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New Shade cover for my CP

Hi,

I just finished building a shade for my side area CP growing area.

I've long had a problem with growing CP in that I don't have enough sun anywhere, and where I do have the minimum amount, it is against a wall with a fence facing it on the side of the house and things just cook.

I decided to try to put together a shade to keep the temperature of the wall down a little and shade the plants from about 11:30 until the sun is off them at around 1.

I used copper pipe and window screen. It's fully adjustable and lifts up to get out of the way.

Here is a link to see it.

Mini grow area

It was fun to do.

Stephen Davis
www.bacps.org
www.carnivorousplants.homestead.com
 
So..just so I have this straight..
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you dont have enough sun..and the one area where you do have the most sun (which still isnt as much as you like) you purposly created LESS sun??
why??

CPs dont need shade..let them cook!
the heat wont hurt them, as long as their is water in their pots,
and they NEED that sun..
building shade is a big step backwards IMO..

If leaves are burning, its because *those* specific leaves came out in consitions less bright. any new leaves, that come out in the bright sun environment, will be able to to "take the heat" without burning..

judging by your webpage, it seems you are a long-time experienced grower, not a newbie..so im perplexed by this!
normally Sarrs and VFTs need SUN SUN SUN..and can handle it just fine without burning..
So what exactly is the cause of the burning?
they really shouldnt burn..at all..ever.
unless its burning of existing leaves when plants are first put in that environment..

Scot
 
Very impressive collection. Aren't you the President of the Confederacy?
 
Scott,

Because I've grown CP for a long time you can refer to me as experienced. However, that doesn't mean I'm terribly good at it or particularly bright.

For me, growing is a series of compromises, disappointments, problems to be identified and solutions to be found.

The symptom: Leaves burn in the summer time. S. flava and several other species get pits in on the lid as the nectar glands are burned by the sun being focused through the drops of nectar (or so I've been told) Other species lids get brown around the edges.

The probable problem: The grow area on the side of the house, the area that get's the most sun for me and my plants, is a heat trap. The South-eastern wall is pounded by the summer sun and heats up to the point it hurts to touch. The sun reflects off of it and hits a low cement wall a few feet across from it. The fence and the house right on the other side act to trap the heat, further compounding the problem. Leaves burn. On a hot day, when temps are over 100 degrees, the side of the house gets to near 120 (possibly higher) with, as you can imagine, almost no humidity and leaves burn. I've noticed it doesn't have to get that hot for them to burn though.

Why I chose this solution: The screen angle is adjustable. It points upward so that the earlier sun gets under it. As the sun gets higher the wall starts to get shade so it won't heat up as much. Around 11-11:30 the sun is reaching a point that the side of the house is pretty hot. The shade is just starting to reach the plants at that point. As the sun marches west it starts to shine down through the screen at close to a 90 degree angle so the screen is only cutting down on the light a little (I hope).

I did some research and they often recommend 30% shade cloth for plants that I think of as being full sun. Hopefully, screens give less than 30% shade, although Barry Rice pointed out to me that the amount of shade varies with the angle the sun hits the screen.

Anyway, hope this gives you insights into my insanity. Letting the plants burn, was what happened the first year. Putting down bark and watering it down during the day was what I tried the second year. Now I'm trying this. Any other ideas are appreciated and might be tried in subsequent years.
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Stephen Davis
BACPS.org
www.carnivorousplants.homestead.com
 
Jim,

Thanks for the compliment. President of what?

Stephen
 
Nice, I myself use a tan mesh tarp to cover an area similar to that for my partial sun cps, I'm wondering how much burn ill get on my sarr's (if any) since last year I grew them under the tarp and this growing season I stuck them out elsewhere for full sun
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Oh yeah I'm growing cps in southern california (city of Bellflower)
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hmmmm..ok,
well under those conditions, exreme heat and dry air, I can see where there could be a problem.
could you put a white background behind them?
and perhaps a white base?
that might help a little..but probably not much.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]the nectar glands are burned by the sun being focused through the drops of nectar (or so I've been told)

thats a myth..it doesnt happen.
same with "never water your garden plants when the sun is out, because the drops of water will act as little magnifying glasses and burn the leaves."

myth.

how many times do you hear mothers say to their children, as the kids get out of a pool or out of the water at the beach "kids! quick! towel off that water! because all those drops on your body will act like little magnifying glasses and burn your skin!"

never? yes..because it doesnt happen.

how many times does it rain, then the sun immediately comes out while all the leaves are still wet from the rain?

all the time..
how many times have you seen litle burn spots on thousands of plant leaves?
never..because it doesnt happen.

a magnifying glass has to be up off a surface to focus the sunds rays to burn something.
if you lay a magnifying glass right on a piece of paper and lay it in the sun, it wont burn the paper..the glass has to be held up off the surface a few inches to focus.

for the "raindrop" theory to work, the raindrops would have to hover in mid-air a few inches off the leaves for a few minutes..only then could they act as little magnifying glasses and burn the leaves...I doubt it would work even then..

scot
 
Ooops, my nistake. That would be Jeff Davis. You are in fact a football player:

48 Stephen Davis. Position: RB Height: 6-0 Weight: 230 Born: 03/01/1974 College:
Auburn NFL Experience: 11. Carolina Panthers ...

I fused two names together. There is also a CP hobbyist called Stephen Crane, who shares the name with an author.
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