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Post by Rick Hillier on Apr 3, 2007 14:48:57 GMT -5
I have three darlingtonias that, for the first time in my life, have lived for over a year. I'm growing them in LF new zealand sphagnum, the top three inches of which is alive and growing. They're located in the lower tier of a three tier fluorescent setup and the growing medium is very cool to the touch.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the new pitcher coming out of the middle had gone dark brown. In checking it, I found that it had kind of rotted out, but the surrounding tissue (and every thing else) looks very intact. I dumped a strong solution of no damp on it in the hopes of killing off any fungus on it.
I am hoping that it will either send out runners (a fairly young plant w/4" pitchers) or form another growth crown or two.
Has anyone ever experienced this before, and if so, did they come back?
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by ah1ok on Apr 3, 2007 16:14:25 GMT -5
a little link (in french though) that explain why darlingtonia has problem with warm soil... www.forumcarnivore.com/setopic_12043-darlingtonia.html+racinesIt says that it's not the plant itself but a muschroom that grows in warmer soil and attacks the roots system...watch out, because when muschroom grows, it grows pretty fast and it's hard to get rid of it... and, yes, i've experienced something similar...but, negative, sorry.
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Post by Rick Hillier on Apr 3, 2007 18:34:10 GMT -5
I'm not too worried about any sort of fungus growing, as the sphagnum in which the plants are growing is very much on the cool side. I decided to check the plant in its entirety (i.e. remove it from the sphagnum) and found that everything, including the root system appear to be healthy. It's just that there is this gaping hole where the growth crown was.
Hopefully, it will start growing again at some other point on the plant.
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by ah1ok on Apr 3, 2007 20:06:29 GMT -5
ah ok, I misunderstood...though that the under soil part was decomposing...LOL
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Post by Rick Hillier on Apr 4, 2007 7:25:42 GMT -5
That's why I took it out of the media to check... I wasn't sure myself, but when I found it healthy all over except for the growth crown that went south, I was perplexed even more.
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by lloyd on Apr 4, 2007 10:57:02 GMT -5
I lost two darlingtonias that way. They just slowly died. I hope your's doesn't go that way.
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Post by Rick Hillier on May 6, 2007 16:26:46 GMT -5
Looks like this story is going to have a happy ending... it would appear that I have two new growth crowns appearing from the leaf axils in the center of the plant, so it will continue to rock on.
This is the first time I have ever managed to keep these things going for over a year.
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by Flytrap on May 6, 2007 17:49:55 GMT -5
After much trial and error by some growers - including growing darlingtonia on styrofoam floats in ponds, the best way to grow them is to make sure that their roots have plenty of oxygen. Cooler water has more O2 in it.
Growing the little beasts in pure living sphag is the best I've found.
My friend Kim over here grows her darlingtonias in a large perforated rubbermaid tub (she drilled a couple hundred .5" holes into the tub) contained within another larger tub of water - which is constantly aerated with a pump and aerator stone. Her darlingtonias grew from one small 8" plant to one giant mess of 20+ crowns with pitchers over 30" tall during the second growing season.
We've never seen this written up anywhere else, and it's something you may all wish to try. The growing medium proper is a mix of peat, perlite and sphag moss in equal proportions.
I'll see if I can dig up some old photos of Kim's plants showing you her set up. Last year her tub of darlingtonias had over a dozen flower spikes on it.
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Post by lloyd on May 6, 2007 22:28:54 GMT -5
I think darlingtonias mainly have "difficulty" appeal. They are nice but probably the sarr's are more ornamental and more reliable if you have a hot summer.
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Post by mabudon on May 7, 2007 15:20:57 GMT -5
I've still never had a chance to kill one of these- I bet I'd be pretty good at it Good news there Rick- maybe part of the problem is the lack of dormancy?? The more I reada about these plants, the more I think that a lack of a proper dormancy might be what makes these plants so legendary in the "difficulty" department- again, tho, that is off the top of me head
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Post by ontariotraps on Dec 15, 2014 21:43:52 GMT -5
"Flytrap global moderator " , We're you ever able to find the pics of Kim's Darlingtonia's ? & a more detail of the pot/plant set up !
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