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Starting with Barerooted Plants

pedersonplants

The Obsessive Gardener
Hello:

I have bought from a business in Florida that sells bare-rooted cps only. I've tried twice and failed to get them to adjust and grow for me.

What are some secrets to getting these barerooted plants growing again?

Diana Pederson
 
What kind of CPs?

I grow all my CPs in a mix of long fiber sphagnum moss (not peat) and sponge rock. But different people use different things. I put bare root CPs in that and keep them away from heavy wind and direct sun until they've adjusted. If you're in a low humidity area, you might want to also put a loose plastic bag over the pot to boost the humidity.

I'll use my <75 ppm TDS tap water on Neps, but only use dehumidifier water or rain water on my Sarrs & VFTs. Don't fertilize them. I'll eventually put a few beads of Osmocote fertilizer in the Nep pots but don't use any on the others.

On the other hand, maybe your source doesn't sell the healthiest plants or doesn't ship them well.
 
Are you sure that your lack of success is due to potting the bare root plants? I usually just throw them in a pot with whatever mix I make and they take some time to adjust. Perhaps it has something to do with your soil mixture or water. As herenorthere says, make sure none of your soil has added fertilizer and make sure to use only distilled or rainwater (depending on your ppm of your tap water).

What kind of plants have you tried? With a little more information I'm sure we'll be able to help you out and get some great CPs from any sort of mailing or delivery!

xvart.
 
Mine after shipping from hawaii are doing okay exept for my venusta,
I have killed a alacie from too much sun too fast,I guess I have bad luck with rosseted drosera even my scorpoides are growing after a complete barerooting
 
I have killed sarracenias and pings. I use canadian sphaghum peat with perlite.

WHat is SPONGE ROCK? Is this another name for pumice?
 
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But sponge rock is larger than perlite and is very angular. It cuts down on how much LFS is needed, while preventing it from compacting and not clogging airflow.

Tell us what growing conditions you've put new plants in and maybe that'll help someone figure out the problem.
 
I use regular perlite (sponge rock isn't available locally).

These are always kept in an indoor terrarium; sarracenias were outside in container of water (kept at about 1 inch deep).
 
Does anyone use rockwool cubes? We have a hydroponics store in East Lansing. I can get there by the handicapper bus system. Will check to see if they have a coarser grade of perlite than found in Meijers, Horrocks, etc.
 
  • #10
eh, no one really uses sponge rock. The standard issue perlite you have will work fine.

I think some people have experimented with growing nepenthes in rockwool, and judging by the fact that no one I know uses it for any type of cp, I'd say its probably got some significant drawback, like quick breakdown or its expensive
 
  • #11
Bareroot starts should not be that difficult. Sarracenia should have no problems adjusting. Even with some root damage they should come back in a month or two. Growth patterns vary from species/hybrids. What Sarracenia were they? Are you sure they are dead?

Either the place you have gotten the CPs is selling unhealthy plants or you're making some error in cultivation.

Some one may spot an error if you review how you prepare your potting mixes, how you prepare and handle the potting of the plants, watering and type of water you use etc. Also describe how the plants were shipped, packed and the condition they were in when you received them.
 
  • #12
Or did they come dormant and appeared dead?

xvart.
 
  • #13
They were offsets of larger plants I believe. Just had one "leaf" that wasn't really a pitcher.

I am going to try again, this time in June instead of August. I wonder if it was just too late in the season for them to get a good start.
 
  • #14
If you got them in August the sarrs may have been starting to enter dormancy when you got them.

xvart.
 
  • #15
I've ordered nice sized potted plants -- tissue culture -- from wellspring at ebay.com. I'm going to purchase a few from her this week. They should be here by July 1 if her shipping is as speedy as normal.

She has mostly cultivars but I can get the one native to Michigan too.

Am going to start with just a few as I rebuild my collection. Don't want to run out of room too soon.

Am figuring out what to use for a mini "bog" that could remain outside this summer and individual plants be refrigerated this winter. We are growing zone 5 and had several below zero days this past winter (once it decided to get cold).

Will have to go get some supplies this week.
 
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