My darlingtonia flowered

[goldtrap2690]

When I came home from my vacation at Houston , Texas I saw that my Darlingtonia in my aeration set up flowered and thats really cool because I live in the valley of southern California and its really hot and dry here and the plant was growing in full sun . So it turns out that the setup works well . My setup is pretty much a clear container filled with cool water , then I put in a white pot with an airstone , filedl up that pot with long fibered spahgnum moss , orchid bark and lots perlite , then planted in the darlingtonia with some live sphagnum as a top dressing . The plant was a small plant and it a very small flower stalk developing in it since I brought it in the fall . The bubbles flowing thorugh the roots of the darlingtonia must have cooled them and kept the plant alive when the weather gets hots and it really does get hot down here . The temp gets to about 100 but the water stays about 90 ( I have a thermometer in the water to monitor things if they get to high ) . Anyways , Here are some pics

enjoy

 

[droseradude]

nice!

that is odd how it did well in hot dry air. anyway good job!

 

[Spectabilis73]

D#####! i cant see the pictures! AGAIN!

 

[CP2k]

The water stays at 90...Isn't that a little too warm for Darlingtonia?

 

[goldtrap2690]

Yah 90 is a bit too warm and it get's higher at times too . In most books it says that if the water gets over 86 the plant will start to suffer but in Schnell's book , Joe Mazrimas discovered that plants have been seen growing in temps higher then 86 and have grown well as long as their was aeration and water movement through the roots which I'm trying to duplicate here and it seems to work .

 

[pond boy]

Nice! Thats pretty cool what are you using for aeration? A air pump and air stone?

 

[goldtrap2690]

Yah , I'm using and air pump and airstone and i but the airstone right under the plant .

 

[jimscott]

Hey Spec, why can't your plant food pic eat people like Goldtrap's?

 

[Electric Carnivores]

Nice Tuyen keep up the good work!

Electric Carnivores

 

[Spectabilis73]

Quote[/b] (jimscott @ April 16 2004,7:42)]Hey Spec, why can't your plant food pic eat people like Goldtrap's?  

because i told it not to

 

[CP2k]

I think that you can keep the soil even cooler if you shade the darlingtonia pot.

 

[pond boy]

Agreed, maybe put some aluminum foil around it?

 

[goldtrap2690]

I know shading would help but I just wanted to see if this method works , which it has . Pondboy , If i put aluminum foil around it then I've just just created a solar oven and thats not good unless you want fried snake .

 

[pond boy]

I thought aluminum foil would reflect light? In a solar oven the aluminum foil reflects light into the black interior that absorbs the heat.

 

[Olly in oz]

Hey Goldtrap, how does an aerations stone and pump work?? And where can i get one. Thanks
Olly

 

[Seandew]

You can get them very cheap at any aquarium shop.

Sean.

 

[pond boy]

You can get a lower end one for under $5