im looking all over for good double layered insulated pots)
Use the water tray method with these, you can foliar feed these sundews, standard CP mix is good, full sun is fine for these, would suggest adjusting them to full sun to be safe (or you can have them in a place that gets good morning sun and then shaded bright light)

1 x White Top Pitcher (Sarracenia leucophylla)
Would suggest a big pot like i said, standard CP mix is fine, they like wet soil so I suggest a big deep water tray with it as well, they LOVE flooding unlike their Asian cousins, FULL SUN for these babies, no real need to even harden them off!

1 x Red Dragon Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Good ol VFT, standard mix again is perfect, the peat makes the soil acidic and the perlite allows for drainige.
Definetly tray method and FULL sun for these guys, you shouldnt need to really adapt any of these plants to full sun as this is how cobraplant grows them, but I would suggest you do anyhow for a week just to be super safe.

1 5cent Sarracenia species (Grower's Choice)
I got this and received a S. Rubra, same instructions as the other American pitcher you have got, if you get a big pot like I said, you can easily fit both of them in (I have 4 pitchers in my pot thus far)

Ok, so ALL of your plants you have ordered are AMERICAN CP's, all of them will require dormency which is fine if you grow them outdoors as they will do it by themselves.
Depending on the coldness there in winter, try hard to find the type of insulated pot I spoke of.
I know they are super super light, it looks like they are fibre glass, they are hollow (double layered) and Im not sure if they are filled with some form of insulated material.

I know that on an extreme day, if I put my hand in the soil, its nice and cool, you dont want to overheat the plants roots.

Would suggest you repot EVERY ONE of them you ever buy, unless it comes in a 6" pot.

6" is a nice big size with lots of room for the roots to grow and spread, the plants will love ya for it.

Hope this helps

Sheldon

PS: if you gonna be needing an R/O unit soon and dont have one, I recommend the NimBus water maker mini at:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/aquamallusa/watminrevoss.html

Also a TDS water tester at:
http://www.waterfiltersonline.com/detail.asp?product_id=TDS-Meter-4-HMD

This may seem like a dumb question but when you talk about soil mixes of 50/50 peat and perlite, do you mean mixing both these soils together or do you put the first 50% perlite followed by 50% peat? I'm assuming mixing, but I just want to be sure.

Also the winters here aren't extremely low temperatures. We do get some cold spells below 20 or so, but most of the time it's around 32F and we get lots of snow. So I think when it comes to winter time I will just bring them in the unheated garage when it gets really bad outside, and then put them back outside.

Ye you just put half peat and half perlite together and mix it all up by hand.
Then soak it with distilled water and squeeze it down firmly, fill the pot up like this.
Make your hold and carefully push down the roots into the hole, then cover carefully with the soil.
A top layer of Shpagnum Moss is nice as well (also you want something like sphagnum moss at the base of the pot to stop the soil mix from eascaping fomr the drainige holes)

And no its not a stupid question, if you dont know, please ask, this is how I learnt after all :)

Cheers

Sheldon

Thanks again for all the helpful info. I can't wait til they arrive! I bought some water trays at Sears Hardware, but they weren't as deep as I thought they'd have. It's only about an inch deep. Are your water trays deeper, and if so where did you get them?

Thanks again

No thats fine :)
Mine are about an inch (2.5 cm)
You will want real deep ones for america pitchers.
Ofcause dont forget that if you have them out in the sun the water will evaporate from those trays quickly, so just check on them everyday (as if you'll be able to resisit)

Cheers

Sheldon

Heh you know it. Those trays will be filled with water 24/7 7 days a week :).

Cool

Donno what other pll's opinion is on this, but every now and then (like once a week) I allow the water to evaporate then water from the top instead of just filling up the tray.

I do this because the Butterworts like overhead watering, since there is 1 butterwort per VFT pot I have just carried on with this,
From the look of the VFT's they dnt seem to mind.

Cheers

Sheldon

I was thinking always watering from overhead. That way the plant is always moist. Though I guess you could just fill it from the tray.

Just went to wal-mart to see if they have any better water trays. Nothing there... but I did end up getting some distilled water, a sprayer, and a venus fly trap :O. I found one there that had a lot of growth and was looking healthy. It's a typical flytrap, I got too excited when I saw it and grabbed it. Only $4 anyways :).

I soaked it really good in distilled water, let it flood the tray then dumped it out (to get rid of the bad stuff in there already), then soaked it again and filled its tray. It's outside now in my backyard.

I'm still on a quest for a better water tray. I wanted to find a deeper water tray that would support an 6 inch pot, but all I can find are deep huge 14inch trays. Maybe lowes or home depot will have a better selection.

Also I was wondering do any of you guys place your pots/water trays in something to give it more support/protection outside (from the elements knocking it over or from animals)? Or do you just put the pot/tray outside by itself? I know rainwater is good for these plants but isn't there a limit to how much rain they should get? Like if it's raining bad outside do you bring them in after awhile? Can't too much rain be a bad thing?

Thanks again.

One other question. Do you guys suggest removing dead leaves/traps via cutting them off or do you suggest letting them naturally rot?

All my pots sit in about two inches of water inside my terrarium, water that constantly moves due to the airstones I have pumping 24/7.

As for removing dead leaves/traps: Sometimes I do, but more often I don't. I figure that unless it's growing mold or fungus, I should leave it alone since I wouldn't be there in the wild to help out ;)

Ive always made a habit of cutting off the leaves at the base, its up to you though, Im just paranoid and would rather not take the chance, also black leaves look ugly.

Cheers

Sheldon

Thanks guys. What about the deep trays and the rain question?

Well

Your water tray should be fine, you dont want to keep the soil permentantly flooded (like having a water tray that is as high as the pot)
When it rains here healivly like it is right now (ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM, hope the bloody hail stays away,lol) I simply go outside and empty the water tray ans put it back.
Thus the water runs through the soil, you could bring it in if you wanter too, or simply remove the water tray just so that the water wont completly flood the pot.
Even if the pot did get flooded they should be fine, I personally would not leave them like this though.
American pitcher plants on the other hand dont mind flooding at all.

Cheers

Sheldon

I'd say the most important thing is love, show your CP's some love, and you'll see that they do fine.
Heres the basic things to remember:
Never let it dry out, give it good sun, and room to grow, keep it warm in summer(not too hot, not too cold) alittle love and you have the nicest plant.
Dont kill me if you think im wrong, i've found that this is the easyest way to explain how to care for a carnivorous.