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Planting darlingtonia on a stream

Clint

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we have a stream/creek on our property in the mountains of N. ga. i tested the dirt to see if it bubbled in vinegar, nope. the stream feeds a lake/pond in front of our house and live sphagnum grows on the edges. is it OK to go ahead and plant an entire pot of darlingtonia on the bank of the stream so the roots will stay cool? i was thinking i could dig a hole and just plop the whole thing in there. or atleast sat the pot in the water.

thanks
 
That doesn't sound like a bad idea, just take care not to let it set seed or otherwise escape into the wild. Or wash downstream. :)
~Joe
 
hehe i'm hoping jimscott will chime in
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Certainly, in the wild, Darlingtonia grow along and in streams. Here in northern California, Darlingtonia is used as a landscaping plant, often partially submerged in artificial streams or ponds. For example, here is Darlingtonia at the United Indian Health Services building in Arcata. The plants have been happily established there for several years and flower every spring.
UIHS_Darlingtonia318.JPG
 
I just planted a Minor in my waterfall, I would have liked to plant a darling but mine was dead so I decided to do something else
 
How do they cope with the tap water I assume they are using and nutrients via fish waste in the water?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ June 22 2005,4:11)]hehe i'm hoping jimscott will chime in
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LOL! I is here! My situation was that I had pots loosely sitting in bigger containers, that got lifted up and carried away. I would think that a truly rooted plant would fare better than mine. Good luck / skill!
 
well, i guess i won't know if i don't try it! i'm leaving tomorrow to go to our cabin by the lake (spooky sounding huh?) and plant them on the creek.
 
JLAP Make sure the Darlingtonia is in the water not near the water or you will lose it. I would suggest big rocks for holding it down (this also make sit look like the wild.
 
  • #10
could you please elaborate? in but not near? i'm unclear about what you mean.

i am really excited about the outcome
biggrin.gif
 
  • #11
The second I saw this topic I knew jimscotscoot was in there somewhere.
 
  • #12
Remember that darlingtonia just needs coolish roots, not necessarily cold water running over them.
If I had a safe spot I would plant them there instead of risking them being washed away in heavy rains.
 
  • #13
This afternoon I snapped these photos of another example of Darlingtonia used as a landscape plant in an urban setting. These are outside the Blue Lake Casino. The plants are at the edge of an artificial pond with the water level maintained at the growth crown and the roots submerged constantly for past 3 years.
DarlingtoniaCasino1364.JPG


DarlingtoniaCasino1365.JPG
 
  • #14
The obvious question for me is how do they survive in those ponds? I'm pretty sure they don't get distilled water...LOL Most display ponds usually have some kind of fish in them which would also cause trouble.


You said you were in Northern CA and I heard the water can be very soft there which could make a difference.
 
  • #15
Fish don't cause trouble - I have grown very large, healthy Sarrs at the edges of my goldfish pond for several years.

Fish waste is a fertilizer, but an incredibly diluted fertilizer compared to the pure chemicals used on most plants.

Really - don't be afraid to let nature work as it does - really it's when people mess with things (i.e., breed up plants that need refined chems to grow well) that things get complicated!
 
  • #16
I'm not quite convinced yet so...


What purpose does it do to water only with distilled/RO water when they can survive just fine in normal pond conditions? This seems to contradict everything I've heard.

Hope to hear back soon as this is very interesting.
 
  • #17
The problem with hard water vs distilled water is mineral buildup.

If you water a potted plant using hard water, the salts will quickly build to lethal levels. If the plant is grown mostly in water (aquatic bladderworts or D. californica grown in a free-floating mat of sphagnum, then the salts won't build up.
 
  • #18
So because the water is constantly moving around the roots their is no chance of the minerals to build up?

How does one go about planting Sarrs/Darlingtonia near a pond?
 
  • #19
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Nflytrap @ July 09 2005,2:36)]So because the water is constantly moving around the roots their is no chance of the minerals to build up?

How does one go about planting Sarrs/Darlingtonia near a pond?
Not just because the water is moving, but because (in nature, anyway) the fresh water always replaces the old water.

If you had a small pond filled with tap water, and replaced it with tap water whenever it got low, eventually the salts would build up. I am assuming that you periodically REPLACE the water entirely.
 
  • #20
OOOOOH... Does this mean that If I planted a bog garden, say... in the lower part of IL, and I watered with tap water (their water is pretty good), then I wouldn't haveto worry because most of the minerals that build up will be washed away by the frequent and heavy rains they get during the summers, and any other times? If that's true, I'm going to build a bog garden at my grandmother's house
biggrin.gif
!
 
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