Hello all!
Michael Chamberland (IFMJC@asuvm.inre.asu.edu)
Sat, 26 Jun 1993 20:11:58 -0700 (MST)
Hello all! I'm back! Some of you may remember me from the CP
discussion, back aa year and a half ago. Me and Barry Meyers-Rice may
actually have co- founded this CP chat, back around 1989? Whaddya say
Barry? Anyway, I've grown CP since the mid 1980's. I started in
Connecticut, then moved to Arizona to attend graduate school. I saw
Barry had authored an article in CPN, so I called him up to get the low
down on CP cultivation in AZ. We started talking via e-mail, and soon
put our e-mail addresses in an issue of CPN to try to get more people in
the discussion. At ASU I studied the taxonomy of several barrel cacti
of the genus Echinocactus. While a grad student I got some space in an
airconditioned research greenhouse (it was way over on top of the
microbiology dept. and nobody was using it). There I grew up a big
collection of CP, around 100 taxa, most of the genera except
Heliamphora, Genlisea, Triphyophyllum, Aldrovanda and Roridula (these I
was never lucky enough to get my hands on). I also grew some orchids,
lots of cacti and succulents, and a spattering of other exotics. When I
graduated I lost the use of the greenhouse and lost my computer account.
I tried to continue to grow CP in my apartment, but temperatures were
too high and I could not afford to keep the place air conditioned all
the time. The only plants which have survived are some Nepenthes (all
hybrids I believe). I have been working at the Desert Botanical Garden
as a cactus Horti-ulturis culturist. I was able to grow some CP in the
propagation greenhouse there, under the guise of biological control for
the whitefly and fungus gnats in the house. I am still growing some
props from these plants in my apartment, but I don't think they could go
a full year (specifically through the summer) in my apartment. Anyway,
the job at the DBG did not go well. I was basically used as a hole
digger, a grunt expected to follow orders and not to think freely.
Several weekes ago I quit that job, and moved into a position as
collections manager at the ASU herbarium. I've now regained an ASU
computer account and can rejoin the discussion. Unfortunately, the
trauma of watching my collection die doesn't inspire to build another
one. I will probably try to add a few more lowland Nepenthes to my home
collection, as they probably the best CP to withstand the heat. I don't
plan to finagle some more greenhouse space at ASU, since that space
could be taken away. If I get some office space at ASU, I may set up a
couple tanks under a shop light. (Right now I only have a desk, but may
get a little more room when the Botany dept. moves to its new building
next month). Nepenthes have perhaps been my favorite genus of CP (with
due regards to Cephalotus, Darlingtonia, and Drosophyllum). So I'm glad
that at least a few of my tropical pitcher plants have pulled through!
In the future I don't ex expect to continue that "I gotta have every CP
species" collectors mentality I used to have. I'd just like to grow a
few neat species really well, given the restrictions.
-Michael