Double Dormant Deathcube Rescue

[sarracenia_X]

so, about a week or so ago, while at my local Lowes, i was searching the deathcube rack for a new CP to bring home.

thats when i came across one of these "terrarium sets"

of course, the plants in these are temperate, and completely unsuitable for a terrarium.

and they have apparently also been forced into dormancy, way out of their normal resting season.

however, i found one that was just begging to be saved, one containing a little sarr reaching out with two pathetic, twisted phyllodia.

it was in a fairly good condition, and seemed to know that it wasnt supposed to be dormant, and was trying to grow new leaves. well, he's in a good home now!

the cube also contained a flytrap, which in even worse condition.... probably couldnt have survived another day in there, and im still not sure he's ging to make it...:-(

anyways here are the pics...

 

[hcarlton]

Yep, I've got those before, and the idea is a piece of crap. The flytraps and even the pitcher plants are still alive, but the pitchers that are advertised on the terrarium are not what is in the kit, usually. It advertises purple pitchers, but what you're really getting are typical rubra rubra.

 

[richjam1986]

"Place within 1-4 feet of window, glass door, or florescent light. Keep soil moist. Never below 40 degrees. Do not use...insecticides"

What piece of crap instructions!

 

[lil hokie]

Those things make me angry. They spread lies and discourage possible growers too. Also at Barnes and Noble I noticed this little box that says "Grow Your Own Venus Flytrap." I took a look at it and they give you a pot and peat pellet with TWO SEEDS!! The thing is up by the cash registers.

 

[richjam1986]

Have to say though, that you CAN get some nice plants this way, given that you know what your doing. I've gotten a nice sized Darlintonia in a death cube, not to mention a few sarracenia, dews, and flytraps in the past. But good luck to new growers! Like you said, I wish these companies would stop sabatoging new growers' success and actually give them some decent resources to learn how to grow these plants... Not to mention correctly label the plants to species

 

[tikiwikitiki2]

I occasionally see those 'kits' at our Lowes but they never mark it down. They often get the small and large cubes with live plants but lately they've only had Venus Flytraps and the occasional Drosera. I did manage to find two "cubes" of venus fly traps that had 3 or 4 plants each that had been marked down.

 

[DJ57]

Wow, never seen them offered with soil separate, just already potted up. Same stupid instructions though. Would love to see pics of the progress of these.

Here is my recent death cube rescue from Lowes. The first time I have seen sarrs offered this way here, usually VFT, dews, and pings. This one was labeled purpurea, we will see.

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Finally seeing new growth with color after a couple weeks

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[hcarlton]

Looks like either a 'Scarlet Belle' or other psittacina cross.

 

[sarracenia_X]

its a parrot

Those things make me angry. They spread lies and discourage possible growers too. Also at Barnes and Noble I noticed this little box that says "Grow Your Own Venus Flytrap." I took a look at it and they give you a pot and peat pellet with TWO SEEDS!! The thing is up by the cash registers.

i actually bought one of those once. they are better than i expected. first of all, the instructions were a nice informative booklet, instead of just a misleading scrap of paper. second, the seeds in mine came smashed, but inside was an address to send the proof of puchase to in case the seeds failed to germinate, in which case, the company would replace them. i sent them a letter, and they actually sent me my seeds fairly quickly! those seeds must have been fairly fresh because i managed to get one to germinate!. i sorta killed it by doing something stupid and noobish:-(, and i wold prefer not to talk about that!

but i do agree, they should have more than just two seeds.(and put them in buuble wrap in the box, so they didnt get crushed like mine. funny thing is, they mailed the second set in bubble wrap! why not just put it in the box in the first place?!?)

and thanks for the ID hcarlton! i was wondering what it was...

 

[lil hokie]

Hm well it is good that they do send other seeds if they are damaged.

Today I saw an egg plant case thingy like the eggs that people hide on Easter with stuff inside. Anyways they had a lot of them with different types of plant seeds in them and one of the eggs was a pitcher plant egg. This was at the art store, Micheal's. Oh and they also have these plant domes as well. A hyrdo-growing dome (which I want), and a few others as well as a carnivorous plant dome. It comes with seeds and germination pellets as well as a fake snake to put in the garden dome.

 

[hcarlton]

Hey, Sarracenia, are you saying one of yours turned out to be a parrot, or the hybrid just above? A parrot pitcher wouldn't have the open ends DJ's plant does.
Lil Hokie, I haven't had experience with the hydro dome ( though I'm wary of their advertising as it giving the plants nutrients in the water, not usre if that works), but the other dome, if done right, definitely works. Most of the plants I got from that ended up dead thanks to my own dumb mistakes, but some are alive and still doing well. Never did find a good use for the fake reptiles, though.

 

[lil hokie]

Well plenty of plants are really good at hydroponics especially vegetables. I have always wondered if CPs would be good at hydroponics just minus the nutrients added to the water.

 

[sarracenia_X]

Hey, Sarracenia, are you saying one of yours turned out to be a parrot, or the hybrid just above? A parrot pitcher wouldn't have the open ends DJ's plant does.
Lil Hokie, I haven't had experience with the hydro dome ( though I'm wary of their advertising as it giving the plants nutrients in the water, not usre if that works), but the other dome, if done right, definitely works. Most of the plants I got from that ended up dead thanks to my own dumb mistakes, but some are alive and still doing well. Never did find a good use for the fake reptiles, though.

ah, i see now! with the more open ends like that, it is almost definately a parrot HYBRID probably wrigelleyana (or however you spell it!) and, yes, i meant the ones above. mine looks like it could very well be a rubra.


the only problem with those domes is that sometimes, they will have been sitting on the shelves long enough that the seeds will have long since dried out, and are dead by the time someone buys the kit. in my experience, the seeds from these kits have never sprouted, but apparently this is just my bad luck, picking the boxes with dead seeds. i suppose that you could just add your own seeds to the mix, as the kit does provide a rater nice germination "terrarium" and the plants would likely thrive for years in the bottom part with the lid removed, it would mike a nice minibog for the baby plants! i had also once thought that it would make a nice gift , and might just introduce someone new to the hobby of CP growin, if only the seeds were better quality, then i thought that you could just take a selection of your own temperate seeds, and stick them in with the others. its a much better gift if the seeds actually grow!

 

[DJ57]

I was thinking maybe psittacina hybrid due to the "windows" it has and the open pitchers, but hard to tell as when I got it from the store it had the weak elongated leaves in its desparate attempt to reach some light. Really won't know until it starts forming normal pitchers though, but will be surprised if it is a purp.

Sarracenia_X: I would be interested in seeing what yours looks like when it is growing good.

 

[lil hokie]

I went to Lowes yesterday and I wanted to grab a Deathcube but my dad made me put it back because I "have too many plants" which of course I disagreed and since I moved back in with my parents I have to listen to them again. I tried what used to work when I was five but I guess that does not work anymore at 25...

 

[sarracenia_X]

UPDATE:

the pitcher plant grew a little, and made a few new leaves, but i think it is just starting to go dormant now, with the cooler temps.

the flytrap, i had thought was dead, i inspected the bulb just the other day, and saw a TINY (1-2 millimeters) shoot starting to sprout from the base! there is still some hope that this little guy is going to make it!

 

[sarracenia_X]

yup! its growing! the flytrap is definately growing!

yaaayyyy!

im gonna keep him under a compact flourescent bulb over the winter, because he was already dormant when i got him, and was in such terrible shape, i dont think he could stand to go back into dormancy. if i take good care of 'im, i think this guy will be able to grow into a nice, happy, insect devouring plant! (there is also a shrivled Drosera capensis in the pot i put the flytrap bulb in. knowing capensis, its probably gong to make a comeback of its own soon, sproutin' a bunch of baby dews up from the roots!)

 

[Taargus]

We have these kits in just about every Lowe's around here. I'm interested to see how yours do, I just might pick one up myself and save it for the spring to try and germinate. It says on one side of the box that it's a VFT and a Sarracenia rubra on the one's we get up here, same packaging and everything. Now I really want to see if your Sarr turns out to actually be a rubra or not, as it's definitely from the same company.

 

[dionae]

Heres my rubra on its 2nd year out of the cube. Pretty bronze color and dark red, almost black, lip. the VFT that came with it is in m bog garden and it makes some of the biggest traps in my collection.

 

[Taargus]

Heres my rubra on its 2nd year out of the cube. Pretty bronze color and dark red, almost black, lip. the VFT that came with it is in m bog garden and it makes some of the biggest traps in my collection.

Wow, that rubra came from a cube?!?! Was it the grow your own kit like Sarracenia_X's or were they small plants when you got them? Either way, nice job! I may have to go get one afterall if that's what's in the kit,