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!

Space and Water Usage?

Okay...I've kept my current CPs alive for over 5 years, a few of 'em are growing like weeds...I think its time to branch out and grow a larger variety and quantity
smile.gif


Two questions for everyone though:

1. How much space are you using for your CPs? And out of curiousity, how exactly are you growing them? In terrariums, greenhouses, outdoors? (Mine just sit outside my house and seem to do great)

2. How much water are you using, and do you have any tips to conserve water? Distilled water is cheap enough...but during the summer I lose a good amount to evaporation. Any tips to avoid this?

Maybe one of these days I'll test out my tap water on the things...but I hate to risk harming any of them. But it sure would be a lot cheaper ;)

Scott
 
1.  Lots in a greenhouse although I have some at the house too ;>

2.  Lots of water!  I don't think you can avoid loss from evaporation.  Some evaporation is helpful anyway since it raises humidity levels.  There are cheaper sources for water however.  

Some possible alternatives:  Tap water but unlikely to work long term.  Worth having it checked at least for total dissolved solids first.
The bulk water dispenser at the grocery store.  As long as it is clearly indicated it is from an RO or deionized filter and it is serviced regularly.
Rainwater collected off the roof.
Your own RO or deionizing filter.

Tony
 
RAINWATER! IT'S FREE!

Here's what i do. i went to the good all WalMart and i bought several things to make a colossal rain collector for under $30. I now employ 5 of these guys for my water useage in my terrariums and for my other plants as well.

here's your instructions:
1 big blue tarp or other plastic sheet. (20 foot by 20 foot is a good size)
1 big rubbermaid trashcan ( i use 30 gallons )
4 bamboo poles ( or tent poles or badmitton poles, whatever.)
some string
a nice big rock

plant the 4 poles in the ground and stretch the tarp between them. doesn't have to be in an open area, under trees works fine, under a clean gutter works even better =)
now you have a big tent thingy
go to one side and tie the string to one of the grommets in the middle of the side
hang the rock on the string so that it slopes the tarp down and in.
put the rock weight in a big plastic trash can so the water flows into it.

i fill a 30 gallon trash can about halfway up in about 30 minutes of a good shower.

PS it may be ugly, but it works =)
 
I'm growing them on wire shelves that are on racks four feet wide, and about 18 inches deep and up to 6 feet tall. I grow on two shelves each. I have three of these things, so I have six total four by one and a half foot shelves of them. Most of them grow under fluorescent lights. One rack is in my dining room, and the other two are on my enclosed porch. The porch is usually about halfway between house temperatures and outdoor temperatures. I don't generally use terrariums, as the air here in San Francisco is pretty humid already.

I used distilled water and bulk R/O filtered water from the Supermarket, but have switched to a simple R/O filter in my house. It cost about $125, but it's much, much easier.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

Capslock
 
drunknmunky,

I've been considering the rainwater setup for a long time now. We've got the plastic tarp and all from when the roof leaked one year. The only problem is the Southern California weather.

It doesnt rain a lot here, its been a very dry year in fact...So the rainwater would be a little hard to come by. That and its seasonal rain, and we're pretty much moving out of the rainy period. But I'll probably give this one a try. If I can find a giant trashcan that doesnt look hideous, that would make things easier. Or at least something that is smaller and easy to conceal...we'll see what happens!
 
For some of us rainwater is not the practical solution, expecially if you live in a area with little rainfall (like me) and neibors who would complain of a unsigtly rainwater collecter just behiend their hybrid tea Hedge. The hedge is really pretty tough. They look like blue roses.
nature-smiley-003.gif

It may be practical if you collect it off your roof, but roofs will usually leak tannins into the water

i dont know if there is a water despenser in the area either
rock.gif
 
Hey Scott, it should rain in socal this afternoon
wink.gif
 
how about a really really big "britta" pitcher?
 
Britta filters do not work check out this link to the carnivorous plant faq on making purified water Here
 
  • #10
Dang it! It has to be pouring rain today, and I'm without a good container for it!

I had actually decided to go out and buy a big Rubbermaid trashcan or something similiar today. But Fate loves being all ironic and mean to me! Oh well...it should rain the rest of the week, so maybe I've still got time to fill the thing up.
 
  • #11
This rain better stop today, I'm tired of rain making a mess of my grow area.
 
  • #12
Alright...I've got my stuff set up to collect some rain, so let it pour! Well, at least until my buckets are full...Californian's and freeway driving with the rain is scary.

Question for everyone though. Once you have a container full of rainwater, how long can it be kept? It sounds a bit stupid...but if you keep a sealed lid on the thing, prevent bugs and junk from getting inside...its pretty much good forever, right? Or should it actually be dumped out after a period of time(even if its not looking icky)?
 
  • #13
as long as you dont have any debris in there that may have chemicals in it, it should last indefinitely. i know that if leaves get in it they will leach out their chemicals that could hurt your plants, but what makes rainwater good is the fact that it have very few disolved solids in it. i mean look at it this way: in the wild, all they get is rainwater! just to be on the safwe side, dump your bucket right before a good rain so that it's all fresh if you want.
 
  • #14
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]it should last indefinitely
jumping-smiley-019.gif

Hold on there! dont forget about evaporation, ecspecially in a hot, dry climate.
 
  • #15
LOL well yea, he meant would it go bad =)
 
  • #16
sad-smiley-028.gif


Well this is a good reminder for me to read the post im ansering to all the way to the end before i give a reply

haha well tecnacly it should last awile, but the more a sunstance stays in the container, the more things the container will leach into the water (ecpecially with metal)
But i dont think it would be a big problem.
But thats just me


Oh and scott i think i forgot to say
smiley-linie-010.gif
 
Back
Top