My trip to Lowes/Home Depot

[homer]

Good job rescuing those plants!  Every time I visit Lowes/Home Depot I visit the plant cemetary... err.. "Carnivorous Plant section"  to see what they have in stock.  I just shake my head in sadness.  The funny thing is, when I visit a local nursery that has CP's in similar condition, they ask ME if I'd like a growing guide.  Ha!  

  Are they serious??  How one does that with a straight face is beyond me.

-Homer

 

[Slyfi]

Yeah I know.....I found a baby neph yesterday, and when I asked the guy what it was( just for kicks) he said it was a crown of thorns! HAR HAR HAR!

Its now growing next to my maxima.....cant wait to see what kind of picther it produces......I always rescue the exceptional plants(got one flytrap a few years back with 1 inch traps......

 

[SnowyFalcon]

Did he actually believe that? That's almost sad! Please tell me you set him straight, or were you too busy laughing?

SF

 

[Slyfi]

Who is is that says "not to argue with an idiot because they drag you down to your level and beat you with expierience"?

And yes he belived it! He said it was just in its early foliage stage and would soon grow thorns and give off cute little red blooms.......

ha ha ha HA HA HA HAAAAAAAA!!!!

 

[goldtrap2690]

lol , what an idiot

 

[vft guy in SJ]

Crown of Thorns??  LMAO  Now thats the best one yet..  HAHAHAHA

I've herad some doosies in my time, but calling a Nep a crown of thorns really takes the cake. Where is this guy?  I have some swampland in Arizona I'd like to sell him. LMAO!!


Steve

 

[monkey1st]

here's a tactic for you all to try (hopefully you're from diff cities).  learn to lie.  tell the jerks at home depot/lowes that you manage the CP collection at your local college/university (or are a grad student or in public research, any plausable lie will do) and kindly ask the chump if they would "donate" their more sickly plants in the hope that you can revive them for research or education.  these guys throw out so many that they really don't care (usually).  if you're vigalent at it and you get any results, you may work up a relationship with the nursery manager and have a steady supply of dead and dying plants to experiment with.  i have a deal where i get them for a penny each, but i have to take home a lot of lost causes for the rare gems.  just last week i picked up a tiny (but healthy) VFT and a dormant cobra lily for a penny each.  

this works best when you actually DO manage the CP collection for the local college/university.  you'd be suprised how many CPs are dying in your local educational facilities.

 

[Mark Wilson]

Hi All,
I went Christmas shopping with my wife and we stopped at Lowes so I could buy a shoplight fixture and bulbs and I came across a shelf with CP's.I picked up one VFT and a purple pitcher plant.I wasn't sure of the price but when I got to the checkout they were only $2.95 each.I am going back later this week and buy a few more.What I wanted to know is should I try and gradually let them go dormant or just put them under growlights and nurse them back to health?
They don't really look too bad but can they skip a dormancy for a season and still be ok?I am rekindling my love for these plants after losing my collection out on oiur deck a few years ago due to a really nasty thunderstorm with hail that trashed all of them,and our roof,LOL.
Anyway, thanks for the help in advance.
Mark W.

 

[IceDragon]

You know i went to 2 lowes and i haven't seen one CP. Were are they in the store?

 

[Mark Wilson]

If your store has 2 automatic doors to go outside into their usual section they have Christmas trees and such they were on the outside row inside the store close to the section with decorations, basically they were with some orchids and bulbs for outside planting.Hope this helps a little

Mark W.

 

[Slyfi]

My lowes is devoid of CP's at the moment....check again in early spring...every 2 weeks if it is possible because then you get first shot at th best plants and they are in better shape.....

 

[mikey]

Slyfi's advice of getting them as soon as delivered is VERY good advice- you want to get them before the highly educated garden staff hose them down with tap water.

or you could just visit pft... year-round.

mikey.

 

[Slyfi]

Yes...my poor little neph is not looking so good probably due to a freeze and poor care untill I found it.....but its still alive so it still has a chance...though I doubt that chance is much over 10%........and I must agree with mikey that pft's plants are way better....but you can always stand to rescure a few orphans from death Lowes.....

....yes child you are free...

 

[pond boy]

I just picked up a D. californica, S. purpurea ssp. venosa, and a S. rubra. Talked `em down to $1 a pop!

 

[Mark Wilson]

Quote[/b] (pond boy @ Dec. 10 2003,3:09)]I just picked up a d.calafornica,s.purpurea ssp.venosa,and a s.rubra. Talked `em down to $1 a pop!

I am going back to the Lowes I found my plants at this weekend, maybe I can do some dealing too

Mark W.

 

[pond boy]

I just asked one of the employees if he could give me a better deal he said "sure how about a dollar fiftee!" I said well I was thinkin a bit lower he said "I`ll call debbie shes the plant specialist!" then he said "cool shesaid I can give you A price of $1" and he promptly gave me his code number. Be forwarned however that plants bought this way are sold *as is* and have no guarantee!

 

[SnowyFalcon]

Mark Wilson,

      Typically, these plants are just out of TC and will do well to skip dormancy.  My S. purpurea spp. venosa that I got from Lowes has done very well, and I wish you luck in your endeavor.

IceDragon,

      I consider myself a professional CP finder in the Lowes/HomeDepot type stores.

  Their target consumers are those who walk in, see the plant and "impulse buy" it.  So, look near the entrances to the Garden area of those stores.  If you are lucky, you might find a Nep.  Those are typically in hanging pots, farrrrrr in the back.

SF

 

[myke66]

Here's a funny little story. When i first went to lowes to check them out, i asked the attendant where they sold CP's and VFTs, the reply i got was priceless. "We sell Venus Flytraps?"

 

[Slyfi]

Sounds about right...they are just ill informed...about all Home Depo and Death Lowes can expect out of their people is to water their stock with tapwater once a week...intellecuals are not usually found in Home Depo...

 

[jimscott]

I work at Home Depot - one day a week. I can relate to all of your experiences. I, too, have rescued the rejects, leftovers, and formerly occupied pots. I asked th person who orders them and she told me they have two choices: Either they get 25 VFT's or 25 mixed whatever - which seems to be VFT's, P. Primuliflora, or S. Rubra. Sometimes they are sent healthy plants and sometimes they are sent a little less than the best. sometimes it is single green plants with 1'2 inch traps and sometimes it's multiple plants with1/4 inch traps that are red. If your timing is right; that is, soon after shipment, you can get very nice plants. After a week of neglect ( tapwater, dryness, or no air circulation), they are n the way out. I wait until they are on the $.50 rack or throw away. I get free pots with good sphagmum to spread otu my other CP's.