Date: Tue, 15 Apr 97 15:47:00 DST From: "Divis, Bob" <E16911@lttsvr4.ltec.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1457$foo@default> Subject: CP Advice
Hi,
My name is Bob Divis and I've been following this list for about a year
now. Although I've communicated with some members of this list , this is
the first time I've posted a general message. I am a Telecommunications
Engineer for the local phone company and I live in Wahoo, Nebraska
( Yes, the home office of the David Letterman Show). I was first introduced
to carnivorous plants several years ago when I lived in Chicago. I tried to
raise VFT's , a Sundew , a Ping and a Darlingtonia, all growing in a ten
gallon aquarium in Sphagnum Moss and Perlite over Aquarium Gravel
and Charcoal. I used Grow-Lux lights on a timer for my light source. I
watered with tap water (Lake Michigan treated water) left standing for 24
hours and although my VFT's never turned red inside of the traps all the
plants seemed to do OK; that is for the growing season anyway. I never
knew about dormancy and I wound up killing my poor CP's by keeping
them too moist and causing root rot.
That was it for me until I found this list and thanks to all of you I
have
now been successful in raising some VFT's ( I've even harvested seed
from my plants and have baby VFT's growing) and also two Sarracenia
Flava's (Hoping for fertile seed from one of them this year). I have all my
cp's in a South facing grow window in pots sitting in trays of water
(distilled) and
they have been extremely happy ! I use a 50/50 mix of siica sand and peat.
I visited my local Earl May ( franchised garden center) and bought,
according to the plant labels, a Nepenthes Madagascariensis,
a Purple Pitcher and a Sundew for $4.50 apiece. The labels had
"Little Shop of Horrors" written on them as well as "this plant was
propogated from tissue culture". I think the Sundew is D. Capensis.
I'm going to need help at my attempt in raising these newcomers
to my cp collection. I removed all of the plants from their small domed
pots and replanted the Purple Pitcher and Sundew in a 50/50 sand,
peat moss mix just like my existing VFT's and Flavas. I have them in
pots sitting in a water tray with full Southern exposure . will this be OK?
If not, how shall I treat them ?
The Nepenthes I replanted in a 1/3 sand, peat moss, orchid bark
mix in a well drained pot. Should I place the Nep in the Southern
exposure window ? Is it OK to leave it in the open or should it be covered
and placed in an aquarium ( I would rather not)? Is the soil mix OK?
Thanks in advance for your help and thank you for this list !
Happy Growing !
Bob Divis
bdivis@aliant.com
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