New to terrariums and CPs

[Victoria]

I got ahold of the library in town and they are trying to order the books in for me, hopefully they can get them.

Our bulbs are 5500K so I will start with them and upgrade when possible. The bulbs have lots of red and blue in them so they should do fine....I hope. I dont know anything about lighting so Im not sure what "cool whites" are but I will ask Jeremy and he can fill me in, we might have some in storage.

I havent read anything about hybrids yet so i will do a websearch when I get some more time.

Thanks again for all the help it is greatly appreciated!
Victoria

 

[Clint]

Those lamps are fine. The higher the K the more blue is all. I like blue so try to aim as high as I can.

 

[zedlepp]

Quote[/b] (glider14 @ Dec. 22 2006,12:02)]

Quote[/b] ] i also have a website you could use to find good windowsill nepenthes.

Alex

Hi Alex, could you please post the website URL for this? thanks.

 

[Clint]

I think he's talking about nepenthesaroundthehouse.com/

 

[zedlepp]

thanks JLAP. great beginner link for Nepenthes, esp for someone in southern cali like me.

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Cool white lights are what is normaly in most businesses, and most household lights. They are easy on the eyes. Most florecents are cool white bulbs unless you buy the specialty sun bulbs or other type bulbs. Many people use them for their CPs, but you have to move them real close to the lights. I currently use two compact florecents in my ten gallon terrerium/nursing tank. Things seem to be doing fine. Your lights should be ok. Since most tank lights are not cool whites because they woulnd't really work for a fishtank very well. You can experiment with other lights later. Granted it is an important part, but I don't think you need to get too worked up over it. As long as other factors are ok you can adjust the light period and bulbs later. I have seen a setup that used projector lights and fiber optics to light his vivarium. All his plants looked like they were happy.

With a terrium I think the biggest thing is air stagnation. You need to circulate the air around the tank. Air circulation is one of the keys in my opinion that is over looked most.

Another thing I think over looked alot is keeping the lights clean. A layer of dust on the bulbs can block alot of light coming from the bulbs. I think you will do fine though.

 

[neon-eon]

I recomend you get your plants from www.cobraplant.com
That's where I got my first CP's, they will tell you which plants are good for beginers and how to grow them.

Also, be sure not to put VFT's or Sarracenia's in your terrarium. they tend to do best as outdoor plants.

As for lighting you should use two 40 watt flourecent tubes.
In spring and summer you should leave them on for about 15 hours a day,
In the winter you should leave them on for about ten hours a day.

Oh, by the way, your wise as to grow each plant in there own seperate pots, it'll make things alot easier considering each plant has slightly different needs.

Good luck

 

[Victoria]

Thanks for the info.

So VFTs wont do good as houseplants at all?

 

[Clint]

If you have a bright bright bright window and give them a dormancy.

Full sun is best.

 

[neon-eon]

Venus fly traps are native to the bogs of North Carolina. In the winter it can get below freezing. when the days get darker and the tempurature starts to go below the 50's, venus flt traps will begin to enter a sleep state. most of the leaves will turn black and it will appear dead, but it is actually alive. when spring time comes around just gently clip off the dead leaves and it should grow new traps. This sleep state is healthy for VFT's and it makes them stronger. If you have any VFT's right now you should probably gradually introduce them to the cold so they won't go into to shock. (that is if you're currently growing them indoors) Sarracenias, like VFT's need a similar dormancy. I keep my Sarracenia's and VFT's in a tray of water out on my back porch. I just refill the tray with water when it starts getting low. CP's are pretty sensitive to tap water, so it's best to buy a few jugs of distilled water to give to them. Not Purified, distilled. VFT's and Sarracenias can take tepuratures as low as 20 degrees and as high as 100, for brief periods that is. If you live in hot dry places like arizona or New mexico, or in cold places like Minnesota or Montana, then you may want to grow them indoors, but for the majority of places your best bet is outside. As for Pitcher plants(Nepenthes) or Sundews(Drosera), those will grow real nicely in a tererrium. One of my favorite pitcher plants is Nepenthes ramispina. For Pitcher plants, they're pretty cheap, and they look really nice. They turn A real pretty dark black color. It'll look real nice in a terrarium or a partly sunny window sill. On wikipedia.com they have a list of every single species of Nepenthes. Just type in "nepenthes" on that site and scroll down to find the list. Many of them have pictures as well as descriptions.

That's about it for now. Just continue asking, and doing research and you'll be an expert on CP's in no time.
I've been into it now for only a little over two months. and I've learned so much.

-peace,

Gabe D.

 

[Victoria]

Thanks for the info!

I am in north central kansas and it gets up in the 100s in the summer and in the teens in the winter it usually dips into the neg temps at least once every winter. So it would get to hot in the summer and to cold in the winter for them to grow outside here. We do have a front porch that we could keep them in though, it doesnt get above 100 in the summer and never below 40 in the winter, there is a east facing window and we could provide plenty of artificial lighting over them...I would really like to be able to keep them but need to study up more on their requirements...

Right now I dont have any CPs....hope to have some by next week though! I am going to start with pitchers and sundews for now and if all gos well I will start to get some VFTs and Sarracenias.

Thanks for all the help and info!
Victoria

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Your climate should be fine for VFT and Sarrs where you are at. Just mulch them good during the winter months and they should be fine. Heck Sarr Purparia grows as far north as Minisota and I think into canada int he wild. I know some are in northern NY. Purps are really hardy and I think most others are too. If they are in a bog that is in the ground they should do fine. The first year I kept Sarrs in pots outside for dormancy, and the pots actualy froze solid a few times. Granted I didn't keep them sitting in water over the inter months and the only water they recived was from the rain. I lost one plant that first dormancy and it was a plant that I recived in a dorment state and planted in a pot and left it with the others. Of the two I recived already in dormancy one survived and is not in my larger bog dorment. 100 degree + is ok for these plants. I get over that here in GA some days during the summer. As I said in an email. I have seen a bog covered in a few feet of snow before. In my opinion Sarrs and VFT are easier than dews and nepenthes. Leave them outside keep them watered and they do their thing.

 

[quogue]

I grow temperates like Flytrap's & low Sarr's and Sundews in my apt. During the wintertime I move them into terrariums I have in my kitchen pantry which gets quite cold and set them for a shorter photoperiod.
Works great!
You could do the same by placing them in a garage or something that gets cold, but not freezing.
That is, if you wanna grow em indoors instead of making a bog-garden or sumethin...

 

[Victoria]

Im glad to hear they can be grown succesfully inside!! I dont have the time to enjoy a garden outside as much as I would like one, so inside plants is all I can do. We have the front porch that gets cold enough for there dormancy but not to cold.

I hope to get some VFTs and Sarrs this spring...cant wait!

Victoria

 

[Victoria]

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, I dont usually have much spare time so my posts will be few and far between for the most part.

The liabrary here in town was able to get the book "The Savage Garden" by Peter D'Amato on a library loan so I have been reading that and trying to learn all I can from it before it has to be returned.

Here is an update on the terrarium! Josh was very generous and kind, he sent me tons of CPs, thanks again. Here is a list of everything he sent me.

U. Bisquamata
U. Longifolia
U. Tricolor
U. Paulinae
U. Prehensilis
U. Warburgii
U. Sandersoni
U. Praelonga
U. Laterifora
U. Reniformis
U. Livida

D. Tokaiensis
D. Capensis 'Typical'
D. Capensis 'Albino'
D. Adelea
D. Intermediate 'Copper'
D. Scorpoids
D. Capillaria
D. Warburgii
D. Spatulata

N. Ventrata

G. Violacea

There were some CPs that he sent multiples of and once they are established and doing great i am going to help get my cousin in law started into CPs. Everything is doing pretty good so far and some of the dews have gotten dew on their older leaves and are getting new leaves as well. I really like the CPs and cant wait to get a pitcher and VFT collection going!

Thanks everyone for all your help!
Victoria

 

[the great cornholio]

WOW! Thats a lot of nice plants. They are good beginner plants and should all grow well in a terrerium in household temps and moderate-strong light(on a windowsill or under grow lights). Post pics when the utrics come into bloom.

As far as an outdoor bog garden goes, you can grow almost all Sarracenia outdoors with minimal care. In an area with your temp. extremes it would be beneficial to plant them all into a bog garden or planter placed in the ground. Plants would dry out or freeze faster in small pots. Also, they may need extra water in the summer and some mulching in the winter. You can grow all sarracenia types EXCEPT for the northern S. purpurea v. purpurea. It woulnd't like your hot summers.

 

[Bugweed]

Corn-baby! My S. purpurea ssp. purpurea grows just fine here. Temps reach 100 to 110, and they just keep growing. Please don't tell them they shouldn't like it that way. If they believe you, they just might die. Then, I may just have to shave your head bald!!!!!!