What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Edwardsiana

  • #121
[b said:
Quote[/b] (dlybrand @ Feb. 17 2006,6:47)]I've got some questions about growing edwardsiana. Hopefully those of you who grow plants with similar needs (burbigeae, villosa, lowii) can tell me something. I know from what the vendor told me that these plants need 50-55°F temps every night and I'm guessing they'd need around 70 during the day? The one thing I can't find for most plants is a soil recipe. Only a few species have detailed information on specific soils they like. I know edwardsiana needs it to be very pure in terms of salts and minerals, but what else? Anybody know something that works for most Kinabalu species?

-D. Lybrand
were all in this together because it seems that all of us dont have one, i think. so this will be a great learning experience, oh there goes that word again, no matter what age what so ever... this will bring us together here @ terraforums to trade specific details on medium, temps, ect...

ill just probably just use 50/50 sphagnum moss and coconut husk... like i do with all the neps i have...
 
  • #122
Wow, this conversation surely took a bizzare turn!

First, no matter what you "feel" you CAN NOT deny a sale to someone if they have the money in hand and you have the product. Maybe it's not a moral thing to do by some standards but it is the same as not selling someone the plant because they're black. It's discrimination (in this discussion it equates to age discrimination) and it's illegal. Anyway, the original point of the post was to find out if these plants are legal so I went ahead and spoke with the source and told him while we are all thrilled with the possibility of obtaining this grail species we had some concerns about the accusition or lineage of these seedlings. I think it was certainly only prudent that I posted his reply since people were talking of turning this poor fellow in, if you know ANYTHING about the orchid business you know whether the rumor is true or not you will be shut down with senseless accusations being thrown around. I wanted it to be public that this guy was not dropping out of a helicopter at night in combat gear and stealing edwardsiana seed pods as seemed to be inffered back on the first few pages. As far as charging for them, he spent 3 years of his life nursing these things so a few of us lunatics could spend a few days pay on them. I'm surprised they aren't far more expensive, in my oppinion he IS giving them away at these price. And yeah, he is/did monitor this thread...

Anyway, DLYBRAND I grow my highlanders (rajah, hamata, macrohylla, burbidgeae x edwardsiana among them) in a blend of medium grade orchid bark, shredded sphagnum and large charcoal chips. Basically it's an orchid mix I use for my Dracula species with a  tad more spahgnum (perhaps 30% LFS).
This  mix put into a plastic net pot or wooden basket is a chunky fast draining yet moisture holding and oxygen rich compost for my highland chamber which ranges 45*F -60*F year round nights and 70-85*F days year round and 75-85% RH with fresh moving air 24/7. Basically it's an enclosed electric greenhouse in my bedroom. It's been up and running since Jan 2002 and yes, hamata and rajah were my first highlanders to move in there...  
smile_m_32.gif
 
  • #123
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]First, no matter what you "feel" you CAN NOT deny a sale to someone if they have the money in hand and you have the product.

Sure you can. If I had my only seed grown plant of N. villosa left, I have my right as a vendor to declare that private property do I not?
 
  • #124
i wish i had more room in my bathroom, at night its the coldest room in the house, 50 is normal in the winter thanks to an usually open window with a fan going.
 
  • #125
most any seller has the right to refuse service to anyone they care to. granted its usually not a good i dea to be doing racial profiling but even this can be legally done in most private buisnesses
 
  • #126
How do you regulate temps? My tank drops reasonably low just by using the ballast outside the fixtures rather than inside. BTW, I've heard about charcoal chips a lot. Are 'Lowe's quality' chips good enough? Thanks. I assume that would help take out impurities in the soil.

-D. Lybrand
 
  • #127
Charcoal is usually not necessary for soil freshening if you use good quality water. However, most use it for an aerator.
 
  • #128
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Sure you can. If I had my only seed grown plant of N. villosa left, I have my right as a vendor to declare that private property do I not?

If it is private property than it is not for sale and should not have a price tag attached to it/put up for sale.
 
  • #129
Well I'm saying that what if I wanted to keep that particular plant. Suppose it just did a varigation on the leaves. Your telling me that I cannot keep that plant? I must sell it, I cannot purchase it from myself?
 
  • #130
If that were the case it simply shouldn't be listed as for sale and there would be no argument. At my pals greenhouse anything not for sale has a red tag and no price on it. It says that on signs here and there so everyone knows those are the breeders. Imagine walking up to a counter at best buy with a CD of a band you like and the guy says that's the last copy so you can't buy it. What kind of argument would you have, you have the $ and theres a pricetag...

My position is that it's discrimination and I would not do such a thing, yank something out of someones hands and tell them you just now decided it's not for sale. That certainly doesn't mean that I wouldn't try and talk an inexperienced or let's use the word "unprepared" person out of buying such a demanding plant unless they had build a chamber for it. I remember when you were growing highland neps by placing frozen water jugs in your tank every night, so everyone has to start somewhere.

As an ocasional vendor, far as I'm concerned, the plants are fine when they leave me, it's up to the customer to keep it alive. All my ads say that too!
smile_n_32.gif
If the little fink kills it that's not really my fault. I do what I can with educating my customers. I've got a website describing how I care for the plants (ok, I'm rebuilding it after the server crash but no plants are available yet anyway), how to build the grow chambers and every darn thing else I can think of to ramble on about concerning these plants. If they don't have enough interest to read it there's nothing I can do to force them to read it.
Enough of that, if we disagree we disagree no sense getting all loopy over this hypothetcal sale.

Yes, the charcoal is merely there as a way to add aeration, look for a charcoal which is about 1/2" long chips smaller than that size can become compacted. The brand Fertiloam is easily available and has larger chunks. If anything just tear open the sack at the store and look at it, most have a zip lock top so just zip it closed when youre done and no one will know.

Yes, be sure and rinse your materials (bark/charcoal/etc) with r/o or distilled water a few times to remove any excess salts. dust, etc that may be present before mixing and planting.
 
  • #131
[b said:
Quote[/b] (nepenthes gracilis @ Feb. 16 2006,10:18)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]First, no matter what you "feel" you CAN NOT deny a sale to someone if they have the money in hand and you have the product.

Sure you can. If I had my only seed grown plant of N. villosa left, I have my right as a vendor to declare that private property do I not?
I guess it depends on what kind of vendor you are. Some may purely be in it for the profit and are not collectors themselves.
The Mansell's from Exotica, I would imagine, plan to keep a certain amount of plants for stock plants(like N. 'Predator', for example) that they can use for cuttings and breeding, but all the other seedlings are sale items.
If you feel you do not have available product for the general public, then you don't.

Cheers,

Joe
 
  • #132
see my last posts first paragraph as to how a commercial/collector nursery handles their special stock!
smile.gif
 
  • #133
Unless you're discriminating on the basis of a legally prohited form of discrimination, then you can target any market you like. You can refuse to sell a car to a 12-year-old, you can chose not to sell to a house to someone whose renovation intentions you don't like... Exotica will sell certain plants to some customers but not others, many nurseries discriminate between wholesale and retail clients for example. That's market economics for you.
 
  • #134
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Exotica will sell certain plants to some customers but not others,
What's the reasoning behind this? Have you actaully seen them take a plant from someones hands and place it back on a bench and send them out of the store?

...there's no 12 year olds driving around here but me!
laugh.gif
 
  • #135
I've been reading this thread with interest to glean any more info on growing edwardsiana. Obviously, very few people have any experience with this.

I agree with NG's initial assertion that people without experience - regardless of age - should pass on this opportunity - at least that's what I think he said, since I only have a 50% chance of understanding his tone anyway, I didn't bother to reread his post. I also believe the vendor can sell the plants to whomever he wants. Have you ever seen signs in a restaraunt that say, "We reserve the right to refuse service..."? If a restaraunt can do it, why not a retailer?

Having only grown Neps for 6 years, I decided to pass for a variety of reasons. Without much growing info, small size and high price, (even if it is relatively cheap, it is a lot of money to spend on a plant that might die), and the fact that TC specimens will be available in a few years, kept me from reserving any. I cut my teeth 5 years ago on killing 2 rajahs and 3 lowiis among other plants, which I now grow successfully. Experience and having a support group have really helped.

One other point, it is easier to grow highlanders in this climate, so here it would be better for newbies to start with them, before they move onto lowlanders. Now lets see how many people misunderstand my points.
 
  • #136
very true, my house is pretty poor for most lowlanders though my speckled amp is on a mission to prove me wrong. highlanders like bongso and ephippiata are doing wonderful for me with minimal care(no active heating or cooling, just my normal household temps, im just watering and helping out with humidity). the amp is wierd thoug, daily highs of about 75 and nights at about 55 right now and its growing like a weed...........go figure..........
 
  • #137
Maybe I should move my amp outside. I haven't seen a pitcher in years. My other lowlanders are happy including northiana and bical - both of them recently repotted.
 
  • #138
couldnt hurt, suppose there is a clone or 2 floating around from slightly higher elevations?
 
  • #139
yeah same here. the only lowlander that i got is rafflesiana, which i have indoors. i am very limited to the lowlander genre but highlanders are ok for me. check my growlist and you can see that i have way more highlanders than lowlanders
 
  • #140
I just simply can't see why my viewpoint isn't valid. Wouldn't it just be smart to let the plants go to those who would know what to expect?

Josh, in regards to the CD deal. That would be in a public store. I'm not really sure of any CP place that I've been to that I can pick out plants besides Tony's. I'm saying if I had a flat of N. villosa's for sale, and all the sudden one developed varigation, I'm gonna keep that guy because he has potential. I'm not snagging it out of anyone's hands, just taking it off the sale bench.
 
Back
Top