Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000 08:05:59 -0500 From: "John Phillip Jr." <johnatthebeach@home.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg687$foo@default> Subject: somewhat new member
Hello to everyone....
I've been lurking on this list for over 2 years now, and thought this
rainy Sunday morning would be a good time for an introduction.
I've been growing CP's here in Rhode island, {northeast coast USA}
since college days, back in the mid 70's. A long time since the only
places to find plants were Peter Pauls, World Insectivorous Plants,
Sundew, and a few odd seed catalogs. Finding information was even worse
back then.
Since those modest days of trying to grow Neps on a windowsill in a
dorm, I now have about 120-130 different plant species/varieties,
growing under lights inside, and outside in the warm weather.
I tend to grow my plants "hard", outside whenever possible. My location
a half mile from the coast here gives me a good jump on humidity and
mild temps well into the fall. Outside in my raised bog I grow all most
of my Sarrs, in pots in the bog~easier to remove for show or to take in
in winter. My Neps are also grown outside, in a lathe shaded "cage",
where they are watered every day, and thrive from late spring to mid
fall. My climate here is well suited for highland Neps, so I tend to
grow mainly those, and keep them out even when nighttime temps dip into
the upper 30's in late fall (Lost a beautiful N khasiana when I trusted
a weather reoprt, but the predicted low of 38 F turned into a low of 25F
!)
What prompted me to finally post here were the questions about slugs,
mosquitos, and other animal "pests" that all outdoor growers seem to
have to endure at times.
For the mosquitos, I use "Mosquito Dunks" in my Utric pool~ they have
never hurt the plants, and do keep the 'skeeters under control. For
slugs, I use both the "water Moat" for Sarrs and other CP that need it
very wet, and I make sure I change THAT water every week or so, as the
mosquito's love those pools as much as any.
My biggest "pests" here have always been raccoons, squirrels, and birds,
tearing apart plants and uprooting smaller plants, especially Drosera
ans Ceph's~ for the longest time I lost Ceph's to birds more than any
other cause.
Now, I have a raised "cage", 12 ft long, about bench height, that has an
enclosure of"Deer Netting" over it. Deer netting is a Medium mesh black
poly netting that growers use to keep deer off shrubs, plants or out of
yards. It is a black mesh, and tends to become invisible at a distance,
yet it is the best thing I have found for keeping all sorts of critters
out of the plants.
I use the same netting over my raised bog, the netting being supported
by 3 poly hoops, as you would see in a plastic covered "hoop
house"/greenhouse. Since I have installed these in the last 4 years, my
losses from animal pests have been reduced to almost zero, and it has
not diminished the fun of growing and showing these plants.
I would like to see some time if there would be an interest from any
other Northeast/New England area growers of getting together, and
forming a local NE chapter of the CP society, as they have in other
parts of the country. I know that there are a good number of us out
there, and we could all only benefit from the sharing of info that
would result. Anyone interested in that might want to e.mail me
privately at johnatthebeach@home.com.
One last thanks to all those who seem to always be there to give
advice, support and help to other growers, there aren't too many things
better in this world than helping others, especially when it comes to
something like growing plants.
thanks,
John Phillip, Jr
Rhode Island, USA
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