Darlingtonia Compost, seedlings

Rick Walker (walker@cutter.hpl.hp.com)
Fri, 24 May 1996 12:38:11 -0700

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>From svergara@pacific.telebyte.com Fri, 24 May 1996 07:51:09 -0700

Greetings All,

>Date: Thu, 23 May 1996 20:01:35 +0100
>From: Clarke Brunt <clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk>
>On 21 May 96 at 17:24, dave evans wrote:
>> I'm getting the feeling that Darlingtonia doesn't grow well at
>> all if it's not in some sort of living (or dead but still fluffy
>> Sphagnum) moss. Does anyone have a story which disputes this?
>
>I'm afraid that my Darlingtonia are still doing just fine in fairly
>standard peat/sand mix. Perhaps the English climate suits them better
>than some hotter places. My plants have spent the whole year outside
>(but undercover, and quite near the house, so sheltered). I'd like to
>keep them in the greenhouse if there was room, since you get a much
>'cleaner' plant. I think part of the perceived problem outside is
>that they catch too many insects and it results in lots of brown
>pitchers.
>

When you live in or near a plants native range or a similar climate
they are "usually" easy to grow and not fussy.

All my Dalingtonia (25+ adults) are in coarse sphagnum moss peat and
#30 (a fine grade) sandblasting sand or aka industrail quartz, 45kg or
100lb cost about US$9. Ratio varies from 3:1 to 1:1 peat:sand. All
seem to do well..outdoors or in pots in a greehouse. Flowering is
heaviest on a clump in a raised bed in full sun, 13 blooms. Tends to
spread rapidly by rhizomes. Gotten weedy in one bed. I tend to water
daily in the dry season with cold well water but over half the year it
rains enough. My experience mirrors Clark's, outdoor grown plants eat
alot of yellow jackets and turn brown. We also have a fungal disease
that causes tiny red lesions on pitchers but is IMO cosmetic so I
don't spray. Greenhouse plants are cleaner....better for shows,
though the pitchers tend to be a bit elongated and not as sturdy and a
little too green (not as natural loooking IMO). Also the outdoor ones
freeze solid for days/weeks on end and this tends to dry the pitchers
a bit.

Personally I have had poor results growing in sphagnum moss living or
dead.

Regarding seeds...again 1:1 coarse peat:silica sand..standing in water
about 2 inches below the top of planting mix, outdoors for 5 months
now (after 2 months dry in film canister in frig) germination is close
to 90%. I did spray with a fungicide, Captan, as a preventative
action when seed was sown. As to be expected the crosses between
clones produced more seed and it has germinated faster. Will observe
growth rates and performace.

There are distinct differences in how well a clone grows under
different conditions. Grow out a lot of seed and don't overly pamper
them and select for the best performer for your conditions.

BTW my Sarracenias all get the same treatment and perform wonderfully.
Same goes for the seed.
I can do well with Nepenthes plants but the seedlings are much more
problematic for me. Oh well....

My 2cents

Best Regards,

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Scott Gregory Vergara
Washington
svergara@pacific.telebyte.com