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New Member from Fort Wayne, IN USA

Hello all. I wanted to introduce myself and say THANK YOU for the mass amount of information in these boards.

I am a beginner in the CP world and currently have a VFT and some Pitcher plant seedlings. I am hoping to increase my CP collection as they interest me greatly.

I recently purchased a mini greenhouse to help me along. Seems to be going good so far :)

Thanks again for the resources you all offer.
 
Hooray! A fellow Hoosier. Welcome to TF!
 
Awesome! I will take any advice you can give :) I have not been too successful as of yet.

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 PM ----------

I have this setup currently on my desk in the house to see if I can get these to germinate.
Made one slight mistake (Which I can't undo) I put a SLIGHT bit of covering over the seeds
instead of placing directly on the surface.

2010-10-11_16-37-49_394.jpg


---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:29 PM ----------

My Outside setup

2010-10-05_09-54-49_928.jpg
 
I think you will find that the minigreen house is not needed. And actually will probably cook the plants during hot days. Sarracenia and VFT grow find outdoors here in Indiana. You will need to find a dormancy plan though because our winters are too cold for them to stay outside all winter long. They can take frost, and it actually helps them go into dormancy. Do some searching for dormancy on this site and find a method that suits you. Or if you are not finding what you are looking for by searching existing threads, you can always start a new one. The greetings thread is probably not the best place to talks tips since nobody will be searching for them here.

Here are my outdoor plants a month or two ago...
vftc.jpg


The seedlings can stay indoors for a year or two, but need to experience dormancy after a year or two or they will most likely die. Or so I have been told. I have never attempted to grow temperate plants indoors for more than a few months (during winter). I take them all out in the spring after thier first year. I would remove the top cover as well on the seedlings. This will probably cause the soil to go bad and will rot the plant.

Again, post some Q's in the other boards and you will get input from quite a few experienced growers. Most better than myself. :)
 
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Oh man those are nice! I am VERY impressed!!! :hail:

The planters you are using, Are they self wartering? Did you start them from seed?
Sorry for the direct questions. I will hit up the threads for more info.
 
Most have a small water tray at the bottom. My favorite one has a gallon reservoir built in, but I haven't found any more like it. Some people on this site make thier own bog bowl.

It's all on this site waiting to be discovered. Kind of feels like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory don't it. LOL.

Most of the ones in the picture were not started from seed. There are some in there from seed, but the larger ones were not.

Some of my larger ones were received when they were probably 1-3 years old which is usually still small. Others I got as divisions from fellow CP'ers. The largest pitcher in the pic, the green S. flava bending over, I received when it was making tiny pitchers about the width of a drinking straw and only a few inches. I have had it for 3 years.

Ask away, I just didn't want to hijack your welcome thread with growing tips. No worries.
 
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:welcome:

Nice to see more people from IN! You'll be swarming with CPs before you know it ;)
You'll find the forums very informative!
 
So far I am having a tough time getting anywhere with them. I hope that you are right though :)
 
Welcome ! Not to sound discouraging but I have learned more by killing plants than I ever did by doing things right. Don't worry about it though there are plenty of folks here with good advice. Two of which have already piped up. You'll have an indoor setup before long, since waiting all winter really bites. Check out the threads and ask questions. Hmmmm on another note isn't Fort Wayne home of Jim Shorts famous radio personality ? Daaaats goood ! Probably before your time.
 
  • #10
No discouragment at all :) I have to agree with you. I have learned alot from my mistakes. Both in real life and the CP world haha. And yes, I think you are right about Jim Shorts too :)
 
  • #11
Hello and welcome!! :D
Everyone has to start somewhere ;)

That greenhouse will come in handy for tropicals during the fall and winter, so no worries about that- although I'll agree- not the best choice for VFTs and Sarrs.
My immediate concern though, is about the greenhouse. I will say you absolutely need to put weights at the feet of it and give it some sort of support at the back, like a cross-brace (owait, that's the plywood you have there, isn't it?). Cause uh...I've learned firsthand and heard other's horror stories about the disaster that will ensue if you don't.
 
  • #12
Hi Dave,
welcome!

I agree with what everyone has said about the greenhouse..
unfortunately greenhouses are basically useless in our northern US climate..
(which is why you dont see a lot fo them!)
its far too hot in the summer, and dosnt do enough to protect from the cold in the winter..
Really all a green house can do in our climate is extend the growing season by a few weeks..
a few weeks early in the spring, and a few weeks later in the fall..but thats about it.

That greenhouse will come in handy for tropicals during the fall and winter, so no worries about that-

well no, not really! ;)
In Florida maybe..but not in Fort Wayne..
In the winter (in the north) When its 10 degrees outside, it might be 11 degrees inside the greenhouse! ;) basically pointless...
(and attempting to heat a greenhouse is our climate is really not practical..unless you dont mind spending $500 a month for heat..)
tropicals will need to be brought indoors...

Dave,
you will need to find some method of of providing winter dormancy..
the tricky bit is finding a place that remains 35-50 degrees all winter..
Indoors in any "living space" is far too warm..
outdoors is far too cold..
Some people can use a garage, if its not too cold..
or an unheated attic or spare room..
the "Fridge Method" is quite sucessful, (as long as you grow your plants outdoors April-October) Here is how I do it:

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/CP/page2.html

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/CP/page5c.html


Scot
 
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  • #13
Very informative read!!!! Thank you. I didn't think about cutting the plants down during the dormancy, but I see the point.

I will need to finad another method as my wife would "kill" me if a plant goes in the fridge haha.

I am not sure, but my garage may work. It is on the west side of my house, so maybe.... Keep it near the furnace perhaps. What if I moved my greenhouse into the garage and kept them in it during the winter?

My seeds/seedlings I should keep inside though correct? It is ok for the 1st year I understand.
 
  • #14
I use the garage method. My garage is insulated so it is usually 40-50 in there... I think. I wouldn't use the greenhouse in the garage either because it will prevent airflow which helps prevent fungus and mold. As long as your garage stays above freezing and not too hot, it would probably be fine. If it is uninsulated you may look at placing your plants next to an inside wall that will have heat from the inside dissapating into the garage.

Water less during dormancy, keeping the soil only slightly moist. I also take my temperates out any day during the winter it is over 40 to give them some sunlight and airflow which is more to keep fungus and mold at bay than anything. Sunlight is natures bleach. Maybe not, but at least it gives me something to do and a chance to inspect them. :)

The greenhouse would come in handy for lowland nepenthes though. Perhaps a nice bicalcarata. :) Lowland nepenthes like it warm and humid. You could add some lighting inside of the green house and a small fan and I think the heat from the lights and enclosed area would provide you with enough warmth and humidity for lowland nepenthes.
 
  • #15
Very informative read!!!! Thank you. I didn't think about cutting the plants down during the dormancy, but I see the point.

No problem!
Its not lways necessary to cut all the foliage off..for growers down south (south of Virginia) who can leave their plants outside all winter, there is no sense in cutting of the foliage..because the plants might still photosynthesize on warm days, the the foliage gives a "head start" in the spring..but for my methods, it just makes sense..

What if I moved my greenhouse into the garage and kept them in it during the winter?

No point in that IMO..
a greenhouse works by trapping and holding the sun's energy..in a garage, a greenhouse will do nothing at all..if its 40 degrees in the garage, outside of the greenhouse, it will be exactly the same inside a greenhouse that is in the garage! ;)
there is zero benefit to a greenhouse without a heat source..
and a greenhouse in a garage could actually be worse, because it would hold on to excess humidity, which you dont want in the winter..especially if its warmish and dark ("warmish" meaning 50-ish F) clould encourage mold growth..

IF your garage will stay above freezing, it could be fine..
but if its not well insulated, it could easily fall into the 20's or colder in a typical garage..

Scot
 
  • #16
Greetings and welcome here. I'm Winter Flurry.
 
  • #17
Wait, you're from Fort Wayne?
Every other year my family and I go to Auburn and Fort Wayne. I was there this September for the ACD fest.
Hey, could there be any chance I saw you there??
 
  • #18
ACD Fest is awesome, but nope I unfortunately didn't get to check it out for the past couple years.
 
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