Re: Cephalotus, Darlingtonia, ...

Rick Walker (walker@hpl-cutt.hpl.hp.com)
Sat, 13 Mar 93 00:17:27 PST

Sunil,

In message <cykB1B1w165w@monsoon.com> you write:
> I'd like to grow Cephalotus follicularis, and I've read the pertinent
> parts of Slack, Cheers, etc... From what I've been able to determine,
> this species really wouldn't get along with the conditions required by
> my other CP (mostly sarrs). Does anyone have growing tips for this
> species in a temperate climate (Baltimore/Washington)?

My experience says to give the plant a big pot to encourage rhizome
offshoots & keep it fairly dry. You definitely shouldn't use the tray
watering method. I almost killed my first Cephalotus by accidently
potting it in a rich compost from the garden, rather than a peat/sand
mix, and overwatering it.

The rich, poorly draining soil caused the lids on the pitchers to close up,
and the plant started to noticeably decline within a week. Quick repotting
saved the day, and the plant is doing well today.

I keep it in the green house with a little dome over it to raise the
humidity, but some local people (Geoff Wong, Robert Allen) grow them
outside year round with temps down to ~35-40 F. I'd say if it gets much
colder than this, you should take it inside.

> Also, I'm considering repotting my Darlintonia in clay pots, as the
> evaporation through the pots should help to keep the roots cool. Has
> anyone else tried this?

I keep mine in clay pots and sit them on the brick floor of my green house.
They stay pretty cool. However, I haven't been growing them long enough
to say how well they are going to do longterm.

> Finally, I have a few spare aquariums, so I thought I would try to
> grow some Aldovandra and aquatic Utricularia in these. Is this a good
> idea?

My U. gibba from Robert Allen is doing great in a 4" dia. x 8" tall
glass jar. The bottom 2" is filled with a 1 1/2" layer of peat,
covered with 1/2" of silica sand to hold it down. The water fleas
(Daphnia) are numerous, and keep the traps pretty well filled up. The only
thing you might want to do different is to slope the substrate so that the
plants can root at one end of the tank to send up flower stalks.

--
Rick