Keeping roots cool

[jimscott]

I have a Lowes rescue cobra lily and I kept it away from any devouring streams. I did a modified hanging basket approach, as suggested by Tony Paroubek and put the plant in the attic for the winter, by a window sill. All has gone well and it is now sending up its frst new pitcher. I transferred the plant and contents into a drained planter that is deeper and wider, to allow for more root development and stability of temperature and it has been outside for past few weeks.

Whaddya think of the idea to dig a hole and sink the planter into the ground?

 

[Est]

That'd definitly stabilize temps around the plant, and around the roots. I'd say that it's worth a shot to see what happens!

 

[Bugweed]

Want the roots cool? Teach'em the latest dance steps, the latest colloqialisms, and how to wear shades. Then, AND ONLY THEN, will they truly be COOL!!!!!

 

[xscd]

<span style="font-size: 1.7em">O</span>ne of the best things I have discovered recently is the new polyurethane foam planters. My VFTs love them. They're attractive and sturdy, look almost like ceramic but are not porous, and they insulate the roots from the baking heat of direct sun (especially harsh in this high altitude (4000 ft.) arid plain of eastern New Mexico, where there are many hours and days with no clouds in the sky to soften the sun's impact) as well as buffer against cold.

They are wonderful--

 

[jimscott]

Do they sell these planters at Home Depot or Lowes?

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Oh yes Jimscott. The ones I have seen look like heavy tera cotta pots or something of that nature, but when you go to pick them up they are light as a feather compaired to a teracotta pot. Now the ones I have seen are larger pots, but that may be what xscd is talking about.

BTW Jimscott I rescued a cobralilly from lowes recently myself and I have it potted in peat out in the GH with the rest of my plants and its recovering fine sitting in one of the trays I have my baby dews in. Its in a bigger pot than the dews so the water lever doesn;t get as high in the pot, but its started groing again. Only after I repoted it and put the growing end of the ryzome out in the open instead of burried under the LFS like when I got it. I hope it aclimates so I don;t have to worry about keeping the soil cool. I am thinking about adding a fish air pump to the water to airate it for the dews and CL. This is in addition to the azola I have growing in the water around the dews.