Carnivorous Creations Growing Kit
These feisty flesh-eaters may take up to 5 years to reach maturity, making this kit a lesson in patience.
<p><strong>Toy Description</strong>
</p>
<p>Kit comes with all materials needed to create a carnivorous bog garden. Plastic base and dome lid keep the plants humid, while the peat moss planting material holds moisture similar to the bogs these plants would normally be found in.
</p>
<p>Blue pebbles like what you might find in a fishtank are also included. These can be used to mark off separate sections for the two Seed Packets as we discuss further in our Observations.
</p>
<p>Seed Packets 1 and 2 are included, and contain seeds for the following plants:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula)</li>
<li>Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris)</li>
<li>Dewthreads Sundew (Drosera filiformis-tracyi)</li>
<li>Oblong-leaved Sundew (Drosera intermedia)</li>
<li>Pale Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia alata)</li>
<li>Yellow Trumpet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)</li>
<li>White-Topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia leucophylla)</li>
<li>Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia minor)</li>
<li>Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psittacina)</li>
<li>Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea-venosa)</li>
<li>Sweet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia rubra-wherryi)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Play</strong>
</p>
<p>Mix the planting medium with water, sprinkle on the seeds and wait for them to sprout! Be sure to have other activities planned since seeds may take months to germinate.
</p>
<p>Seed Packet 1 can be planted as soon as the planting medium has been prepared. Seed Packet 2 must be chilled in the fridge for 6 weeks before seeds can be planted.
</p>
<p>Plants need bright indirect light. <a href="http://www.dunecraft.com/sites/all/resources/product-instructions/Carnivorous%20Creations.pdf" linktype="3" target="_blank">Manufacturer’s instructions can be found here.</a>
</p>
<p><strong>Observations</strong>
</p>
<p>This is not a quick growing kit that will yield fast results. Carnivorous plants take a while to germinate and may take 3-5 years to mature. The plants shown in the main product image are all likely several years old, maybe 5 or more. With that said, this kit is a great gift for a child who can be trusted with taking proper care of something without needing instant gratification.
</p>
<p>The biggest complaints against this product come from two issues: confusing instructions and slow growth. The slow growth can’t be helped, as it is just something that goes along with all carnivorous plants. Seeds may take 8 weeks or more to sprout, and then 6 months or longer to look like recognizable plants instead of a tiny pair of leaves.
</p>
<p>Users also complain about the instructions. There seems to have been some confusion about which seeds need to be left in the fridge. Seed Packet 2 has to be opened, water added to the bag, resealed, and left in the fridge for 6 weeks in order for the seeds to have that winter-like cold spell needed to get going. This process of chilling seeds in the fridge is called stratification and is meant to mimic the cold of winter that signals seeds laid down in fall to sprout in spring.
</p>
<p>Seeds from Packet 2 will be added to the dome after 6 weeks. During this time, seeds from Packet 1 will likely not have sprouted yet, so it may be difficult to tell where seeds have already been laid down. To help with this, choose an area where Seed Packet 2 will go prior to putting down Seed Packet 1. Mark the future area for Seed Packet 2 with toothpicks or the blue pebbles that come with the kit.
</p>
<p>These are plants that can last for years with proper care. Patience is required since, again, they take quite a long time to get going. Once they become established, the plants are fairly easy to maintain, needing only to be kept in their humid environment and occasionally fed with a fertilizer specially made for root-bound carnivores.
</p>
<p>As with any growing kit, this product helps children learn about biological changes and life stages. This particular kit certainly helps with learning the importance of carefully following directions.
</p>
<p>Please look at the manufacturer’s instructions before purchasing. It shows pictures of plants at their 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year stages. They’re small. Really small. Very slow growing, these plants.
</p>
<p>If growing something over the course of several weeks sounds more appealing, we recommend planting beans or marigolds, as these only need a cup of dirt, sunlight, and a few weeks before they have real leaves. This really is a kit meant for those okay with slow growth.
</p>
<p>The manufacturer recommends this kity for ages 4 and up. Due to the patience required, we feel that this might not thrill children younger than 7 or so. Around age 7, most children are able to understand that some plants may take a while to grow, and usually can handle that kind of suspense.
</p>
<p><strong>Care</strong>
</p>
<p>Please follow <a href="http://www.dunecraft.com/sites/all/resources/product-instructions/Carnivorous%20Creations.pdf" linktype="3" target="_blank">manufacturer’s instructions.</a>
</p>
<p><strong>Parts and Pieces</strong>
</p>
<p>Not applicable. No additional parts are needed.
</p>
<p><strong>Concerns</strong>
</p>
<p>We haven’t found any real issues with this kit so long as enough time is given for the plants to grow. There have been a few cases of mold, but again, please read the <a href="http://www.dunecraft.com/sites/all/resources/product-instructions/Carnivorous%20Creations.pdf" linktype="3" target="_blank">manufacturer’s instructions</a> on how to deal with that.
</p>
Written by: The Guide For Toys
Carnivorous Creations Growing Kit
Date published: 2016-05-13
7.00 / 10 stars
Detailed ReviewToy Description
Kit comes with all materials needed to create a carnivorous bog garden. Plastic base and dome lid keep the plants humid, while the peat moss planting material holds moisture similar to the bogs these plants would normally be found in.
Blue pebbles like what you might find in a fishtank are also included. These can be used to mark off separate sections for the two Seed Packets as we discuss further in our Observations.
Seed Packets 1 and 2 are included, and contain seeds for the following plants:
- Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula)
- Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris)
- Dewthreads Sundew (Drosera filiformis-tracyi)
- Oblong-leaved Sundew (Drosera intermedia)
- Pale Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia alata)
- Yellow Trumpet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
- White-Topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia leucophylla)
- Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia minor)
- Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psittacina)
- Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea-venosa)
- Sweet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia rubra-wherryi)
Play
Mix the planting medium with water, sprinkle on the seeds and wait for them to sprout! Be sure to have other activities planned since seeds may take months to germinate.
Seed Packet 1 can be planted as soon as the planting medium has been prepared. Seed Packet 2 must be chilled in the fridge for 6 weeks before seeds can be planted.
Plants need bright indirect light. Manufacturer’s instructions can be found here.
Observations
This is not a quick growing kit that will yield fast results. Carnivorous plants take a while to germinate and may take 3-5 years to mature. The plants shown in the main product image are all likely several years old, maybe 5 or more. With that said, this kit is a great gift for a child who can be trusted with taking proper care of something without needing instant gratification.
The biggest complaints against this product come from two issues: confusing instructions and slow growth. The slow growth can’t be helped, as it is just something that goes along with all carnivorous plants. Seeds may take 8 weeks or more to sprout, and then 6 months or longer to look like recognizable plants instead of a tiny pair of leaves.
Users also complain about the instructions. There seems to have been some confusion about which seeds need to be left in the fridge. Seed Packet 2 has to be opened, water added to the bag, resealed, and left in the fridge for 6 weeks in order for the seeds to have that winter-like cold spell needed to get going. This process of chilling seeds in the fridge is called stratification and is meant to mimic the cold of winter that signals seeds laid down in fall to sprout in spring.
Seeds from Packet 2 will be added to the dome after 6 weeks. During this time, seeds from Packet 1 will likely not have sprouted yet, so it may be difficult to tell where seeds have already been laid down. To help with this, choose an area where Seed Packet 2 will go prior to putting down Seed Packet 1. Mark the future area for Seed Packet 2 with toothpicks or the blue pebbles that come with the kit.
These are plants that can last for years with proper care. Patience is required since, again, they take quite a long time to get going. Once they become established, the plants are fairly easy to maintain, needing only to be kept in their humid environment and occasionally fed with a fertilizer specially made for root-bound carnivores.
As with any growing kit, this product helps children learn about biological changes and life stages. This particular kit certainly helps with learning the importance of carefully following directions.
Please look at the manufacturer’s instructions before purchasing. It shows pictures of plants at their 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year stages. They’re small. Really small. Very slow growing, these plants.
If growing something over the course of several weeks sounds more appealing, we recommend planting beans or marigolds, as these only need a cup of dirt, sunlight, and a few weeks before they have real leaves. This really is a kit meant for those okay with slow growth.
The manufacturer recommends this kity for ages 4 and up. Due to the patience required, we feel that this might not thrill children younger than 7 or so. Around age 7, most children are able to understand that some plants may take a while to grow, and usually can handle that kind of suspense.
Care
Please follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Parts and Pieces
Not applicable. No additional parts are needed.
Concerns
We haven’t found any real issues with this kit so long as enough time is given for the plants to grow. There have been a few cases of mold, but again, please read the manufacturer’s instructions on how to deal with that.