Inexperienced Grower

From: Anita Bruce (Nita@odorex.demon.co.uk)
Date: Fri Jul 04 1997 - 15:42:02 PDT


Date: Fri, 04 Jul 1997 23:42:02 +0100 (BST)
From: Anita Bruce <Nita@odorex.demon.co.uk>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg2552$foo@default>
Subject: Inexperienced Grower

I have been reading the digests for a few weeks now and thought I
ought to introduce myself and ask for your help. I first came across
Nepenthes in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens (of all places), but had
my interest rekindled by the fantastic display of the UK CP Society
at the Gardeners World show. Marston Exotics also had a good display
and, even better, plants for sale.

I now have a small collection of Saracenas (flava, mitchelliana,
purpurea & psittacina) and Nepenthes (alata, maxima x mixta hybrid
and an unnamed hybrid). These currently live above a partly open
topped fish tank lit by 2 mercury vapour lamps, which are on c.14
hours a day. The Saracena's stand in an inch of rain water (plenty
of that at the moment!) and all the plants are sprayed (fairly
irregularly). The lamps give off some heat, but are not 'frying'
the plants. I plan to build a small bog garden for hardy Saracenias.
Any comments on this setup would be much appreciated.

Now for the questions:-

- am I right in thinking that the Nepenthes shouldn't stand in water?

- should I be trying to feed them insects (the pitchers seem very
  small!) and if so what?

- the S.purpurea is losing it's purple veins, although growing well -
  is it getting too much light?

- is Superthrive (or an equivalent) available in the UK?

- Do the Nepenthes need this much light? I would like to hang them,
  but this would reduce the amount of direct light.
  
- Any suggestions for good CP collections to visit? I went to Kew
  last week and was a bit disappointed, didn't see any Nepenthes.
  
Hope I haven't outstayed my welcome! I'm finding the list & web sites
really useful and enjoyable.

Nita

-- 
Nita Bruce on Acorn RiscPC
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK



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