Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 10:09:38 -0500 (EST) From: -Tom- <tkhayes@mail.microserve.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg163$foo@default> Subject: Re: Sarracenia growth habits in the wild
Zachary,
>For those of you that have seen Sarracenia growing in the wild[Carl,
>Tom, Dave, Peter, etc.], can you tell me how often their roots penetrate
>down into the waterline?
>From my personal experience, I would say that the best plants always seem to
be the ones with wet feet. Carl Mazur mentioned S. minor growing in very
dry areas. This is true, but if you think about it, the best S. minor are
the ones in the Okefenokee where they.....drum rolll.... Float over water!
The ones outside the swamp survive while the wet ones thrive.
>growth. I now longer have the free time to continue with this
>practice. I also can't afford to leave town for any length of time.
Sort of makes you feel like a parent, doesn't it?
>Before embarking on this endevour, I need to get some kind of idea
>how much extra benefit Sarracenias get having their roots
>reach into the waterline in hot dryish weather as opposed to growing
>in just moist to wet conditions in similar circumstances. I also
The plants really love the root room. In two years your plants will look
better than you have ever seen them!
>could use input on how well peat/perlite mixes wick up water. [There
>might be a foot to a foot and a half of peat/perlite mix between the
>waterline and the surface of the watering trough. Might the bottom of
>the media be sopping wet while the top is bone dry?]
Dave & I skip the pearlite in our bogs and NEVER have a problem with the top
drying out. We have about 60% peat and 40% sand. The water just wicks
throughout the peat and you shouldn't have a problem. You might want to
drill several holes an inch or so below the surface to help keep the crows
above the water table, in case you have a lot of rain.
>Then be prepared to spend all your time weeding out all the grass,
>dandelions, oak tree sprouts, etc. etc. that find their way into your
>pristine bog. You don't get out of any of the work, the tasks just
>change!
This definitely becomes a problem..... but I would much rather weed a bog
once in a while, as compared to watering all your trays, every day :)
To see a photo of one of the bogs, please visit my web page and look at the
section on how I grow my plants.
Take care & keep on growing,
Thomas K. Hayes
DANGEROUS PLANTS
dangerous_plants@hotmail.com
tkhayes@mail.microserve.net
http://www.infinicom.com/~thayes
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