We do not use any chemical pesticides!
At Karnivores, we grow our carnivorous plants, exotic plants and terrarium plants without chemical phytosanitary products in our greenhouses for more than 24 years. We favor natural methods, crop observation and biological control in order to preserve both our environment and the health of our customers and ourselves.
There are two very simple reasons for this. The first is simply that we do not want to expose ourselves because, even though we are passionate growers, we do not want to die from our work. The second is that we do not want either you or the environment to suffer.
No chemicals, but a whole range of natural solutions
Just because we do not use chemicals does not mean we do not have an entire process to fight pests. Our toolbox includes black soap, white vinegar, grapefruit seed extract, rapeseed oil, neem oil and diatomaceous earth, among others.
Supported by a specialized consultancy, we also use beneficial insects released directly into our greenhouses. This ranges from seven-spotted ladybugs at different development stages to lacewings, mainly released as eggs.
To this must be added a great deal of manual work. Fighting pests naturally requires strategic repotting, careful plant monitoring and sometimes moving plants between different greenhouse areas depending on the situation.
Biological pest control in our greenhouses
We favor biological pest control methods whenever possible in order to limit aggressive treatments. This requires more time, more observation and constant crop monitoring, but we believe this approach directly contributes to the quality of our plants.
Our cultivation methods therefore require more handling, monitoring and daily care to maintain healthy plants while limiting our environmental impact.
This philosophy applies to our Drosera, our Dionaea muscipula, our Sarracenia as well as our tropical and terrarium plants.
What impact does such a philosophy have on Karnivores?
For Karnivores, the impact is naturally financial and can be seen in several ways:
+ We spend time and resources on repotting, monitoring, sorting and moving plants depending on the issues encountered, but we also spend more time observing our plants to anticipate future problems.
+ We spend more time caring for our plants because natural treatments require many more applications to remain effective.
+ We lose more plants, and we accept it. However, this also means increasing the profitability and therefore the price of other plants to compensate.
The impact is also moral:
> We are not afraid of going to work... Not bad, right?
> We can proudly continue to say that our plants are high quality because we believe healthy plants are an essential part of that quality.
> In our own way, we contribute to preserving biodiversity.
Naturally grown plants for more than 24 years
Growing plants differently requires more time, more observation and more daily work. But we deeply believe it is possible to grow high-quality plants while showing greater respect for nature, our customers and our environment.
If you are new to carnivorous plants, you can also read our growing guides and advice to learn how to successfully grow your plants and avoid common mistakes.
Would you like to support us?
Just because we strongly believe in our approach does not mean we do not need support. A kind word, advice based on your own experience, sharing our work on social media, leaving a Google review or a Trustpilot review, even a postcard...
We are a small structure, and even the smallest difficulty can affect us greatly. But small gestures can also make a huge difference. Without you, none of this would be possible, so thank you for supporting us!