Hello from Charlotte, NC!

[Zachf92]

Hi everyone!

My name is Zach, in case you couldn't tell from my cryptic username, and I am rather new to this whole carnivorous plant thing. What started as a fascination for the unusual has, in five short months, become a full-fledged addiction.

As of right now, my grow list is as follows:
VFTs
Cephalotus
Drosera intermedia
D. capillaris
Pinguicula lutea
P. cerulea
Sarracenia purpurea
S. 'Dana's Delight'
S. flava
S. rubra
S. 'Tarnok'
S. 'Scarlet Belle'
Nepenthes ventricosa
N. spectabilis x burkei
N. gracilis x ampullaria
N. maxima x vogelii

Now I am very new to Nepenthes and Cephalotus, and I would like to make sure I'm doing it right. Right now, I'm keeping both outdoors (Charlotte, NC straddles the boundary between zones 7b and 8a. An average day in the summer has a high of 85-95F and a low of 65-80F.) The nepenthes are being kept in either a mini-greenhouse or a small aquarium, so I can keep the humidity above 60%. The Cephalotus is left out in the open, and I bring it inside at night or whenever it gets too hot outside. Aside from a couple sunburns on the nepenthes' leaves, they are all growing and forming new pitchers. If any of you have recommendations for me, or would just like to share some general care requirements, it would be greatly appreciated.

On a completely different note, through my lurking of this forum, I have noticed that a lot of you also keep fish. Fishkeeping happens to be my other hobby (obsession), and would love to talk fish with anyone willing.

I look forward to hearing from everyone and asking you all annoying novice questions!

 

[Zath]

Welcome. I quite familiar with the Charlotte area, having just moved from Mooresville to VA less than a year ago. Good luck with your plants, though I wouldn't have pegged Neps as an outdoor plant in NC. That just seems...too easy, somehow, lol. Whatever works, though.

 

[Zachf92]

Oh, I probably should have been a bit more specific. I'm only keeping the nepenthes and cephalotus outdoors during the summer. I'll be bringing them inside once the nighttime lows drop below 55F (60F for the lowland neps.)

Do you think that would cause problems?

 

[theplantman]

Nice to have you on board! You've got 5x the plants I did after my first five months!

 

[Zachf92]

Nice to have you on board! You've got 5x the plants I did after my first five months!

I wasnt lying when I said it was an addiction... lol
I actually have two more plants on the way...a Heliamphora heterodoxa x minor and a Nepenthes talangensis x macfarlenei. Hopefully I can keep the heliamphora alive...

 

[theplantman]

10 years of growing and I haven't yet tried growing Helis. The only one I ever ordered was frozen in shipment, turned black, and died the next day.

 

[Plant Planter]

Welcome to the forums! As others have stated, I/we am/are VERY impressed by your collection! Are you sure you've been doing this for only five measly months?

 

[Zachf92]

Thank you all for the warm welcomes!

10 years of growing and I haven't yet tried growing Helis. The only one I ever ordered was frozen in shipment, turned black, and died the next day.

That really sucks. Were you able to get a refund? These plants are far from cheap.

And nice avatar, Plant Planter! I've always loved passionflowers. Never had any luck growing them, though.

Are you sure you've been doing this for only five measly months?

If you don't count the numerous VFTs that met their swift death in my childhood, then yes, it has only been five months. My impulsive spending habits have definitely helped create this collection so quickly lol.

Now that I'm typing from a computer, I feel it's time to post some pictures:

My first bog garden-
http://tinypic.com/r/14dqd14/8

My Ceph-
http://tinypic.com/r/20zda53/8

My burnt N. spectabilis x burkei-
http://tinypic.com/r/14j9o39/8

And last, a wild Drosera intermedia EATING A FROG-
http://tinypic.com/r/2dh7m0o/8

 

[jimscott]

Welcome to TF!

 

[Tanukimo]

Welcome to Terraforums! Highland Nepenthes actually prefer low temperatures at night and should be able to tolerate lows into the 40s at night.

 

[Iwest]

Hey, welcome to the forum!! Nice looking start you got there, spect x burkei is a nice one Can't wait to see some pictures of those plants!

Highland Nepenthes actually prefer low temperatures at night and should be able to tolerate lows into the 40s at night.

Very true, although I should specify that just because they can tolerate a temp doesn't mean it's ideal. Especially since those neps are all hybrids, which tend to be more forgiving on their caretaker, they should be okay, but HL neps such as those listed above would probably prefer a nighttime drop down to the mid-50's.

 

[Zachf92]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll definitely keep that in mind when the weather starts getting a little cooler.

Here's the new N. talangensis x macfarlenei, after repotting in some live sphagnum. It's easily one of my favorites right now-
http://tinypic.com/r/34irb09/8

And the new Heli. Unfortunately it's largest pitcher is turning brown, but overall it looks pretty healthy-
http://tinypic.com/r/2ake4ci/8

 

[TongueFlicker]

Hey zach welcome aboard!