Post by joey on Mar 9, 2021 17:27:07 GMT -5
I have 2 growing locations where I keep my collection. One is in front of my house on the driveway, facing south. It gets full sun for 12+ hours every single day. The other location is on the north side of the house in a screened in patio shaded by the building's shadow as well as some looming tree canopies. It might get 6 hours of directed (filtered) sun tops, but bright indirect sun for the rest of the day. I have some interesting observations regarding these two, as well as theories from various friends. I would like your guys' inputs on the situations.
Okay so in the back, I keep my nepenthes, sphagnum, seedlings, some drosera, and propagation trays. I keep my sarracenia, temperate droseras, and dionaea up front because I assume they need as much sun as they can get. One peculiar thing about the back area is that no plants ever rot, get pests, or get diseased by fungus. Perhaps the screened in nature of the patio prevents pests being blown in by wind as opposed to the front which is completely exposed? As for fungi, the front area may be exposed to potential vectors of various diseases, perhaps from the bordering lawns, shrubs, and trees?
The rot situation is a bit odd, however. I noticed the water in the back area's trays is always cool to the touch, and even when flooded, sarracenia roots grow in it and are crisp and white without any foul odors. Perhaps being in the shade cools the water, allowing for more oxygen to be held? The plants in the front need to be monitored very closely for moisture. They currently sit in trays, but when the rainy season comes around, I typically take them out. They never sit in water. They are exclusively topwatered, never by tray filling. They seem to have many problems when they get too wet, especially when humidity is maxed out.
One theory a friend had was the driveway itself, the pavement gets quite hot in the oppressive Florida sun, maybe it stays warm even throughout the night preventing the plants from ever cooling off? Could the residual heat that radiates from the driveway harm the potted plants, even if elevated off the ground on benches and tables?
I recently had a rotted flava that I divided, and put the divisions in different spots to see how they would grow. One div was left up front and the other put in the patio. The front div has not made any noticeable growth yet. However, the div in the patio has roots coming out of the pot and has a pitcher coming up. The front is much drier while the patio stays wet. If I kept the sarrs up front as wet as the back, they would probably die based on what I observed last season.
The front growing area on a south-facing driveway; Sarrs are kept in pots in trays on tables and benches in full sun without protection. Foliage grows vigorously, well proportioned, and colors up fantastically. Disease and rot occur often when too wet. Air almost always feels warm to hot, perhaps the driveway radiates heat too? Trays are never allowed to fill and plants dry considerably between waterings:
20210309_140423 by Joey, on Flickr
The back growing area in a north-facing screened in patio shaded by the house and trees; Foliage does not grow as "stocky" or vigorously, color is washed out. Plants get enough sun to live, but not enough to thrive? Never had an occurrence of rot from sarracenia grown in the back. Ambient air feels noticeably cooler than up front. Trays are allowed to hold water without issues and rarely dry out completely; water in these trays are cool and roots are always healthy and white:
20210309_140451 by Joey, on Flickr
So what should I do? Move some adult plants to the back area and see how they fare for a few months?
Is the health of roots more important than the health of the plants' foliage?
Do you guys have any experience with growing in different locations? Any observations? Any ideas where my issues may be coming from?
Any input would be appreciated, look forward to all of your insights
Okay so in the back, I keep my nepenthes, sphagnum, seedlings, some drosera, and propagation trays. I keep my sarracenia, temperate droseras, and dionaea up front because I assume they need as much sun as they can get. One peculiar thing about the back area is that no plants ever rot, get pests, or get diseased by fungus. Perhaps the screened in nature of the patio prevents pests being blown in by wind as opposed to the front which is completely exposed? As for fungi, the front area may be exposed to potential vectors of various diseases, perhaps from the bordering lawns, shrubs, and trees?
The rot situation is a bit odd, however. I noticed the water in the back area's trays is always cool to the touch, and even when flooded, sarracenia roots grow in it and are crisp and white without any foul odors. Perhaps being in the shade cools the water, allowing for more oxygen to be held? The plants in the front need to be monitored very closely for moisture. They currently sit in trays, but when the rainy season comes around, I typically take them out. They never sit in water. They are exclusively topwatered, never by tray filling. They seem to have many problems when they get too wet, especially when humidity is maxed out.
One theory a friend had was the driveway itself, the pavement gets quite hot in the oppressive Florida sun, maybe it stays warm even throughout the night preventing the plants from ever cooling off? Could the residual heat that radiates from the driveway harm the potted plants, even if elevated off the ground on benches and tables?
I recently had a rotted flava that I divided, and put the divisions in different spots to see how they would grow. One div was left up front and the other put in the patio. The front div has not made any noticeable growth yet. However, the div in the patio has roots coming out of the pot and has a pitcher coming up. The front is much drier while the patio stays wet. If I kept the sarrs up front as wet as the back, they would probably die based on what I observed last season.
The front growing area on a south-facing driveway; Sarrs are kept in pots in trays on tables and benches in full sun without protection. Foliage grows vigorously, well proportioned, and colors up fantastically. Disease and rot occur often when too wet. Air almost always feels warm to hot, perhaps the driveway radiates heat too? Trays are never allowed to fill and plants dry considerably between waterings:
20210309_140423 by Joey, on Flickr
The back growing area in a north-facing screened in patio shaded by the house and trees; Foliage does not grow as "stocky" or vigorously, color is washed out. Plants get enough sun to live, but not enough to thrive? Never had an occurrence of rot from sarracenia grown in the back. Ambient air feels noticeably cooler than up front. Trays are allowed to hold water without issues and rarely dry out completely; water in these trays are cool and roots are always healthy and white:
20210309_140451 by Joey, on Flickr
So what should I do? Move some adult plants to the back area and see how they fare for a few months?
Is the health of roots more important than the health of the plants' foliage?
Do you guys have any experience with growing in different locations? Any observations? Any ideas where my issues may be coming from?
Any input would be appreciated, look forward to all of your insights