Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 23:49:09 -0400 From: "Paul V. McCullough" <pvmcull@voicenet.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1223$foo@default> Subject: Replanting The Klimagro!
Well, two weeks ago, my wife and I completely replanted the Klimagro.
I've heard it's a good practice to change the soil in a terrarium every
two years so since I had new plants and since the positioning of the old
plants was willy-nilly at best and since the drosera adelae had
completed it's conquest of the entire eastern portion of the Klimagro I
decided it was time for some changes.
I carefully lifted all of the plants out and took great care to leave
soil around the "root" ball of each plant. Novice CPers should take
note... avoid turning pitcher plants upside down at all costs- Yecch!
Next, I took the adelae empire and tossed it into a nice brandy snifter
where they can grow into a sticky hedge. Ever notice how cool sundew
glue is to the touch- I mean temperature wise?
I then dumped the old soil around a dying Magnolia tree in our
backyard... I'm sure some d. adelaes will sprout from that pile,
@#$%%*&$ sundews!
Next, donning the masks to protect ourselves from errant sand particles,
we began mixxing the same soil brew I found so useful two years ago-
course yellow-orange construction sand (medium grain) and ground
Sphagnum Peat moss. I think the mix is probably as close to 50-50 as we
could get it... hard to tell since the sand sinks all over the place.
Next, using a gallon of distilled water, we made CP soil "dusty" mud.
We then began shoveling it into the KG's soil well.
After we had a neat new planting area- I turned to look at my poor CP
sitting rather uncermoniously in assorted cake and lasagna pans. (Are
we really going to cook food in those ever again...? Well, there are
some neighbors who we could try it out on first...)
I divided the planting area into three long strips- the first row is for
Sarracenia and Nepenthes- it consists of S. Purp., Nep Madagascar., S.
Minor, S. Minor, Nep. Madagascar., S. Purp.- six pitcher plants, the
largest being the purps on the ends. The next row is VFT alley,
consisting of five VFTs including two new very striking plants. The
final row is for sundews- d. capillaris, d. capillarism, d.
rotundifolia, d. adelae (all right, just two). I'm probably going to
buy a d. capensis and a red dragon VFT to round out the collection.
Two weeks later and everyone seems to be thriving- the purps have
emerged from hibernation, as have the VFTs- one of which is sending up a
flower. The adelae was already sending up a flower scape which I
thought it would lose from transplant shock, but the flowers are
blooming now. btw- the flowers are red on this plant- which is a child
of the plants that flowered red two years ago... I know there's been a
lot of talk about adelae flower color changing with age.
Cheers,
Paul
-- Paul V. McCullough Webpage: http://www.voicenet.com/~pvmcull
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