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Hi all,

Thought I'd post a couple of pics of my Darlingtonia, just recently put into it's winter dormancy.

IMG_1923-1.jpg


This Cobra was obtained back in 2007, and it has successfully gone through two winter dormancies, and is now entering it's third with me. I grow it in the basement under a 42 watt 6500k CFL. And last spring, I repotted it into a 13" plastic pot. A top dressing of lfs lies atop a coarse mineral mix, similar to my mexi-ping media, but with more peat and lfs added in to it. For watering, I usually just dump a tray of ice cubes onto the topdressing.

This plant took a growth spurt earlier this fall, when I made an effort to get more D. hydei onto the plant. I figure with the extra protein, it decided to go for and make some bigger pitchers. The tallest pitcher is currently 8.5 inces.

For dormancy, I just place the Cobra out into our heated garage. We keep the thermostat turned down low, but it doesn't usually get too much below 7C out there in the winter.

IMG_1927-1.jpg


I was surprised that Darlingtonia keeps it's pitchers as long and as well as it does. In the two and some years that I have had it, I haven't had to remove a pitcher yet. The pitcher in the bottom left with the browning crown, was the large pitcher it came with back in '07.
 
Very nice plants there . . .

I am sure that your weather will provide the necessary cold for dormancy (heh, heh, heh) . . .
 
Thanks BigBella.

Yes, if you've ever had an 'Alberta Clipper' come down your way states side, you'll never again have any doubt that we have the necessary cold and then some for a more than adequate winter dormancy. ;^}
 
gorgeous plant dvg :) cobras are outstanding plants.
 
Nice. I just ordered a Cobra Plant and it arrives next week.
 
Thanks guys.

Cobras definitely are beautiful and unique CP's. I also find them to be scarcer in cultivation than a lot of the other carnivorous pitcher plants...Neps, Helis, Sarras and Cephs. In fact I went through the older pages dating back to more than a year ago, going back 23 pages, and was actually surprised at the paucity of not only Darlingtonia photos posted but also the lack of threads started dealing with adult sized plants.
 
dvg - obviously this has a lot to do with the difficulty of the plant.....as im sure you know, its not exactly the easiest CP to grow....though for me its proven to be insanely easy with the mountain location clones....great plants, just picked up a couple more tonight from lowes when i saw em, ive got several more coming here this week sometime....stocking up on em for trades and possibly a couple for the NASC auction again this year
 
Yeah, that's unfortunate that more folks don't have them in their collections. Well grown Darlings are truly a sight to behold, and well worth the extra effort.
 
They look like prairie dogs with snake tongues!
 
  • #10
Very beautiful. :) I never noticed before they even have a bit of a scaly texture on the pitchers.
 
  • #11
Thanks Mia.

JimScott, I can see the snake tongues...but green prairie dogs? Is them thar' varmints resorting to camouflage now?
 
  • #12
Our Lowes only has VFTs, Purps and Adlaes. :(

I'll be these would grow fine with HL Neps and Helis most of the year.
 
  • #13
Mine are sleeping. They aren't adult yet, but I haven't killed mine yet, either. I expect 6 inch pitchers on one this spring.
 
  • #14
Alberta Canada? Dear lord, that's even colder than where I am. What do you do to winterize your cobras? Mine have been outside in insulated pots, but are browning up a bit. It's been anywhere from 8 to 15 at night here lately, with highs in the mid 20s -- what temperatures do your cobras see? I freaked out and brought mine into the garage, but it's still rather cold -- this morning at 10:30 when I checked, all 4 pots were still frozen solid.

The guy who installed our blinds saw my plants and mentioned "a plant with a dangly flower thing that smells like DEATH and leaves that look like snakes" growing behind his house from the old owners, which I thought was just neat as heck. They can't be all THAT fragile if they've been growing just fine with no upkeep against a house with city water. Think he was hinting that he'd sell them to me but I didn't think they'd transplant well.
 
  • #15
Mcantrell,

I overwinter mine in our heated garage. With the thermostat turned down low, the temps will vary from 5C to 10 C over the winter depending upon the temperatures outside.

The cobra gets put out into the garage in November and I bring it back into the basement in late March or early April. This has seemed to work well for me for the last couple of years.
 
  • #16
I ended up bringing mine in, at least temporary. They weren't thawing out at all, even in the garage. My current plan is to move them back out there today and hopefully they just won't freeze solid again.

I have a sinking suspicion that my current environs are going to just preclude me from growing any outside CPs. =/
 
  • #17
mcantrell - my cobras have been frozen solid for a few days now without thawing out, it doesnt bug em generally, since their habitat is naturally freezing during this time of the year anyway....
 
  • #18
I would like to know how deep the pot goes...

I hear that cobras are slow growing... is that true...

As I would like a multi pot .... with different carn's in later...
 
  • #19
Speed of growth depends on growing conditions in my experiance, to me cobras are very fast growers and very hardy, but i live in the exact climate, and pretty much near the exact location as these plants, so i cant vouch for much as i really dont do much for my plants. They do like deep pots from what ive seen, gives them more root space and room to wrap stolons around in which they will send up offshots with new plants. Go with a nice big unglazed terracotta pot as this will allow the pot itself to absorb moisture and keep the roots nice and cool which is a big must for these plants.
 
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