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First Darlingtonia

Thrasher

CThrash
Well I bought carnivorous plant for the first time in about 3 years today. I was at lowes and I came across the carnivorous plants, or what was left of them. After standing in the aisle staring at all the brown mushy plants, with a single tear running down my cheek, I noticed in the very back of the row a small patch of green. I bent down and picked it up and it was a small Cobra Lily with all its leaves! I immediatly felt the need to rescue the poor thing.

So after buying the Cobra Lily and some sphangum I rushed home and here I am. My carnivorous plant experience is limited. I used to grow various kinds of sundews, although my mom killed them all off when I left for college...sadness.

I live in zone 6-B (upper-middle Tennessee, USA) Will they be ok outside?

If not what type of lighting should I provide for inside?

I have to repot it, obviously, but I read that their roots tend to be Ultra-sensitive. Any advice on repoting would be helpfull.

Just generally any advice on making this thing live will be much appreciated. I have read threw a couple guides but nothing beats the advice of an experienced grower. Bear in mind I have never even seen a Cobra Lily with my own eyes, much less have grown one.

Thank you much for any help- Colby
 
They aren't ultra-sensitive about being repotted, but they like to be kept cool and that's why most of us have a hard time with them, or don't grow them at all.
 
haha 2 posts :D Darlingtonia honestly isnt the best "first CP". it needs to have its roots cool and can be fairly slow growing. have you check the roots of your plant yet? if they are black you probably already have a problem. take it slowly when adjusting it to more light.
Alex
 
It's not too difficult to repot, just try not to disturb the roots a whole lot.

Give it good light, cool temperatures (room temperature is fine) and always water it from the top daily. Keep it in a tray of water as well.. just fill up the tray by watering it from the top. So far I've had some awesome success with my darlingtonia. It's growing pretty fast too.
 
Thrasher, I have one growing outside in full sun and it's putting on new growth like a weed. I repotted in peat and perlite going a lot heavy on the perlite around the roots. Since they like there roots cool, when it gets hot in the afternoons I pour some room temp water over the roots. So far it's worked, now when the temps hit close to 100 I'll probably have to rethink this and grow it differently. Good luck growing yours.

Chris
 
Eh I missed typed...sorry bout that. I actually have grown before, just not very much.
I've grown a couple Leucophyllas (both fell victim to my newbieness........and fungus gnats), countless wall-mart flytraps (stupid wall mart....poor flytraps), and I had a decent Sundew Terrarium that my mom massacred while I was away at college (sadness, that was my pride and joy) But the sundews were the only thing I could ever grow, however these aint no sundews.

I just dug up all my old growing stuff i could find...so many memories...
What kind of lights do you have on your guys Darlings?

Aye I'm going to go repot that little SoB right now, I'll post on the condition of the root system.
 
I don't grow them, too hot in Ga. Use sun preferably, next best thing would be HID lighting. These upright plants like Darlingtonia and most Sarracenia don't really do that great under a crappy little shop light.

"Give them every damn photon you can, because these plants love light." as Barry Rice would say. Err... did say. Err... well he typed it!
 
I use one of these and one of these.

All my CPs grow incredibly well under these lights.

(Thanks to Av8tor1 for recommending them.)
 
How big are they? Are they still decumbent? The plants I mean :)
 
  • #11
... yeah lol
 
  • #12
Well the roots were in good shape I guess. Not really sure what the roots are supposed to look like, but they werent black! :banana2: Their really wasnt a root "system" to it. It was one straight root.

I guess I'll stick the little sucker outside tommorow. However the temp here will eventually get into the tripple didgets this summer, so i'm going to have to find some source for indoor lighting...well, given it makes it (optimism!)

The leaves are almost as tall as my little finger. But it turns out the leaves arent in as good shape as I thought they were. Maybe the root is in good enough shape that itll be ok. (still trying to be optimistic)

What a world we live in...mass produced plants...
 
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  • #13
*looks up decumbent in the dictionary*

No, not really. it's spitting out pitchers like crazy though, neat coloring too. I'll take a pic tomorrow. The biggest pitcher is like 3-4 inches high I guess? No where near full grown but still good.
 
  • #14
They also grow well right at a window sill. At "room temp" they don't need ice cubes or ornaments balsting water over their roots. A couple years it was suggested to me to repot and put the pot/plant in another plastic container, such that the plant's pot rests atop the the secondary one. This way, when I water, the water drains through. This method is referred to as "Slacks double pot". When the water collected gets too high I just pour it off and start over again. In winter, I put at a window sill in the cold attic.

AF003601.jpg
 
  • #15
I'd put it in a large pot, with the sphagnum you bought, in the shade outside. Keep it in a tray with a high water table. In a week or so, you could try putting somewhere where it gets full sun for a few hours a day. Keep the water table high and it should be ok in the heat.
 
  • #16
Oh u can put the pot in a styrofoam box to keep it cool ;) .
 
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