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Post by Rick Hillier on Jan 9, 2009 9:22:59 GMT -5
Greetings,
I am still having fits keeping darlingtonia alive for the long term. I have tried indoors and out and just cannot seem to keep the roots cool enough.
I have given some thought to building something similar to what I have seen at my local aquarium store that they use to display and keep their aquatic plants, but on a smaller scale. Basically, the system would consist of a series of two or three slightly sloped "reservoirs", each maybe 6" deep or so that would cascade into each other. The upper section would be filled with live sphagnum in which the darlingtonia would grow, followed by a small section that would house some sort of mesh "filtration" to keep the debris from flowing "downstream" into the lower tanks, in which I could grow aquatic utrics (species that could handle the cooler water, if any exist).
It would have a small low capacity pump that would grab the water in the collection tank (maybe housed largely back beneath the darlingtonia tank), and pump it through a hose that I would run into the freezer section of a small bar fridge (coiled up in the actual frezer section for better cooling time) and then back to the top of the darlingtonia tank.
This would also yield the benefit of giving me a place to provide sleeping space for my indoor stuff that requires a dormancy period without driving my wife nuts like I did last year when I commandeered much of the downstairs fridge.
Any thoughts or ideas on where I could get this kind of stuff?
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by hackerberry on Jan 9, 2009 12:20:40 GMT -5
Hi Rick, Try checking out this site. www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq6010j.htmlA fan could work with this setup but I would suggest a powerhead pump [for aquarium] to add movement therefore colling the water specially if you are growing cobras indoor. Just a suggestion. hb
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Post by Rick Hillier on Jan 9, 2009 12:38:44 GMT -5
I thought that the flowing water would keep the roots more oxygenated as well, but I might give that method a shot first.
Thanks for the kick in the right direction.
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by hackerberry on Jan 9, 2009 12:45:53 GMT -5
No worries Rick,
I have tons of cobras in TC right now and will be doing the same thing.
hb
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Post by Flytrap on Jan 9, 2009 12:58:56 GMT -5
Rick - you hit the nail right on the head when you mentioned "oxygenated". Science has demonstrated that cooler water contains more oxygen. On an earlier post on this board, I mentioned this oxygenation experiment that a fellow grower had successfully undertaken. She maintains all her darlingtonia in tubs of water with aeration stones in the water. The darlingtonias are amongst the most robust and healthiest specimens I have ever seen! (I believe I had posted photos of her setup somewhere on this OCPS board... do a search ) Oh... and did I mentioned that she grows all these aerated darlingtonias in her Nepenthes hothouse? (!). Now isn't that an interesting twist for all of us who try and grow darlingtonias with their feet cold! David
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Post by lloyd on Jan 9, 2009 15:00:45 GMT -5
That's an interesting thought. So maybe O2 in the roots is the key? Anybody have any darlingtonia seeds to try again? I'd given up on the cobras.
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Post by hal on Jan 9, 2009 16:35:27 GMT -5
Lloyd,
Someone is supposed to be mailing me a bunch soon. I'll PM you once I get them.
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Post by vraev on Jan 9, 2009 19:15:18 GMT -5
D....I managed to keep your cobra alive without any hiccups at all. it seems to be a very easy plant. Maybe its just the variety of darlingtonia that makes the difference. I know there are like 2 types. I don't know which one I am growing...but it grows in live sphagnum moss (at least it was live ). It just doesn't care. As long as I watered it...thats it...no night time cooling. Nothing at all.
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Post by carnivoure12 on Jan 9, 2009 19:28:32 GMT -5
I hear the mountain type is much more hardy. Flyrap sent me some nice Darlings that enjoyed what remained of the growing season. I put them outside in the Torontonian winter, I think they won't see the light of day again
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Post by lloyd on Jan 9, 2009 21:21:46 GMT -5
Vraev: that's a nice one.
I once had a Home Depot one for ~ 3 years, nice big, fat pitchers and it just died on me. I'm sure the roots rotted. I think my two outside ones are dead too. I'd like to try the aerating water idea. Thanks for the seed offers, guys.
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Post by vraev on Jan 12, 2009 0:12:03 GMT -5
Thanks Lloyd. I hope it comes through winter fine.
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