New at Darlingtonia

[I am Bob]

I may have to try one if I get a chance to go to lowe's. Sirkristoff even if you don't have any divisions I would still like to look at some pics

 

[petmantis]

very nice yellow dart.

 

[SirKristoff]

 

[I am Bob]

nice plants. thanks for sharing

 

[petmantis]

Wow kris! those are some good looking darlings! how old, may i ask? diameter?

 

[SirKristoff]

Approx. 3 years old, the first photo is in a 4" pot? and the second photo is in a 3 1/2" pot

 

[Fryster]

Here's a photo of my cobra from a year ago before I killed it by letting it dry out. (vacation)

Grown in a simple growrack and wintered in a cold, drafty window sill.

(NOTE TO SELF: Never ever again put a cobra in a porous terracotta planter)

 

[jimscott]

After a few years of struggle, this plant is now in its 3rd growing season under my care. It has divided, sent out a stolon, and sent up a flower last year, with one emerging right now.

 

[seedjar]

It's possible to grow them indoors, but you may want to wait until you get the hang of indoor cultivation as they aren't your typical houseplant. They'll probably do better outside until you've got some more experience under your belt. Heat can present a problem, but you can overcome that by shading the pot behind a reflective or heat-absorbent material. If you have any other outdoor plants, like a Sarracenia, put them into pots that are a little bigger than your Darlingtonia pot, and then surround the Darlingtonia with Sarracenia pots so that the plant gets sunlight but the sides of the pot don't. As long as you keep all the pots in question watered properly, evaporation and nighttime cooling should keep the roots cool enough. Large, deep pots with well-drained media also help in this respect.
~Joe

 

[I am Bob]

thanks seedjar. I think I will try that. Unfortunatley it doesn't cool down at night much (maybe 5-10 degrees) would it still do ok?

 

[seedjar]

I'm not sure. I'm on a coastal climate where there's nighttime cooling pretty much year-round. How long is your hot season? I think it will work, but you may want to consider something like circulating water. Build a little water feature that flows over the pot. Plant it using a porous mix with something like lava rock, and add live Sphagnum moss on top. The Sphagnum helps keep the sunlight from heating the soil surface and I think it may also provide some evaporative cooling as it wicks up water and photosynthesizes. Darlingtonia grow in the wild on seeps and stuff and can take conditions that are pretty harsh. Oregon isn't known for heat, especially the valley and coastal regions where Darlingtonia is native, but it can easily get into the 100's for several weeks at a time at the height of the Summer. The key is making sure the roots are happy.
~Joe

 

[I am Bob]

I think that it is very hot from june to late august. I don't have any live spaghnum, so I guess I need to get some to start to grow. Any tips? Also, how do you think I should build this water feature?(I think I know what you mean but I am not sure) Thanks.

 

[petmantis]

I think what he means by 'water feature' is a small water pump that would continuously pump cool water gently around the roots, so the roots are kept cool and oxygenated.

 

[I am Bob]

Oh, I think I might have one of those. My dad got one to pump water off the pool cover. I'll see if I can get it pump slow enough. So your saying pump water on to the top of the soil and have the water return to the water container that the pump is in. is this right?

 

[petmantis]

Yup, that's correct. you just have to make sure it doesn't pump the water too fast, maybe just a slow drip.

 

[I am Bob]

if it doesn't pump slow enough I'll find a new one at Lowe's. thanks for all the help

 

[cp-connection]

We're talking tiny aquarium pump, not a sump pump for the pool. Happy growing!

if it doesn't pump slow enough I'll find a new one at Lowe's. thanks for all the help

 

[I am Bob]

oh. Thanks

 

[I am Bob]

I can't seem to find one on the web that pumps less than 50 gph. any reccomendations?

 

[petmantis]

look, here's a diagram i drew for ya.

it should be self explanatory