Do Darlingtonia need cool roots?

[fredg]

I have been monitoring the root temperatures on my Darlingtoia colonies this summer. As part of this I seperated the stolon of a young plant from the Mother colony ( it was in the wrong place) and planted it up in a half tray.

Here is the plant on June 16th.



As it is a half tray it has wider fluctuations in temperature than the larger trays. The maximum root temperature I recorded was 32.4C - 90F.

The same plant on September 8th



As can be seen, the tray is black and the plant sits in water, the trays are flooded.

[CorneliusSchrute]

Always impressive, Fred. Again, spitting in the face of conventional wisdom: I love it! Makes you wonder if anything "conventional" really exists regarding cobras.

Have you ever grown cobras in anything but live sphagnum? I ask because all that "wisdom" mentioned above always states cool roots, oxygenated water, and/or pure sphag. Just wondering if you ever bucked all three of those points.

I do have Darlingtonia seedlings growing in a tray of water with no refrigeration or water movement, but they don't sit in full sun: they are fully shaded. You are inspiring me to try them outside. As of now, my full sun cobras all have a recirculating water system which we have discussed before.

[Gigantea]

That's pretty cool. I'm still not ready to try them here. I still get soil/root temps over 100F here and its September.

[mato]

Is this the Siskiyou or coastal variety?

[corky]

thats great growth Fred,unlike some growers you make things simple,think some people like to over complicate things

[fredg]

Is this the Siskiyou or coastal variety?

That half tray is an unknown, it's the clone I've had for 30 years. However, Siuslaw and Othello are in the monitoring set.

[kulamauiman]

I am growing in tray. Kept flooded. Both terra cotta pots and plastic. Mix is not pure sphagnum but a mix of lava rock and stuff. Top dresses with live sphagnum. But I am in a mild climate.

[fredg]

I am growing in tray. Kept flooded. Both terra cotta pots and plastic. Mix is not pure sphagnum but a mix of lava rock and stuff. Top dresses with live sphagnum. But I am in a mild climate.

By the looks of it you need bigger pots, why not try planting them direct into trays?