I've been interested in cp's for 15 years but it's been
only three years that I've been able to pursue the hobby. Also,
I've gained access to INTERNET for only two months.
I live in a suburb of Washington, DC. Many of the tropical
cp's cannot survive the winters here so I bring mine indoors. The
only two reference books I have on the subject of cp cultivation
are an older one by Randall Schwartz, and a more recent one by
Pietropaolo.
My collection is small: Dionea muscipula, Nepenthes Alata,
Nepenthes Khasiana, and Drosera Capensis. I obtained the Nepenthes
from a nursery in Stanardsville, VA called Botanique, which is a
2 hour drive from DC. The proprietor is Rob Sacilotto, who is a
botanist and generally quite knowledgeable about these and other plants
(orchids, exotic vegetables, etc.). Sacilotto appeared in a photgraph
accompanying a National Geographic article on gardening in the U.S.
The issue is less than two years old. He was shown tending to a
magnificent stand of Sarraceniae.
Before I met Sacilotto, and thus learned how to care for
Nepenthes (reading the books didn't help with the situation I'm
about to relate), I blew a rare opportunity. An acquaintance of
mine is a diplomat in the Malaysian Embassy here. On two different
trips he brought back Nepenthes specimens from a nursery in Malaysia.
Tried as I could, I could not get these lowland species to survive--
they died slowly over six months. After relating the story in
detail to Sacilotto, he surmised that the plants should have been
transplanted to better soil. There was much foliage, and the
roots could not support the foliage in an environment different
from the ideal (Malaysia). I should have cut the plants back
drastically (VERY counterintuitive to me at the time), transplanted
them to better soil, and put them in clear plastic bags under
a grow-lite to allow the roots to catch up and to allow the
plants to adapt. One of the plants was huge, and was labeled
N. Maximum Superior. I'm still lamenting the losses. Had I
met Sacilotto sooner, or had I known about this group sooner,
the disaster would have been averted.
Fortunately I am now better versed in the care of
Nepenthes, and my specimens are thriving beautifully. I look
forward to extending the collection, and eventually I hope to
start a bog garden with plenty of Sarraceniae.
I look forward to corresponding with the members]
of this group, and obtaining advice. It's nice to
be here!
Perry Malouf