Basically what I did was to grow the two together in an aquarium (3cm of rain
water) in a greenhouse.
The result is the robust plants continue to look wonderful, and the
thinner plant looks like I put steriods in the water! Bigger leaves,
traps as large as the other plant, more leaves. It still has much less
red coloration, and is more upright in form, but a big difference.
As it happens we have had a very hot spell (for Ireland = upto 30c) and
the VFT plants I grow outside in pots in a paddling pool have also grown
much better this year as well. Higher temps see to be the answer. I
got seriously low in water at one stage and the plants got a bit dry (ie
wet --> moist). Didn't do amy harm for a few days.
So that was interesting.
Other things happening:
My little colony of _Drosera peltata_ is still on the go. The largest plants
died back a few weeks ago, having produced some white flowers. Smaller plants
have just finished flowering having used pale pink flowers. These plants are
all from self sowings into a large pot. Usually these plants have died back
ages ago.
My _Drosera binata_ that struggled along on a hot window sill for a few
years is now thriving in the greenhouse aquarium. It has 7 leaves, and
is sending up a flower stalk. I have only one plant so I have taken a
leaf cutting and I am hoping to get seed. I presume it'll be able to
fertilize itself.
Some one in the UK mentioned that he had a _Darlingtonia_ growing
outside for years but only ever got a few inches tall. This was some a
few months back (last year?). I had the same thing happening, however
this year my plant is thriving very well and I have leaves 7-8 inches
high. It is growing outside in a pot of pure living sphagnum moss, in a
paddling pool with a couple of inches of rain water in it. On hot days
I pour water through the moss in a ritual described by Slack to cool the
roots.
All the Sarracenia seeds I got from Barry and the _S. purpea_ seeds from Bob
Marahaj a couple of years ago have produced a fine collection of plants. All
doing well.
I have a few Drosera growing outside, mostly native stuff, D.anglica, D.
rotundifolia, and D.intermedia. They are coming into flower. I am not
into hybrid things in a big way - would anyone recommend I seperate them
into distant parts of the garden, or is hybridization likely? Locally
they grow in each others' company.
_Pinguicula vulgaris_ is a very common plant around here. As I
mentioned above it has been hot and was very dry (although it is lashing
rain at the minute). I have found this plant growing/surviving rooted
into bone dry peat in crevices on limestone - the leaves actually on the
bare rock. These plants are on the shore of Loch Corrib which is
alkaline (I believe).
that's it
Seosamh