Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 14:41:28 +0930 From: Kevin Cook <K.Cook@bom.gov.au> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3055$foo@default> Subject: various
Greetings from Darwin where we are moving into the Wet Season, which means
for the next six months or so humidity will remain above 50% and
temperatures will not drop below 20 degrees (C).
One of the local nurseries has a table containing a very large saucer,
filled with a couple of centimetres of water, in which are placed pots
containing Sarracenia and VFTs. The table is placed so that the plants are
exposed to the tropical sun.
I have resisted the temptation to stop and look for too long, preferring to
go directly to where the Nepenthes are on sale. I have nothing against
these CPs, but I seriously doubt that these plants can be cultivated in
tropical conditions. If they didn't rot, I'm sure the giant grasshoppers
would get them.
Two weekends ago, my attention was caught by a small pot on this table,
which contained a small Cephalotus. I had to buy it. Last weekend, I
noticed another which was so small and insignificant looking that the sales
assistant let me have it for AUD $2 (which is about one US dollar).
I didn't know much about Cephalotus, but I figured that if I didn't buy it
some 10 year old kid who new even less would buy it. My perverse logic
tells me that it is better if I kill the plant than some kid (ie some kid
killing the plant) - at least I would be killing it in an informed way.
I have consulted Michael Catalani's website and I'm please to read that he
grows his Cephalotus without the cool dormancy period. At the moment, I've
got them indoors under a growlight fluoro.
One concern I have is that the pot with the larger plant has two crowns
growing a few centimetres from each other. Each is forming new ptichers,
but they're very close and seem to be crowding the pitchers. I'd like to
separate them and put them in separate pots. Is it a good idea to do this
while they're forming pitchers?
BTW, years ago I heard a botany lecturer mention that the German word for
the "sticky stuff" on Drosera was "Fangschlime". It's a great word, but
I've never heard or seen the word being used since then.
Regards,
Kevin Cook
Darwin
Australia
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