Surviving The Outside World...

From: Richard T. Berg (bergrd@valunet.com)
Date: Tue Jun 16 1998 - 15:35:38 PDT 

Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 18:35:38 -0400
From: "Richard T. Berg" <bergrd@valunet.com>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg2061$foo@default>
Subject: Surviving The Outside World...

 Sorry list if that subject made NO sense but in actuality it does for me...
I've now successfully grown many types of CP's in a 55 gallon terrarium I
had setup some time ago (roughly 6 months) and I think I have everything
under control; for now.

 I have some egg-crate on the bottom of the terrarium and at times up to 2
inches of rainwater in the terrarium. I am now growing VFT's, 3 species
Drosera, 3 Pings, 6 species of Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Cephalotus, and some
Utrics... Everything is green and producing traps at an amazing rate even
though in the case of the Nepenthes their feet are constantly "wet"... None
have shown any ill problems since going to this setup and I really enjoy NOT
skimming mold off the sphagnum I once used as a terrarium medium... Now it's
all in pots using the "tray method" for watering...

 My question to the list is this:

  I'm running out of room in the terrarium and, in the case of my Drosera,
would like to pot up some more "suckers" that have popped up during the last
few months... (Out of 3 D. rotundafolia's, I now have 8!) Since the
terrarium is almost nearly sealed, the temp's and humidity stay within a
constant range (70-85 degrees, 75-100% humidity) these plants have grown
accustomed to their environment and wouldn't favor the colder/wetter Ohio
environment of the past few weeks...

  I've attempted at times to gradually open the terrarium up to allow the
ambient atmosphere adjust as not to "shock" the plants all to much, but in
turn do just the opposite! Most of my Drosera's loose their "dew" and start
to lose their vigor and in the case of my D. multi binata wilt within 5
minutes!...

  Is there a proven gradual way to acclimate the plants to lower levels of
heat and humidity as not to lose my collection as a whole?... The system I
have now works beautifully and I haven't lost a plant yet, it would be a
heart-break to lose them...

  I'm open for any suggestions as I would like to expand my collection and
get my plants outside and surviving...

  Thanks for the time and replies upfront... All replies will be noted and
accepted! ;)

                                                                                ... Richard

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