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Multiple cp's in a terrerium?

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a nice terrarium to hold my VFT. I have purchased equip that will regulate tempreture, humidty, lighting etc also.
Apart from having my VFT in this terrarium, can I also plant other CP's, especially a Pitcher Plant?

Thank you in advance,
 
Welcome to the forums! Although some people keep VFT's in a terrarium, they do best when kept outdoors or what is referred to as "open tray", on a window sill. How long have ou had the VFT's? Where do you live - north, south? Pitcher plants also do better outside. Both VFT's & Sarracenia pitcher plants also require dormancy. But before I prescribe that, we need to know more about where you live and how long you have had the plants. Some sundews but mostly Nepenthes pitcher plants do best in a terrarium set up.

Again, welcome to the forums!
 
How are you jimscott,
Thank you for your response. I greatly appreciate it.

I live in Maryland, by the border of DC. I've had my VFT since Christmas. (It was given to me as a gift). Since then, I've read hours of books and texts on the care of such CP's, including 'Savage Garden'.
I plan to keep my VFT (and Pitcher Plant - pending) indoors, by my desk which gets plenty of sunlight, and when its time for dormancy, I'll put it in my fridge, or leave it outside in the open, where temps will be greater than 30 F but less than 40-50 F
My terrarium is also set up and has lighting, heating, humidifier etc ready.

If there is anything else you'd like to know, please let me know.
Thank you,
 
Near Catonsville, by chance??
 
Hi again, Technically, a month ago was the time for dormancy. Actually, it's a gradual process that begins in the summer, as the photoperiod decreases, followed by decreasing temps. There seems to be two ways of thinking about dormancy. The first is the several month process and the second is the 3 month sleep. This is what I did: I bought a VFT in June of '03. After struggling to figure out how to take care of it, I kept it at work, in a cleaned out plastic pretzel container, filled with an inch of Deionized water (I work at a lab). It was uncovered and placed on a window sill. The .25" traps grew to 1", even as the photoperiod was declining. The window sill, throughout the Fall, was also getting cooler, down to the mid-50's. In November, I brought it home and placed in my kitchen window sill, between the windows, with the outer one open. I wa trying to get the temp cooler, but not too cool. Unfortuantely, I was also getting "greenhouse effect". So I moved it and others to the screened in porch, where it was colder still. In December we had a cold snap and the media froze. So I moved the already cold plants to the fridge, into the butter keeper, until February. then I moved them to the lab fridge for a couple more weeks. Then back to the coolish window sill, where it began to wake up. A few weeks later I moved them to outside. I was then rewarded with flowers. They stayed outside all spring through the Fall, which would have been a better approach had I known about it. They are in a lab fridge right now. Once the plants have gone through the slow, several month process of less light and temps, they can, if your climate is too cold, be put in a fridge. You DON't want to take a plant that is 70 degrees and toss them into a 40 degree environment. These plants need gradual acclimation to cooling, warming, humidity, etc.. The Sarracenia pitcher plants can be treated similarly as to a VFT. They need lots of light, but not at this time of year.

You live a little south of me. I am in Reading, PA. I recommend a window sill and let nature bring them around again. If it produces a flower, having not being put through dormancy, I would cut it off this year, until you can get it through its natural cycle of growth and dormancy.
 
Lol, jimscott, you keep your plants in the lab fridge. I've considered the idea of putting my plants in the lab walk-in coldroom...but I just think it would be too odd for everyone else. So, they sit in my fridge at home. Good enough.
 
terrarium01.jpg

Nuff said.

Welcome to the forums.

(not my terrarium/picture by the way)
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (StifflerMichael @ Jan. 03 2005,10:39)]Lol, jimscott, you keep your plants in the lab fridge. I've considered the idea of putting my plants in the lab walk-in coldroom...but I just think it would be too odd for everyone else. So, they sit in my fridge at home. Good enough.
You work in a lab, too? Hey, we gotta talk!

Nep master: Very nice set up! Reminds me of the pics of Patch's terrarium.
 
Great! 3 lab nuts on the forum!
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  • #10
I also found a lab nut wannabe, but this one has far too much a fascination for "shiny lab instruments".
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  • #11
hey, there's nothing wrong with liking shiny stuff.
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  • #12
So, Michael, what exactly do you do?
 
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