If you are lucky enough to have rain (which is a rare thing here the last couple years) you can use it to leach out your plant pots. Even with the best water, salts begin to accumulate leading to lack of vigorous health. Rain, especially rain with a lightning storm, is very good to clear out what may have built up. In habitat, it's a natural process keeping the "soil" free of nutrient and salts. In culture it's a different story. Salt accumulation problems WILL occurr in cultivation over time. Often the easiest route is to repot annually into new mix, especially if your water isn't the purest but there are some species that are best left alone. I have always noticed a period of good new growth in my plants. A light steady drizzle that goes on all day can leach out all sorts of nasties, and I speculate that the production of ozone dissolved in rain water acts to oxygenate the roots...sort of antibacterial like hydrogen peroxide. Avoid hurricaine weather of course, but let Momma help keep your plants happy. Don't be afraid if they get a little "soiled" a gentle sryinging wiill spruce 'em up, and in the case of droserae may actually provide nutrition.
A good rain a-coming is a cue to dump the Terrible water that remains at the base of your rain barrels or garbage cans, and a good time to change the water in water trays so it can be replaced with water that is alive! It's when I go collect my pond water I use in the Utricularia. Am I obsessive?
Rain is also good to leach out pots of mix intended for future use. Fresh peat is loaded with salts which can support all kinds of green guck, mosses, fungi. Yuk. Potting materials should be rinsed prior to use. A good mix is a clean mix and rain is important both in habitat and culture in producing and maintaining it so. I advocate making up pots far in advance of theiir anticipated use and let the seasons rain clean them up for me. Keep them where the squirrels (arrrrgh) can't get at them.
I was mostly involved with growing Drosera, Dionaea, Sarracenia and Utricularia but good housekeeping makes sense with any genera. The trick is not in giving the plants what they want so much as it is in not giving them what they don't want. Most of them grow in pristine conditions. The best successes will be from growers who can emulate those conditions.
Now I am off to do a rain dance (avoiding the foot that is probably broken....long story there) because today I used hose water on the Sarracenia. We're at 150 PPM here so I have to worry, even though I grew the local Sarracenia purpurea for 3 seasons in lfs and using hose water BUT it was in one of those child's toboggan sleds and frequently was flooded by rain. Good old rain!
May your days be filled with rain! Within limits.
A good rain a-coming is a cue to dump the Terrible water that remains at the base of your rain barrels or garbage cans, and a good time to change the water in water trays so it can be replaced with water that is alive! It's when I go collect my pond water I use in the Utricularia. Am I obsessive?
Rain is also good to leach out pots of mix intended for future use. Fresh peat is loaded with salts which can support all kinds of green guck, mosses, fungi. Yuk. Potting materials should be rinsed prior to use. A good mix is a clean mix and rain is important both in habitat and culture in producing and maintaining it so. I advocate making up pots far in advance of theiir anticipated use and let the seasons rain clean them up for me. Keep them where the squirrels (arrrrgh) can't get at them.
I was mostly involved with growing Drosera, Dionaea, Sarracenia and Utricularia but good housekeeping makes sense with any genera. The trick is not in giving the plants what they want so much as it is in not giving them what they don't want. Most of them grow in pristine conditions. The best successes will be from growers who can emulate those conditions.
Now I am off to do a rain dance (avoiding the foot that is probably broken....long story there) because today I used hose water on the Sarracenia. We're at 150 PPM here so I have to worry, even though I grew the local Sarracenia purpurea for 3 seasons in lfs and using hose water BUT it was in one of those child's toboggan sleds and frequently was flooded by rain. Good old rain!
May your days be filled with rain! Within limits.