Instead of Superthrive, I've been using Hormex hormone concentrate. This
is a little cheaper and is more concentrated than Superthrive. You
can buy both from Mellingers. Here's the info on the labels:
Hormex:
1-Napthaleneacetic Acid .24%
3-Indolebutyric Acid .013%
Vitamin B-1 .25%
Superthrive:
1-Naphthyl Acetic Acid .048%
Vitamin B-1 .09%
There is a male plant of N. burkei flowering here. Does anyone need the
pollen? This plant looks a lot like N. ventricosa.
As for growing temperate Pinguicula, I've been trying them in a mix of
vermiculite and perlite - the same mix used for some of the tropical
species. The results have so far been good. Even though this mix is said
to be slightly basic instead of acidic with the usual peat moss or
a sphagnum mix, the plants seem to grow a little better anyway. I've also
noticed aphids are attracted to Pings.
Most of the plants that wintered outside came through ok. I've been keeping
all the D. binata varieties outside during the past few winters and these
come through great and are producing a big spurt of growth now. I don't
think I'll keep D. capensis outside during the winter anymore because all
the crowns die. It still comes up from the roots, but the size of the
plants are much smaller.
D. chrysolepis is flowering for the second year. Flowers are very large
for a Drosera. My plants are about 5" high. A lot of the old leaves have
died toward the bottom, but I notice there's a number of new crowns
sprouting from the stem, with one even starting its own inflorescence.
-- Don Burden New Albany, Indiana, USA donb@iglou.com