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Cp's under grow lights..curious why bother?

Im curious about something..
There has been alot of talk lately about "how much light is enough" for artificial illunimation..
my question is..why does anyone even bother with artificial light at all when the sun is SO much better and totally free?
I guess I just dont see the "point" of CP terrariums..unless you live in an apartment and have literally no room to put CP's outdoors..why bother?
the plants can be outside in the spring, summer, and fall...and should be dormant in the winter anyway..so why even keep them indoors when they do so much better outdoors? you dont have to buy lights, you dont have to pay for electricity, you dont have to worry about humidity..
yes I understand terrariums are just another aspect of the hobby..and im not saying there is anyhting *wrong* with terrariums..but I just dont understand why someone would choose to keep CP's indoors under lights if they have the (far better IMO) option of keeping them outdoors! where the light is fine and the bugs plentifull!
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could someone enlighten me? obviously I dont "get" the terrarium appeal! keeping CP's outdoors is just far too perfect to me...better for the plants, and WAY easier!
so what am I missing?

thanks,
scot

(p.s. I also grow Bonsai..so im firmly in the mindset that "wild plants" should be kept outdoors!..I just cant see CP's as "houseplants!
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well scot,
it depend where you live, I live in Northen Europe and I dont get sun from late November to early Febuary, October and March sunlight are to weak for plants to grow.
and I can't grow Sarracenia, Nepenthes etc... outside, they will died of the cold weather we have, and not all plants need winter dormancy...
Best regards Bjørn
 
During the winter months, it is hard to get enough light to grow various species of cps which do not require or have a dormancy. During the warmer spring, summer, and fall, plants can be put outside, but are at risk for theft. I once thought my neighborhood was safe, but it has been proven otherwise in the last few months.

Until I can get my yard fenced in and an attached greenhouse built, many of my plants will be grown indoors under lights. My Sarracenia collection will be slowly moved outdoors this summer. Although there should be enough light in my sun room/enclosed porch to keep them growing well without having them out all the time. This will be something I will have to monitor.

I also use artificial light for germination of seed.

My oldest terrarium spent the day outdoors, but would come indoors at night. Mainly due to possible theft. We currently have a group of students that hangs out in our yard when we are at work. I caught them when I took the day off. Until something can be done about the trespassing, littering, and loitering, I do not feel anything I put outdoors is safe.
 
I'm currently using a ten gallon lighted tank for nep cuttings... stays really humid and warm.
 
Like what the others said, we don't always have ideal conditions for our plants outside. Outside also brings in the risks of parasites and animal damage.

Personally, I grow my plants in natural light when I can and use lighting when I can't. I am a terrarium grower, but my home is very dry, and I know enough about it to keep my plants in good shape. As to knowing how much light is enough, a bit of lab work at school has shown plants won't use much more at 10 cm then 12. After 12 they start to slack off. I think what you refer to is the light to water ratio. That is not an easy answer, but I'm about 50% through writing an article on it
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Scotty, I do not know how familiar you are with Nepenthes. The temperature and humidity requirements of these plants typically limit their ability to grow outdoors in the majority of locations. Hence, a terrarium is the next best option, besides their native environments. I do prefer to grow my cp's outdoors, but I can't always. Terrariums are a great way to grow these plants when suitable outdoor growing can not be achieved.
Another reason why terrariums are so popular is the ability and desire to "tinker" with them. I look at it as a hobby. It keeps me very busy designing, building, maintaining, and modifing terrariums to fit my needs and the needs of the plants. I enjoy working on and experimenting with new ideas. My friend is a very good terrarium keeper. He has many good reasons for using them, and I am sure you will be hearing from him shortly.
I guess the "point" of terrariums, as you would say it, is because we enjoy and require the use of them. It is a prefered technique amongst many growers. Just as you prefer to grow all your plants outside, many like to grow theirs indoors in terrariums.
 
hmmm..ok, thanks everyone! you gave me some good reasons..
I had never considered the "theft" issue!
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I do have a nepenthes..and it does grow indoors year-round..but not in a terrarium..its in a bright window at work..
so yes, I do see that *some* CP's are in fact better grown indoors than outdoors, like mepenthes...but VFT's and Sarracenia dont fall into that catagory for most of the world's climates..
I also live in a climate that has literally 5 months of winter..there is no way my plants will survive outdoors in the winter! so the go in the refrigrator...but the rest of the year..outdoors!!

ok..thanks!
scot
 
Yeah, mine won't survive outside during the winter either. I also keep them in the refrigerator. But after the last frost my Sarracenia and Vfts go outside. My Drosera and Nepenthes stay inside, in terrarium.
 
Up here where we have 7 to 9 months of winter every year there are only 3 months that are safe to have plants outdoors... and even then.. the lows are into the 40's and 30's and much to cold for many CP's. Even in my house the lows drop into the 50F and high 40's.. so for me terrariums aren't a choice.. they're a neccesity for most of my plants. And as far as lights go.. right now we have over 20 hours of daylight so my plants are thrilled.. but come January we'll only have 4 hours of daylight.. obviously not enough for the tropicals that grow year around. Even the temperates from places farther from the Arctic circle need more light in spring and fall than we have ...
 
  • #10
Hey Scotty, long time no see!

I have a terrarium for one simple reason, I need one until I have a green house, when I get a green house, bye bye little 50 gallon tank! It is so limiting. I try to make it as pretty inside as possible, but really, it's just annoying and takes up a good tank I could put a micro-reef system in.

But I can see where even in a greenhouse one might be needed, for example, on a rajah or something that needs an extra measure of care. I was thinking, when the green house goes up, of a little experiment... making a green house within a green house, within a greenhouse, the main greenhouse, where most things grow... then a small greenhouse (plastic walls and pvc support structure) in a corner, inside it, with another green house, a foot between all walls and the next green house up. the idea, is to duct a window air conditioner into the empty 1 foot space around the inner most green house, and use it to cool the greenhouse inside to highlands or ultra-highlands conditions... probably need some type of heat exchanger working there as well... who knows.. just a random thought.
 
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