seedjar
Let's positive thinking!
Hi all, I'm Joe and I'm new to terraforums...
I recently bought the healthiest of a couple of sad-looking Sarracenia flava ornata from my local nursery. They didn't know much about it (it was labeled as a Cobra Lily) and basically all I knew was it liked clean water and the pitchers fell over when it didn't have enough light. I had it indoors for a week or so before I discovered that people breed them outdoors just a few hours south in Portland, OR, so the other day I put it out on my porch in a little tarp-covered miniature greenhouse. I'm not worried about it right now; it seems happy, and may have even put out a new leaf, if I'm not mistaken.
However, I'm moving into a different apartment in my complex, one which will not get morning sun until it rises over the next row of units (I think about 30 degrees over the horizon, 9 or 10 o'clock) and where the afternoon sun will be partially shaded and indirect. I know these aren't ideal Sarracenia conditions, but could I get satisfactory growth in such an arrangement? Will the pitchers fall over and look all sad? Could I get Dionaea to work in such an arrangement? I live in Olympia, WA, so summer days are long here - that's my one hope. The apartment manager has told me I can't put my plants out in the lawn before (I'll see if she changes her tune for a plant that eats bees) and if I have to keep them on my patio they won't even get much high-noon sun. Otherwise, I have a small four-bulb two-foot long fluorescent fixture that I could rig for weather-resistant service to supplement sunlight. If I were to use the fluorescents, what kind of schedule should I have them on? I was thinking I could leave them on whenever the sun is out, as they wouldn't put off enough heat in the open air to make the roots of the Sarracenia uncomfortable.
I'm also getting some Darlingtonia seeds soon. I know these are more or less considered year-round outdoors, and that's where I'll be starting some of them, but I have heard it mentioned that seedlings can be grown indoors. Does anybody have any hints? I'm going to pick up some live sphagnum to start the seeds. I'm especially interested in temperature/humidity/light requirements. I'd be glad to hear from anybody who has started Sarracenia indoors, as well.
Anyways, tips, horror stories, etc. would all be appreciated. I like pictures too.
Thanks!
~Joe
I recently bought the healthiest of a couple of sad-looking Sarracenia flava ornata from my local nursery. They didn't know much about it (it was labeled as a Cobra Lily) and basically all I knew was it liked clean water and the pitchers fell over when it didn't have enough light. I had it indoors for a week or so before I discovered that people breed them outdoors just a few hours south in Portland, OR, so the other day I put it out on my porch in a little tarp-covered miniature greenhouse. I'm not worried about it right now; it seems happy, and may have even put out a new leaf, if I'm not mistaken.
However, I'm moving into a different apartment in my complex, one which will not get morning sun until it rises over the next row of units (I think about 30 degrees over the horizon, 9 or 10 o'clock) and where the afternoon sun will be partially shaded and indirect. I know these aren't ideal Sarracenia conditions, but could I get satisfactory growth in such an arrangement? Will the pitchers fall over and look all sad? Could I get Dionaea to work in such an arrangement? I live in Olympia, WA, so summer days are long here - that's my one hope. The apartment manager has told me I can't put my plants out in the lawn before (I'll see if she changes her tune for a plant that eats bees) and if I have to keep them on my patio they won't even get much high-noon sun. Otherwise, I have a small four-bulb two-foot long fluorescent fixture that I could rig for weather-resistant service to supplement sunlight. If I were to use the fluorescents, what kind of schedule should I have them on? I was thinking I could leave them on whenever the sun is out, as they wouldn't put off enough heat in the open air to make the roots of the Sarracenia uncomfortable.
I'm also getting some Darlingtonia seeds soon. I know these are more or less considered year-round outdoors, and that's where I'll be starting some of them, but I have heard it mentioned that seedlings can be grown indoors. Does anybody have any hints? I'm going to pick up some live sphagnum to start the seeds. I'm especially interested in temperature/humidity/light requirements. I'd be glad to hear from anybody who has started Sarracenia indoors, as well.
Anyways, tips, horror stories, etc. would all be appreciated. I like pictures too.
Thanks!~Joe
