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Radagast's Photo Thread

  • #61
Quick update: I've got a brand new grow rack setup. A couple of weeks ago Lowes had a great sale on adjustable wire rack shelving. My new shelf is 4ft long, 18inches deep, and 6 ft tall. A total of 5 shelves. I then went ahead and ordered the correct amount of Panda Film to help reflect as much of the light onto the plants as possible. On 2 shelves I also was able to find white drip trays. My next goal is to replace some of the fluorescent lights. I currently have 1 4ft 2-bulb T-5 HO fixture, 1 2ft 4-bulb T-5 HO, and 1 4ft 2-bulb T-8. Ultimately I'd like each shelf to have 4ft 2 or 4bulb T-5HO. In my previous pics it seemed like I had a decent collection until I organized them into the new grow rack...Now it feels TINY! haha. I use the bottom shelf for non-carnivorous plants, starting bulbs, etc. You'll also see air plants hanging on the rack w/ the use of thin floral wire. I just set it up this evening so I don't have any stats or plant-specific progress pics to share. Still needs some fine tuning and better lighting but all-in-all I'm very pleased with it. Enjoy!

Grow Rack 12/17/14 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Grow Rack 12/17/14 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

I leave the smaller light off...Only had it turned on to show them all lit up. I will eventually use the VERY top shelf above the 2ft fixture for starting seeds d/t closer proximity to the light.
 
  • #62
Awesome setup!!! Kinda looks like my metal shelves lol....but less rusty ;)
 
  • #63
Haha thanks! I took a look at your stuff, looks killer! It's great to see another fan of grow racks. I'm eager to see how your collection develops as you return to the hobby!
 
  • #64
Your moss certainly has the appearance of newly sprouted spores of Sphagnum, they will expand as they mature. I've generated Sphagnum, this way, especially with dried New Zealand Sphagnum, countless times.

Your Drosera burmannii seedlings look like they could use a meal or two.

I thought I'd also mention that N. ventrata is not an accepted name, either botanically or horticulturally, either with or without the "x". It was never validly published see - N. ventrata.
 
  • #65
Your moss certainly has the appearance of newly sprouted spores of Sphagnum, they will expand as they mature. I've generated Sphagnum, this way, especially with dried New Zealand Sphagnum, countless times.

Your Drosera burmannii seedlings look like they could use a meal or two.

I thought I'd also mention that N. ventrata is not an accepted name, either botanically or horticulturally, either with or without the "x". It was never validly published see - N. ventrata.

Re: the Sphagnum. Thanks! I'm eager for it to grow up and look great. I've got it in the same container and I'm wondering if I should transplant it into a different one and leave the lid off? Or leave the lid on?

Re: the Drosera seedlings. They're so tiny even a spec of ground fish food dust appears much too large for them. Got any other recommendations?

Re: N. ventrata. I followed your link but I really have no clue what it all means. Everybody on this site uses the name N. ventrata.
 
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  • #66
Re: the Sphagnum. [Personally, I'd just leave it where it is. Keep it well watered. They do well, even when they're submerged in water. It won't be long before the entire tray is nearly filled with living Sphagnum. After that you can harvest it for plantings, topping, or starting more Sphagnum. Just trim off the tips, they'll regrow rather quickly. As long as you keep it wet, it will grow faster with the lid off.]

Re: the Drosera seedlings. [What has worked well for me, is to lightly spray them with a very dilute solution of soluble fertilizer. Such as 1/10 or 1/20 the normal strength recommended for house plants, such as African Violets. Spritz them with the fertilizer solution, once or twice per week. You'll be amazed how quickly you'll see results of the fertilizer. I've also had success with grinding insects like freeze-dried blood or tubifex worms into a dust like powder and using it very sparingly. But the fertilizer is easier when they're that tiny. Be careful to spray lightly, if you get too much on the media, it will encourage too much algae.

Many plants, CP included will, "color up" when they're getting good light and other favorable conditions. Unfortunately, plants will also develop off-color when they're stressed for certain nutrients. The pink tint of your Drosera burmannii seedlings, for example, is an example of nutrient deficiency, rather than a color up. It is a difficult thing to describe, but usually with experience you will learn to discern the differences.]

Re: N. ventrata. [Unfortunately using illegitimate plant names, writing plant names incorrectly, is much more common than it should be. It's difficult to determine exactly why this is the case in the CP world. I've long been associated with several other genre of plants, but CPers seem to be less familiar with and less conscientious about the names used with our precious plants and writing them correctly, than many other plant fancier groups.]

In one of your pics of Drosera aliciae I noticed the newly forming leaves in the crown of the plant were darkening. That is something that Drosera aliciae plants are commonly known to do. They wick up tannins from their media, usually peat moss, on their stipules, where it dries and accumulates. Sometimes this deposit can be damaging to the newly forming leaves. If you periodically give the darkening leaves a few gentle sprays of pure water, the deposit will be washed away and not cause damage to those newly forming leaves. When planted in Sphagnum, living or dead, this deposit usually doesn't happen.
 
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  • #67
Setup looks great, you're stoked!
 
  • #68
Thanks!
 
  • #69
Re: N. ventrata. [Unfortunately using illegitimate plant names, writing plant names incorrectly, is much more common than it should be. It's difficult to determine exactly why this is the case in the CP world. I've long been associated with several other genre of plants, but CPers seem to be less familiar with and less conscientious about the names used with our precious plants and writing them correctly, than many other plant fancier groups.]

So true.
 
  • #70
Since I posted a pic of my grow rack I decided I wanted to post pics of a couple of plants that, in my opinion, are looking great right now. Many of the others have just been repotted within the past week and are upset with me right now. Any comments or feedback would be welcome. Thanks for looking!

Growing 2 new pitchers.
Nepenthes eymae x trusmadiensis 12/21/2014 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Nepenthes burkei x hamata 12/21/2014 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Love the red coloration. You can see in earlier pictures these used to be quite green.
D. spatulata "Fraser Island" White Flower Form by RadagastCP, on Flickr

D. admirabilis 12/21/2014 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

D. aliciae 12/21/2014 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

D. scorpiodes 12/21/2014 by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Finally starting to look the way it should after being removed from the water tray method and watered overhead every few days.
Pinguicula "Gina" 12/21/2014 by RadagastCP, on Flickr
 
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  • #71
Looks like they're all doing quite nicely. By the way, D. spatulata "Fraser Island" only produces white flowers, there is no other form... unless there's been a new discovery I have not been made aware of.
 
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  • #72
Thanks hcarlton for the tip. When I bought it a while back that's what it was advertised as so I had just assumed there were other forms. I'll correct my labeling in future posts.
 
  • #73
Hi everybody - haven't posted in a while so I just wanted to post a few pics of some of my plants that I think are doing quite well. Enjoy.

First fully regrown pitcher. Got another one on the way (not pictured). Grown in a net pot w/ pure dead long-fiber sphagnum moss. Every once in a while I pipette a small amount of diluted Maxsea fertilizer into the pitcher, or just sprinkle in some freeze-dried bloodworms.

N. eymae x trusmadiensis by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Flowering like crazy

Drosera scorpiodes by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Close-Up of a flower

D. scorpiodes flower by RadagastCP, on Flickr

You can barely see the Ping among the bed of moss lol. In need of repotting...Just need to get me some turface.

Pinguicula esseriana by RadagastCP, on Flickr

Thanks for checking it out. All feedback is welcome!

Rich
 
  • #74
Everything looks great Rich ! Good growing there.
 
  • #75
Those D. scorpiodes are fantastic. Good job
 
  • #76
Just a quick Spring 2015 update. As of this month I've officially been growing carnivorous plants for 1 year and going strong! I've learned a lot since then and my collection has grown quite a bit. Many of my plants have flower stalks, new pitchers, and gemmae! Also - I'd be honored if you folks would take a peek at my Carnivorous Plant blog! You can find the link in my signature. Thanks for checking it out!

My watertray plants by RadagastCP, on Flickr
My Tillandsia centerpiece by RadagastCP, on Flickr
Sarracenia purpurea by RadagastCP, on Flickr
Drosera aliciae flower stalks 4/2015 by RadagastCP, on Flickr
The flower should help me identify this one 100%. Was sold to me as "admirabilis"
D. aliciae (or admirabilis) by RadagastCP, on Flickr
D. adelae w/ flower stalk by RadagastCP, on Flickr
N. eymae xx trusmadiensis new pitcher by RadagastCP, on Flickr
N. burkei x hamata new pitcher on top right by RadagastCP, on Flickr
D. scorpiodes w/ gemmae by RadagastCP, on Flickr
D. tokaiensis w/ flower stalks by RadagastCP, on Flickr
 
  • #78
Just look at that candy striped peristome on eymae x TM :love:
 
  • #79
Haha thanks! That's definitely the feature that attracted me to it. I'll try to take a closer pic highlighting the striping.
 
  • #80
Everything is looking awesome Rich. Good job !
 
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