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Post by H2O on Mar 1, 2016 12:19:52 GMT -5
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Post by amanitovirosa on Mar 11, 2016 10:38:13 GMT -5
...Congrats AP on that stunning Drosera and the win! You had my vote man, nice growing.
AV
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Post by lloyd on Mar 11, 2016 16:02:07 GMT -5
So near and yet so far.
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Post by Apoplast on Mar 13, 2016 12:54:11 GMT -5
Wow, I'm gobsmacked! Thanks AV and everyone! I didn't think I stood a chance. All of the submissions were really fantastic. Simply gorgeous plants that were also well photographed! I'm humbled that people felt my little dew warranted recognition. Thank you!
Lloyd - It was a squeaker for sure. And rightly so. Your Drosophyllum was not only beautifully grown, I think it was the first one entered in the contest. I know I was inspired by it!
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Post by kiwipete on Mar 18, 2016 19:50:14 GMT -5
Well done Apoplast. Another month of great plants. KP.
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Post by Apoplast on Mar 19, 2016 9:43:13 GMT -5
Thanks KP! That was a nice Ibicella you submitted! Those and their near relatives, like Proboscidea althaeifolia, were all over the place when I lived in Arizona.
I remember being surprised when I was told some believe them to be "proto-carnivorous" (whatever that means) given that they hardly ever had any insects on them in the field. My tomato plants had more insects stuck to their trichomes than the devil's claws did. Does your Ibicella seem to grab a lot of insects? Just curious.
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Post by kiwipete on Mar 21, 2016 4:39:14 GMT -5
Does your Ibicella seem to grab a lot of insects? Just curious. They seem to catch more dust than insects Apoplast. Do the plants get much rain during the growing season in Arizona? My plant likes the summer heat, but still likes a bit of water. KP.
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Post by Apoplast on Mar 21, 2016 14:44:04 GMT -5
HI KP - Dust. Yup, that sounds right.
They do get quite a bit of water in the summer. That's the monsoon season, from early July to late August (sometime into September) - so January to February, with bleed into March for you. If they dry down too much int that time of year they wilt pretty quickly. But, they are really good at coming back as soon as there is water again.
I did work right in the areas where they grew, and had soil moisture probes in the ground (time-domain reflectometry probes). The soil at 20cm never fully dried in the summer, even though they always grew in sandy/gravely soils, with the volumetric water content hovering between 13-18%.
So basically, if it's a fast-draining, coarse soil, I'm not surprised they are happy to be watered frequently in the heat of summer (or at least as hot as it gets in the land of the long white cloud).
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