My name is Eric Backstrom and this is my (very delayed) introduction mail=
=2E =
I live in Gothenburg in Sweden and I have been in the list server for a w=
hile.
I was lucky when I understand that I was not alone with my "odd" CP hobby=
=2E =
The friendness and knowledge I have seen here and on the WEB sides is =
really amusing!
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CP has fascinated since the first time I saw I VFT in a shop, =
and I immediate feel that I want that plant. =
That happened about two years ago now, and I was lucky to find Slacks bo=
ok =
"Insect-eating plant and how to grow them" in our library a short time =
after I bought the plant, so it is still living and has formed =
large traps and has flowered each spring. I have tried to pollinate the f=
lower =
but it has newer set seed. Later I have tried with other VFT, =
but they all refuse to set seed and so do my Pinguicula moranensis. I wil=
l be =
very grateful for any suggestions why they don=B4t!
=
Must CP are growing at my windowsill (south window) in a water tray, =
with two additional fluorescent tubes, because it is quite dark up here =
at winter. Here I have the VFT, Sarracenia leucophylla, =
S.psittacina, S.purpurea, S.flava, Pinguicula moranensis, Drosera binata =
T, =
and D. capensis.Thera are also a plant which was marked Drosera aliciae, =
but it has a diameter of around 7.5 cm, and what I could see =
from books, it should not be more than 5 cm! For me it look like D. alici=
ae in =
most other aspects. It has lilac flowers at the same size as D.aliciae, =
12-14 upper leaf in the rosette and it must be as easy to grow and
propag= ate =
from seed as D.capensis (most of my other pots in the tray get seedling =
from it last summer). Any suggestion? =
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For my Nepenthes (and orchids) I have built a terrarium which measure =
150cm * 60cm * 70 cm from sectional aluminium and glass, and it is =
light with three 58W tubes. The humidity is 80%-90% and for me the plants=
=
seems to thrive. I have N.alata, N.ventrata, an unidentified Nep. hybrid =
and Utricularia alpina. Does anybody know which season U.alpina set =
flower or if this plant kneed different growing condition at different =
time of the year? It grow well but I se no indication from it to flower. =
=
I am one of the lucky persons who received Darlingtonia seeds from =
Clarke Brunt and gemma from Martin Zevenberger. Thanks again! =
I have no luck with the gemma,it did not show sprout at all, =
but the Darlingtonia seeds wich I have in my windowsill has sprout but =
not started to realy grow yet. The temperature is around =
0-5 C so I guess they will start when the temperature rice. OK, the pot
i= s =
very close to a window which I always have little open, I don=B4t have 0=
=
degree C in most of the part of my livingroom :-). =
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It isn't easy to find cultivated CP in Sweden except a very limited range=
=
of T.C. plants (I hope...) from the Netherlands (most of them are =
equipped with very nice name labels with pictures of the plants and short=
=
growing instructions). I also fell a little alone up here with my hobby, =
so if =
there are any other persons interested in CP in the north of Europe I wou=
ld =
like to come in contact for discussion and maybe plant exchange. =
There has been a discussions about how could different Sarr. can survive.=
=
In our botanical garden (wich I recommend everyone who come to Gothenburg=
=
to wist) they have S.flava, S.purpurea and Darlingtonia outside in an =
artificial bog wich is protected from wind and snow at winter, but still =
not heated. S.purpurea does well, S. flava and D. californica has =
at least survived the last winter. To compare, Gothenburg is almost at =
the same latitude as the Kodiac island outside Alaska (58 degree north) =
but because of the warm Golf stream we have a little bit warmer climate. =
=
I guess which wild CP types in Sweden is not so well known for many of yo=
u, =
so the following is a short form of what I find in a Swedish flora book:
Our CP are limited to Drosera, Pinguicula and Utricularia.
D. rotundiflora and D.anglica can be found all over Sweden except in =
the highest mountain in the north.
D. intermedia grow in the south 1/3 part of the country. =
P.vulgaris grow all over Sweden,even in the mountain.
P.alpina is rare and can be found mostly in the mountain in the north.
P.villosa is also rare and grow in the middle and northen part of Sweden =
but not in the mountain region.
U.intermedia, U.minor, U.ochroleuca and U.stygia is not limited to any =
part of the country, except that they do not live in the mountain region,=
=
but some of them are very rare.
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Best regards, Eric
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