Carnivorous Plants

[Laserbeak]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I can't imagine you'd have much trouble finding snow to melt right now!

LOL probably not, but I'd have to get it from the roof or the park or something. Everything on the street is gone or really dirty and full of salt.

[Subrosa]

I didn't say "clean snow"! lol!

[Paul]

That was a gorgeous vft, Andrew!

Have tried cephs a couple times but with no success. Not sure just what I keep screwing up with them. Pity, they are one of my favorite cps.

Originally Posted by Laserbeak

During the winter though it'll have to be under one of LED panels. I have a few bright ones.

During the winter, your biggest issue is making sure to give it a cold to cool winter's dormancy. Not the easiest of tasks for many folks.

Originally Posted by JungleMel

Hmm, tough to tell why you didn't get pitchers without knowing everything about how you were growing them so I can't really say anything about your experience.

And being that it has been 8-10yrs since I gave them away, I have to rely on memory -- which can become quite fallible over time. But from what I remember:

When just "wee ones" they were in straight sphag in a terr with humidity which stayed around 80-90%. Light was supplied by 40W fluorescent tube lights. Plants were probably at least 12" (30.5cm) from the light source ... probably a tad further. Temps would have been in the upper 60s F to mid 70sF during the winter and upper 70s F to mid 90s F during the summer. (Had a wall unit AC for the bedroom so did not spend the $ cooling the entire apt.) During this time, as I mentioned, they did pitcher. Growth remained quite tight (not etiolated).

When they got too big to stay there they had to adapt to "normal" conditions. Winter RH 10-30%, summer RH 50%+, same temps as above. During the winter, plants were given same lighting as above though only about 6" from light source. Over the summer had Judith hung in a tree where it received dappled shade during the hottest part of the day but full morning and evening sun. Leaves had a reddish/mahogany blush during this time. Can't remember what I did with the ventr over the summer -- either similar to Judith or stayed under lights.

Judith remained in the same location all summer. Growth, again, remained "tight".

Media during this period was a mix of sphag and orchid bark.

Originally Posted by JungleMel

Judith Finn however, is one of the pickiest, quickest to sulk Nepenthes ever.

LOL That makes me feel better then!

Originally Posted by JungleMel

Miss Finn (is actually a male, but that's besides the point) needs everything perfect all the time, so no wonder with that one..lol!

And yet that one bloomed for me on many occasions! I do recall mine was a male but had not realized that all the Finns were male. I would have assumed a normal spread of male and females.

Originally Posted by JungleMel

N. ventricosa on the other hand, people have bloomed it in their kitchens, so again, tough to tell why yours in particular wasn't happy.

I think mine bloomed for me but can't recall for certain.

Though, from what I recall reading, ventricosa is one of the smaller species, it definitely can get pretty darned big/viney. I remember experimenting with rooting cuttings of that one as it got too big and needed pruned down anyway. Some cuttings took easily, others just sat around for a while and finally croaked -- even though they were given the same conditions. (And I always made sure each stem cutting had at least two healthy nodes.)

Too bad there aren't any really mini/micro mini neps. They would look so neat in a terr!

[Subrosa]

Don't sweat the dormancy in NYC. Just leave it outside year round. You're at least half a zone warmer than I am, and mine comes back stronger every year.

[JungleMel]

Well Paul, you could do Nepenthes talangensis or glabrata, bellii if you can keep it warm. Those all stay very small leaved and compact for a Nep. You'd have to cut them back every so often to keep them a managable height though!

It's strange with Nepenthes, some people do spectacular with them in a windowsill, and some people struggle. I think it come's down to the individual plant and really giving it months to adjust if their conditions are a bit off. I've had multiple different clones of the same species, one will do great and another sitting next to it will sulk. Who knows. I've got a sumatrana that's been reported to sulk if you move it an inch to the right, but mine has dealt with being moved 3 times since I've gotten it with no setback. It also only gets about 40% RH right now (growing it temporarily indoors) and it is making pitchers. Technically, it should be unhappy with that, but it's not, and I think it's because ever other variable is perfect.

As far as I know, the Judith Finn's that were sold are mass produced were all clones of one. Since that was a male, all of the retailed clones are. Had they distributed seedlings or made multiple clones for sale then there might be a more even distribution. There may be some females out there, but highly unlikely that it's any of ours unless you got one of the original seed grown ones directly from the source a long time ago.

[Laserbeak]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Don't sweat the dormancy in NYC. Just leave it outside year round. You're at least half a zone warmer than I am, and mine comes back stronger every year.

Ok, I have to be careful though, the roof deck is a shared area (although almost no one uses it, even in the summer), not my private outdoor area. I have to make sure no one thinks it's dead and throws it away.

[Subrosa]

I keep mine in cut off 55 gal poly barrels. If you get a container that big and somebody manages to throw it away, I'd recommend not complaining!

[Optimist]

I just got my first little venus flytrap plant about a month ago. It seems pretty happy or at least it is catching a small gnat or two. I am mostly interested in Orchids, succulents and Iris plants. I'll see how it goes.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Don't sweat the dormancy in NYC. Just leave it outside year round. You're at least half a zone warmer than I am, and mine comes back stronger every year.

That surprises me, Sub. Wouldn't expect them to survive your winters either. (Would never survive my winters outside, unfortunately -- especially since outside would be on a balcony three floors up.) Do you have it up against your house over winter?

Originally Posted by JungleMel

Well Paul, you could do Nepenthes talangensis or glabrata, bellii if you can keep it warm. Those all stay very small leaved and compact for a Nep.

I'll have to try to keep my eyes open for those then. Warm (as I grow indoors) should be rather easy. As it is I avoid cold growing orchids because I can't give them the chilly temps they want (have central air). Other factor will be if I can find those species you mentioned at a reasonable price. The amount of money many of the neps go for is shocking. (Proving that cp folks can be just as nutty as orchid folks. )

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by LostInPeru

Andrew that looks like a professional photograph. It's beautifully done. You wouldn't happen to be one of the growers whose plants featured in Tony Camilleri's book on Carnivorous Plants by any chance? Definitely the most beautifully photographed and thorough book on the subject I have ever read, a worthwhile read.

It is a beautifully photographed book but, no, none of those plants are mine. I hadn't been growing plants for that long when he wrote that book. I know some of the owners of the plants in that book; they're much, much better growers than I am.

Originally Posted by Paul

Have tried cephs a couple times but with no success. Not sure just what I keep screwing up with them. Pity, they are one of my favorite cps.

Cephs are not easy to grow. Mine seem to be growing OK at the moment but I've lost several over the years trying to figure out the right position. Apparently they should be grown moist and humid and very dry, in full sun and full shade, with and without fertiliser, in 1 part peat and between 4 and 0.25 parts sand with and without a bit of sphagnum mixed in, or in 100% sphagnum but not too much sphagnum or you'll kill them. I've lost a lot of plants following others advice. I gave up on them after a while and then tried again a few years ago. I currently have them in a greenhouse, under light shade (25%) , sitting in water year round. Temps can hit up to 50oC in summer and down to 0oC in winter. By all accounts they should be dead but they're not and that's all I ask of them.

Originally Posted by JungleMel

As far as I know, the Judith Finn's that were sold are mass produced were all clones of one. Since that was a male, all of the retailed clones are. Had they distributed seedlings or made multiple clones for sale then there might be a more even distribution. There may be some females out there, but highly unlikely that it's any of ours unless you got one of the original seed grown ones directly from the source a long time ago.

'Judith Finn' is a cultivar and should only be vegetatively propagated. If the original plant was a male, all other 'Judith Finn's are male.