Date: Wed, 25 Mar 98 20:15 EST From: dave evans <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1037$foo@default> Subject: Re: new member and question about Sphagnum
Hello Jose,
> "From Chile."
> I do not have yet a single plant, but I have been reading a lot, and
> now I think I am ready to begin mailing in this discussion group.
>
> much of our economy is based on the cultivation and exportation of
> fruits, and this makes it extemly difficult to import any new kind of
> botanical specimen.
I think you may have at least one species of Pinguicula (P. antartica)
growing wild in your country... It is very rare in cultivation and
could prove to be a valuable trade plant. Also, you might be able to
find species of Urticularia too. Some species have incredible flowers!
And who knows, you might even find a new species. :)
> Right now I don't think it will be particularly forbidden to import
> any of the plants we intend to begin with. Becouse the paperwork
> mentioned has been and also will be particularly difficult and
> tedious, we thik not only to try with the suggested begginer's plants
> suggested by the literature, but also we will try some of the more
> difficult plants.
> The species we want to begin with include:
> Drosera
> Sarracenia
> Utricularia
> Cephalotus
> Dionaea
I believe you will find it much, much easier to import tissue culture
plants that are still flasked since pests cannot be imported from a
sterile culture.
> We think other particularly difficult species such as Nepenthes will
> be left for later.
I feel most Nepenthes, while larger, are actually easier to grow
than VFT. Infact, I feel VFT isn't a good beginner plant, but they
are very, very cheap so when a beginner kills them, not much is lost.
> Right now we are concerned with the importation of live Sphagnum.
> This my be realy forbidden, I think, more than the actual CP. I am
> not realy sure of this yet. But I will be particularly thankful if
> you give me any information you can on the type of live Sphagnum
> required for some the above mentioned CP.
Sphagnum is not required for CP. Most use it since it makes more
of it's self, is fairly cheap to start with and it can, in the right
conditions, be a great soil additive or soil by itself. It is just as
easy to grow CP's in other soils using varying amounts of SiO2 (sand,
perlite-I'm finding that I like sand the best), Sphagnum peatmoss
(which maybe available in your country, I don't know), pine bark,
charcoal, ect.
> First of all I would like to know exactly what species of Sphagnum is
> required for Cephalotus and Dionaea muscipula.
I have not seen VFT (Dionaea) growing in Sphagnum in the wild and I
have never used it for a soil for either of these species. Sphagnum
is great for making cuttings though. It is airy and translucent so
even when cuttings are buried under a thin layer of it, they can receive
enough light to grow and root. It is also very good for making Drosera
leaf cuttings.
> extemly important for us to have a precise idea about how much
> indispensable it is for these CP that the Sphagnus be alive.
It is not needed to grow any of them, but can be helpful overall.
There are other ways to make cuttings that work just as good using
Sphagnum, however.
> Thank you for your patience reading this long message. Any help will
> be very welcome.
Welcome and Good Luck!
Dave Evans
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