The plant I'm most proud of growing this year is: ____________

[thez_yo]

For me, it's the fact that I still have some VFT's alive. I've killed more than I care to admit, and...well, I still have some alive! Here's my VFT/cobra/temperate-dew minibog - it's winter sleep time, but I'm still pretty darn proud!

 

[aaddaam]

I'm pretty proud that I've kept my U. campbelliana alive and well. Congragulations on the VFTs, I can't even keep them alive for 1 month.

 

[seedjar]

I'm feeling pretty good about a number of plants, but my Neps probably take #1 for this year because they took quite a licking when I moved last winter and have come back stronger than ever. Not sure which specimen I'm proudest of - my N. eymae which is on the verge of its first uppers after springing up to about six feet tall, my baby N. lowii that are chugging right along, or my more mundane N. sanguinea which grew over seven feet, made uppers, lost the uppers in an unfortunate shelf mishap, and then continued to grow like a champ despite the physical trauma and subsequently being topped for cuttings. Also doing pretty well with the succulents I was gifted earlier this year, except of course for the ones that kicked the bucket. XD (Only like 10-15% of them, but I'm definitely learning by trial and error...)
Also could go to my newfound success with rooting cuttings:

This is N. alata x maxima, which has been the easiest so far.
~Joe

 

[jimscott]

For me it's a toss up between the U. longifolia and the U. gibba, both flowering for me for the first time:

 

[Brokken]

Seedjar: Interesting that you split the cutting into quarters to allow more surface area for roots to grow. I only JUST started doing this after it was recommended by another member. Good to see the results of doing this.

 

[Baylorguy]

I am thrilled that m Pinguicula gigantea is thriving! I have tried at least three times prior to this and the plants always died. Also proud that my S. 'Leah Wilkerson' didn't just do well, but made 2 new growth points!

 

[Monkey]

I'm just glad that I haven't killed anything, and every plant I have is improving or holding steady.

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

I am most proud of my N. ventrata. It's actually not my favorite plant, but it's by far my most vigorous @ 6 feet, and growing! It's only about two years old.

 

[Exo]

Hard one, since there are quite a few, but I think that the ceph I brought back from the dead and grew out to full size in less than a year takes the cake....

 

[seedjar]

Seedjar: Interesting that you split the cutting into quarters to allow more surface area for roots to grow. I only JUST started doing this after it was recommended by another member. Good to see the results of doing this.

The cutting actually split itself! I just made some fine hairline incisions, as I've seen recommended before. I take two diagonal slices to get a V-shaped tip on the cutting, then make incisions on all four sides to break the outer layer of tissue. Different clones seem to have different preferences; some of my cuttings produced more roots from the edges of the cut than the incisions.
~Joe

 

[GrowinOld]

Nice job on rooting!
It isn't about never killing a plant, it is about rolling with the punches, responding quickly and saving as much as you can. Any time I change my set-up, alter conditions or "improve" anything, I have to re-learn what to "tweak" based on the plants response.
By watching their reactions to any changes, and responding to what you see, we develop a subtle communication with the plants and understand their language.

Good Growing!

 

[Dexenthes]

Always and forever - Nepenthes bicalcarata

 

[seedjar]

Always and forever - Nepenthes bicalcarata

*applause*

~Joe

 

[dionae]

Cephalotus is mine. All the nice info around here is helping me keep it alive.Thanks everyone!

 

[Presto]

I think mine is Nepenthes alata "spotted form". This was one of the first CPs I received, 5 years ago, as an unrooted cutting. It's been with me through 6 moves, 2 knee surgeries, countless newbie growing mistakes. From a wimpy little cutting that almost didn't survive, it's now almost large enough to take cuttings from.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28432941@N03/5311146835/" title="Nepenthes alata 'Spotted Form' by spiderbyte, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5311146835_45663f6079.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Nepenthes alata 'Spotted Form'" /></a>

 

[thez_yo]

Yay great job guys! I like the stores about "omg and it's still alive!!one11!!" better than "omg what happened why is it dead ?! ".

Happy new year and happy knowledgeable and lucky growing this year

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

This reminds me of two more that I'm happy about.

The first "TLC" plant I got was a little vine-y Nepenthes that had gotten badly sunburned on it's way from (wherever) to me. The stem was cooked about halfway down. I knew the top wasn't going to male it; so I cut it off for cuttings, and hoped for the best. This is the first time I had ever done anything like this. None o he cuttings took. Just as I was about to give up on the base, a little green speck emerged from the stump. Ohwowiejoyjoyyay! The plant is now almost three feet tall, with 8-10" uppers. It's not the prettiest plant of all (but certainly NOT ugly!), but Mass can tell you how hard it will be to get me to let go of it.

The other plant....
Mystery Nepenthes are tough, especially if it's not pitchering. What is it? What kind of conditions does it require? No one but the plant can tell. I started with five plants, all "TLC". One died immediately, one continued to decline regardless of what I did, one is still ill, though I think I have it in the right spot now, one is finally happy, and may show it's identity soon (yay!), and one hasn't stopped getting bigger. The last is the one I'm happiest with. I still don't know WHAT it is, because it's throwing immature pitchers, but I really don't care. It's beautiful! Red leaves, light golden fuzz, and porcelain pitchers with bloody spreckles inside and out. This may yet be my favorite successful "rescue" plant.

 

[RL7836]

2010 has seen a few 'successes' and also several of the 'anti-successes' (hoping to minimize them!).

Probably my most satisfying result was the size, health & flowering of my D. schizandra. Although I'd grown these guys for years, it wasn't until I started to regularly feed them WFFs that they moved up a size and flowered. A 2nd plant also started to flower but aborted when I stopped feeding it.

Hopefully 2011 will be the year of Orchidioides flowers ...

 

[Kyle]

Well, I'd say my Ceph for keeping it alive a couple months now, but that totally doesn't count because I didn't grow it.

So (and I'm relatively embarrassed to say it), my pick would go to my many D. adelae.

 

[Dexenthes]

Don't be embarrassed reaper!

Your D. adelae are literally the most impressive that I have seen. It really does look like a D. regia every time I see it.