Here's my beloved P. 'John Rizzi'

I love this plant!

Here's a decent photo of the flower.

Here's my U. multifida that I germinated from seed sending up its first flower scape.

This is Hurricane Creek. I have a few of these plants and they are one of my favorites.

This plant won't mature for about 2 years. I can't wait to see what it looks like then. Hurricane Creek is one of those plants that makes you stop and say "Wow".

Here's the lid to Hurricane Creek.

Your plants are lovely!!! Did you purchase them locally or via an online nursery?

The 'John Rizzi' was a surprise gift from a friend. The box came one day and it was in there. I flipped out when I opened the box and found it. Oh, happy dance.

The U. multifida seed I bought from somebody down in Florida.

The 'Hurricane Creek' was purchased for... better sit down for this one... $100 earlier this spring from the man himself. He's sort of sticks to himself and won't sell to the public unfortunately. Seed of this plant goes very high. I've seen it auctioned for $100 a pack and people only got 10 seeds in the pack. My hsuband bought me seed as a gift. I have no idea where he got it from but it's Hurricane Creek. My personal friends have staked claim to clones of my plants as they mature. I didn't photograph the bottom of the plant because it has little mouse gravestone looking tags down there with names of people who don't want me to forget that they get a piece as soon as possible.

Carnivorous Plant people are an odd lot. They share. I've known people who have amassed entire collections based on the generosity of those who believe these plants should be spread around to as many people as is humanly possible to help deter poaching.

Don't overlook Home Depot and Lowes. I have quite a few plants from them. My Drosera binata "Marston Dragon' came from a Home Depot of all places for $5. That was an incredible buy.

I need to talk to the manager for our local The Home Depot about bringing in more CPs!

Joseph

Come on Lauren, if you are going to post pics why not post something nice.

S. 'Leah Wilkerson'

This message was edited Oct 4, 2005 11:31 PM

Show off! ;) More photos darlin. I love being upstaged. Watch out though, I bought two Hurricane Creeks. I didn't post the photo of the other plant that I used Miracid on. That's the photo of the one that I didn't use Miracid on.

Well lets see what that Miracid can do. Till then,

A P. "John Rizzi" of my own.

And a N. coccinea

Your Rizzis aren't flowering. nanner nanner nanner
Get those Rizzis to flower big boy.
By the way, you do realize we are some of the only people who have the real deal and not the F2 Rizzi selfings right?

Argh to your Nepenthes x coccinea. Ours is just a baby and the pitchers are no where near that size. You have got to add that photo to the PlantFiles here-
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/72995/index.html

That is an EXCELLENT pitcher photo!

I'll get you and your little dog when I post my 3 year old Hurricane Creek that was doctored with Miracid! Just you wait.

Hey, I just took a close look at your Rizzis. What in the heck medium are you growing them in?

Yes, my Rizzi's have been reluctant to flower. I did not know that most people that grow the John Rizzi are actually growing the F2 selfs until Phil filled me in. So yes I do know. Also they are growing in pure LFS as advised by Phil. I cannot tell the size of your Rizzi from the photo but Phil states that they get much bigger in pure LFS. My largest are approx 5 inches across.

Yes I love the N. coccinea grows like a weed no matter where I put it and it has some of the nicest looking pitchers around. Do you grow the speckled form like the one I posted or the solid one?

I cannot wait to see the pic of your HCW, getting ahold of a 3 year old HCW is no small feat. EIther you sold your left arm or someone really likes you.

I sold my left arm AND somebody really likes me.

My Rizzi has got to be almost 6" across. It's a big momma. That flower stalk is about 10" tall and the angle of the photo really reduced the size of the actual plant visually but that one is pretty big and it is in a 12" square bonsai type pot. The flower itself is huge and I'd take a guess it is at least an inch and a half across. I had another Rizzi that grew to about 3" across and I gave it away to somebody who was peeing in their pants to have one who thought they had the real thing because of where they bought it but learned it was an F2. I pointed out to him the difference is the flowers and he was aghast. I so hate seeing grown men cry so I told him to take the 3" home with him. He snatched that plant up so fast it almost made my head spin. He took off to go home with his new baby happy as a lark and he was even whistling. Who says real men don't like pretty flowers! His wife thought he was loco.

Oh, forgot to mention that I am growing mine in Canadian Shagnum/rinsed tube sand/horticultural charcoal. And, I float them when they are actively growing so I keep water to the rim. How about them apples. I have them shielded from diect sun. They are under filter screens of about 70% in an eastern exposure. I'm following the PingMan style. Risky business growing this way but it's working for me. That plant more than doubled in size in only the last 4 months. I am also growing a few other Mexican pings this way and I've got a P. gigantea that by rights should not flower for another year or so that is sending up its first flower scape. Nobody believes me so I can't wait to take a photo of that flower when it blooms. It will be unmistakably P. gigantea and that plant is 10" across already up from about 5" across. Go figure. That is one big ping. Um, wesser and sethos being grown the same way and they have bloomed at least twice for me and I think that sethos is blooming the third time for me. Disgusting isn't it. Now if we cold just get these highland Neps over here to double and triple in size in a year.

I'll get a photo of the other Hurricane Creek in the next few days. If I forget I'm sure you'll remind me.

I have no idea which coccinea we have here. I'm too lazy to go turn on the lights and walk upstairs to take a look. Which ever one Tony sells is what we have. We don't have huge Neps like you do. Maybe in a few years.

Sounds like your pings are doing well for you then. I grow mine under fluorescent lights rather then natural sunlight. Also mine are grown in a room that stays warmer at night then the pings would appreciate. So if I grow them in to heavy of a mix there roots rot on me. So the pure LFS idea I got from Phil seems to work.

You keep speaking of this HCW plant that is so wonderful but no pictures. I am beginning to think it is equivalant to the model girlfriend my cousin states he is dating that no one has ever seen!

Yes alot of my neps are getting large, gets my hands all sticky when I try and reach through the plants to water the ones in the back.

Here ya go! This is a 3 year old and look at the size of this plant! And, it wasn't SuperThrive that did this.

I just took a look at my notes and I am mistaken. The plant is a 4 year old. Oops, but this is still great considering I received it and transplanted it this past June. This thing has added on a growth point and doubled in size all since June. I took this photo today.

If you are growing your Pings inside, LFS is the way to go. I'm putting all of mine in a new mix in about a week and bringing them all inside real soon. I've already begun to reduce the amount of water mine are receiving. I want that gigantea to flower. That's what I'm waiting for right now. Then I am going to send a photo to Phil. That gigantea wasn't suppose to flower until next year or the year after due to its age. Cross your fingers for me that we don't get a frost or its over for me and my P. gigantea flower.

Well get those pings inside and you wont have to worry about a frost. Lucky you seems P. gigantea can be slightly difficult to get ahold of.

Thats a very nice plant you have there. Should be a beaut next year for it will have all spring and early summer to settle in before putting up some nice pitchers for late summer, early fall.

You plan on Miracid'ing all your sarrs next year?

No, I'm going with Tannic Tea on all of the S. flava var cuprea, rubricorpora, atropurpurea, nigropurpurea, and well basically anything with red to include the courtii and the alata red/black.

I'll use the Miracid on Sarracenia seedlings and some of the older straight species Sarrs. Depends on what lends itself to the use of it.

I don't want to bring in the Pings yet. I want to hold out. I know, not wise. Next weekend for sure.

P. gigantea wasn't all that hard to locate. Do you want one? I can go back through my notes and see where mine came from. I do have the "Phil's Giant". Now that one is virtually impossible to get your hands on but you can most assuredly get that yourself.

Yes I shouldnt have a problem getting ahold of the Phil's Giant clone. I will have to start working on that.

I dont know about your weather but tonight we are supposed to get a frost, so I hope your pings will be fine.

Tannic Tea? are you taking a page from the 'weed?

Nope, from Botanique. I use a 2.5 gallon water jug and add 10 bags of black tea and let it sit outside. You can recap your jug with the tea bag strings hanging over the edge and doing this makes it easy to pull them out. After 3 days, I take the jug and fish out the tea bags. I wring the excess from the tea bags into the jugs (mustn't lose one drop) and toss them in my composter. Then I water the plants I want to hold their red. New pitchers will color up nicely within a very short period of time.

I'm still not bringing my pings in. That gigantea is real close to bud break.

My gigantea is just beginning to open up so I brought them all in. Are you happy for me that I got the babies all tucked in inside?

Here's the unopened bloom-

Lucky you, do you plan on pollinating it and getting some seed?

Nope, I'd end up selfing and I don't want to do that. I need to buy another one. I may propagate a few winter leaves sometime early spring if I remember.

(the door swings open with a resounding crash)

I'M HEEEEEEEEEERE!!!!!!

Greetings peeps!

It does my heart good to see such good growth on some of my...children. Equib...you're doing a great job with the "Phil's Giant". How DARE you bloom yours at a younger age than I have. And Wolf, my friend, we shant let Equib have all the fun. If you want a "Phil's Giant" then you shall have one.

Now then.....let's talk.

Wolf, I'm happy to hear that my advice on changing your growing medium is working so well for you. The key to great Mexican Ping culture is always....lots of air at the roots. If at any time you see one of your plants form a concave canopy with little white roots dangling above the soil level, this is the first indication that the soil mix you are using is wrong. The plant is trying to prevent its roots from rotting so should be moved into something airier.

Now there is some controversy with the watering techniques with these plants. Perhaps this can shed some light on the subject. First, one must examine the type growth of the specimen you are working with. Ping. gigantea is a member of the agnata group, while Ping. "John Rizzi" is a member of the moranensis, hemiepiphytica, zecheri group. So what does this all mean? Well for starts the agnata group are plants which are found growing naturally in soils and mosses lodged bewtween rocks or on the sides of exposed embankments. They are of a succulent nature and grow in a bit harder conditions so therefor need roots embedded in soil at all times to carry them through periods of drought.

The moranensis, hemiepiphytica and zecheri groups are almost all epiphytic to semi-epiphytic and are found growing in moss pockets at the base of trees or between and/or on rocks, and OFTEN on the trunks of mossy trees. The nature of this leaf type is that which is flexible and can form a compression against the surface of the object they are growing against. This is one of their methods of holding on; epiphyte. Have you ever grown or seen a Ping. moranensis or type plant that had grown over the sides of the pot and the leaves fold over and stick to the sides of the pot? That should be the first clue to any beginner that these types of plants need air at the roots.

Now as for the method of watering, only time will tell. If I am not mistaken...Wolf...you are growing under controlled artificial lighting, correct? and Equib...you are growing in natural light, correct? If growing in natural light you will want to be extreeeeeeeemly careful of the amount of water your plants receive during the winter. You mentioned you are using Pingman's method of watering. Keep in mind that he grows all his plants under artificial lighting for 16-17 hours per day and therefor does not need to reduce his watering duing the winter because he has stable, unchanging conditions year round.

Wolf...if you ever have difficulty flowering any of your Mexi pings you will want to let them have a bit less daylight hours. In my greenhouse I have the best flowering of these plants during the fall and winter months.

Good grief I think I've talked way too much. Maybe I'll start another thread somewhere.

Anyways it's great to see you folks here.

Phil

"(the door swings open with a resounding crash)

I'M HEEEEEEEEEERE!!!!!!"

Thank goodness the Master has entered the forum!

Expansion on how I am growing the Mexican Pings, outside under 70% reduction eastern exposure screening from late spring to early fall and inside the rest of the year in a western exposure with supplemental clamp lamps and grow bulbs in the mix previously discussed of Canadian sphagnum/rinsed play sand/horticultural grad charcoal. Come to think of it, I'm growing all the Drosera binata the same way. I know I'm ok on the Pings but should I do something different for all the binata? I don't have a greenhouse.

I can send the flowering "Phil's Giant" back to you and you can send me a smaller one. Doesn't matter to me because I love them all. I'm pretty sure I missed taking a photo of the bloom when it was fully opened- too much going on and I meant to take a photo but forgot.

Say, whatdoya think about my Hurricane Creek on Miracid?

Equilib-

Sounds like you're on the right track with the pings. Just reduce or omit your miracid treatment if you see any signs of succulent fall/winter foliage. As for the Drosera binata, I would definitely grow them in natural light only until you begin to see signs of slowing down. They should be put either in a cold frame, unheated greenhouse, or garage for the winter. If going into the garage they MUST have access to natural light and air circulation.

Now this principal stands true for any of the binata forms. These experience a true dormancy and should be encouraged to do so. The ONLY exception is multifida and/or multifida extrema. This particular form does not usually go dormant nor does it need to. It may show signs of slowing down but it should be treated like any other tropical carnivore and grown year round. For those of you who don't know....all Drosera binata prefer to be grown on the cool side. All the forms also propagate readily from root cuttings.

Go ahead and keep your "Phil's Giant" my dear. Mine flower every year. I'm just amazed yours flowered so young. We do have radically different growing conditions, so that may be one of the reasons. Good work.

I experimented with the Miracid and several Drosera- they all died. The Drosera that were not watered with the Miracid mix are fine. I don't think Drosera like Miracid. I have never watered my Pings with a Miracid mix. The only plants that appear to like the Miracid are the Sarracenia based on home experimentation. Before I used Miracid I used a tsp of vinegar per gallon twice early in the season and mulched heavily with white pine needles late in the season. Now I still mulch heavily with white pine but I don't use the vinegar mix in favor of using the Miracid once a month starting the minute they break dormancy.

The Drosera I have are all binata multifida save one var. dichotoma. Even the Marston's Dragon is a cultivar of multifida if I am not mistaken. Am I right or wrong on that?

"We do have radically different growing conditions, so that may be one of the reasons. Good work."- Not necessarily good work- it's called horseshoe up rear.

Dang I am gone for a few days and Phil and Lauren just take over!

Yes I do grow my pings in a controlled artifical lighting environment. They have been getting 15 hrs of fluor light for about 8 months. I have just started to drop the photoperiod down, and plan on getting it down to about 11 before starting to increase again. The P. 'John Rizzi' still is reluctant to flower, but a week after dropping the photoperiod down 80% of my P. agnata X moranensis have started to flower. Coincidence?

Also my P. gypsicola has just started to pull its leafs inside appearing as if it is starting to go into its succulent stage. This will be the first year that I have had this plant go through this stage. How much drying of the soil will be required? I have heard people say bone-dry and others just damp.

Phil you stated that D. binata that require a dormancy must be in an area that recieve some light and air movement. Is this the same requirments for Sarr's during dormancy? I have always put them in an area to protect them from my MIchigan winter, but those areas like my garage and basement have no natural lighting available for them.

This message was edited Oct 18, 2005 12:59 AM

Lauren-

Drosera 'Marston Dragon' is a hybrid cross between dichotoma and mutifida. It goes dormant under my conditions every year. The only form that grows continuously for me is multifida. If you want to keep yours growing as an experiment do so. If anything happens to it I can get you more.

Wolf-

It has been my experience that Ping. gypsicola likes to dry out to the point where the soil is just damp. I have heard of other growers drying theirs out bone dry as well, but I don't like to do this because this is a rather 'hard' way of growing it and it is not necessary to do so. You certainly don't want to keep any water in the tray or saucer it is growing in. I also increase my light to the pings during the winter. This seems to help prevent fungal growth in them. By increase I am referring to removing the shade cloth from the greenhouse and placing the trays on a high shelf so they are up in the roof section. They still experience the decreased day length, but they are in a very bright location.

Sarracenia dormancy for those who live in zones which get hard freezes and/or snow fall is something of a science. My gut instinct is telling me that garage dormancy=death to a Sarracenia. They really should have light and air circulation to some degree. If at all possible I would opt for a cold frame of some sort or at the very least digging a deep hole, place the pots in and fill with pine needles. Lauren has experience with winter mulching and can shed more light on this than I. The weather conditions where I live are so perfect for Sarracenia that I have never had to attempt any other method other than natural outdoor exposure.

When I lived in New York I had a basement in my house. During the winter I used to put the Sarracenia under flourescent lighting for 4 to 5 hours per day. They were placed on the floor in trays right up against the wall where it was very cold. I would always lose a plant or two before I perfected my method...which did include treating with a fungicide.

Lauren-

Forgot to mention that your miracid 'HCW' looks really good. I have a form that is grown widely in the UK which they call alba top. It is similar to 'Schnell's Ghost' but has red flowers and whiter tops. I selfed many flowers and have about 600-700 seed. If either of you want any let me know. I plan on growing out as many as possible.

And Wolf, your Leah Wilkerson is loving you. Great job! You will need to let it grow and restrain from dividing it for at least 5 years. Repot into a larger pot evry year. It is only under these conditions that you will get baseball bat size pitchers. I have several pure red moorei that get 38"+. It's worth the effort to restrain even if people beg you for a piece. moorei are very sensitive to being disturbed and will take several seasons to recover if divided or broken apart too often. This ugly trait is passed down from the leucophylla parent.

The cross moorei (leuophylla x flava) is one of my favorites. I made 15 different moorei crosses this summer using 3 different leuco and 5 different flava. Trust me when I say that there will be a lot of drooling action going on in 4 years from certain members of another yucky forum. :)
(bad phil)

Bad Phil is right. Who doesnt love a large moorei?

Thanks for the info on the P. gypsicola. It seems that as it is transferring into its winter growth it as split from 2 growing points into 4. So my chances of having atleast one make it threw this stage has increased.

I am glad your growing conditions are perfect for Sarrs. While you are enjoying nice weather I will be trudging through 2 ft of snow.

Good Phil not Bad Phil. I think it's funny actually. I so love to see greedy people coveting thy neighbors CPs. Grovel and beg I say. Come to think of it... do you remember those little dogs that had the clown collars that used to jump through hoops and then they were taught to stand on their back legs to whirl around in circles until they were dizzy and dropped down to all fours? I'm thinking I might part with a plant if I could see a few dress up in one of those doggie costumes and perform some tricks for us... of course we would want to catch it on video to share with the community.

Say Wolf, you forgot to mention snow drifts higher than our heads blocking our front doors where you sometimes have to crawl out windows to get outside. I say we pack up and take up residency in one of his greenhouses for at least one of the winter months. No sense allowing him to be so smug about his wonderful weather. He was sitting out on his patio at around 10pm in 80 degree weather with a gentle breeze setting off his windchimes a few nights ago. There's something wrong with this, very wrong.

Eeek to something though. I should have expanded a little bit on my garage conditions for overwintering plants. My garage has tons of natural light and tremendous air exchange because we have those single garage bays and somebody is always opening one of them to get a car in or out or to let dogs out to do their thing. Basements have always scared me because of airborne spores and lack of light and air circulation. They always seem to smell musty and moldy to me and that makes me worry about plants overwintering down there. I do germinate my seeds in my basement but I have small oscillating fans over the trays as well as lots of light. From time to time I have had problems with seedling trays going bad down there. I suppose ideally we should have them all planted in the ground and mulched well but who has time to deal with getting so many plants in the ground.

And yes philcula, please do set aside some alba top for me! Tasty, very tasty!

Yes I have to agree, I wouldnt mind spending some time in the wonderful Cali weather. And being able to see Phil's greenhouses would be wonderful.

Sorry I did forget about the snow drifts. About this time of the year I need to make sure I am in good shape, for my fiance will NOT walk through snow deeper then her ankles so I must carry her.

Well it looks like what Sarr's I can fit will go into an unheated room so they can get some sunlight, but I have to many to fit so the rest will have to try and survive in the garage. Plenty of fresh air, just no light. Have to make the best of what you have.

I dont know about tasty I myself have never tasted Sarr seeds so I will have to take your word for it. But I wouldnt mind germinating some!

"I dont know about tasty I myself have never tasted Sarr seeds so I will have to take your word for it." Smarty pants... you just place them on a tray like pumpkin seeds and pop them in the oven on high for a bit and you can use them interchangeably with sesame seeds. Just kidding... I would never.

As one of my students would say....EEEEW!

Snow drifts...freezing weather....climbing through windows..NO THANKS!! Me sorry me have nice weather. It's not always nice. Back in the mid 90's when the El Nino hit we had a small tornado here that ripped the roof off my greenhouse and generously hand delivered it to several neighbors yards. I lost a lot of plants, but rebuilt. And of course on that same day, January 1st!, my culdesak was under 4 feet of water so I spent the entire day filling sand bags with the rest of the community in order to save our homes.

Now I just sit back and watch my Sarracenia lavish in prime winter temps. ONLY KIDDING!!!! LOL! I hear we're due for another warm winter which equates to another El Nino.
Not looking forward to that :(

Wolf-
If you have had success putting your Sarrs to rest for the winter in your garage, then by all means continue to do so. I don't know if an unheated room in the house will be cold enough...but then I don't know how cold your house gets so it may very well be. If you can not supply any natural light to them in the garage may I suggest you consider supplying artificial light to them for 4 hours per day as an option? Any light would be better than no light at all. I would not think you would have any trouble with the plants prematurely breaking dormancy with such a short duration, especially if the temps are cold and it would be a lot easier to care for the plants if they were all in one location. Just a suggestion.

Toasted Sarr seed vs. sesame. Hmmmmm...(yuk). I think Sheppherd's Purse would be better. Nice and gluey!