Mike Wang's collection, starting in 1996!
Mar 4, 2024 1:39:28 GMT -5
SteveS, dpowell, and 3 more like this
Post by meizzwang on Mar 4, 2024 1:39:28 GMT -5
Just starting your journey with Sarracenia and intimidated by some of the collections you see on this forum? Don't be, we were all deer staring into the head lights when we first started, even those lousy prodigy kids who figure this stuff out super fast! We all started at some point in time with zero experience and yeah, I killed a bunch of them, so hopefully that makes newbies feel better because that's part of what we sign up for when we become growers or hobbyists! Anyone who tells you they haven't ever killed plants is either inexperienced or dishonest.
Anways, the whole point of this thread: I don't have pics until 1998, but I technically had one S. leucophylla from Chuck powell and acquired that in 1996, so that's when the collection officially started, 28 years ago!
Okay guys, back in the 1990's, if you wanted to use a cell phone, you'd probably have to find a drug lord because they were the only ones who could afford them....plus, you'd have to extend the 3' long antenna before dialing, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get a signal! Well, to be honest, I have no clue if that's true, that's what they led us to believe in the movies at the time. They also had cameras that were on film, so you had to go to the store, get the film developed and then you'd have physical copies of the pictures, that's what all of these old photos are!
I started growing in 1996, but got serious in 1997, that's when I thought to myself "I'm gonna produce the most genetically diverse collection in the world." Big goals for a kid, and even among carnivorous plant collectors at the timeNOBODY understood or cared about genetic diversity except hardcore conservationists! Hobbyists only wanted one of each type, they didn't want 20 different clones of rubricorpora!
The Sarracenia forum didn't start until 2011, so these pictures are from more than a decade before we could post them here! Here's the oldest photo of my collection on the famous "balcony" this is dated 1998! It would be nuts to rewind time and be able to see just how much progress has been made since then. Check out that huge 3.8 cu. ft. bale of sunshine peat moss and big @ss bag of perlite in the background, I wasn't playin around back then SON:
I also grew Nepenthes indoors on a sunny windowsill! The pings loved it, no supplemental lighting or anything, just blasting hot afternoon sun:
In the upper left hand corner of the pic is S. purpurea ssp. purpurea Marl bog form Bruce Co, ON and S. purpurea ssp. purpurea Huron Co, ON, circa 2001. Still have these in the collection today, although only a few clones survived the test of time (I tried guys, it's just so dang hard to keep them alive that long!)
S. flava var. cuprea 'best clone,' 1998, a few months after I had acquired it. Yes, it's still alive and well today! here's a thread on it: sarracenia.proboards.com/thread/4531/flava-var-cuprea-best-clone
This picture makes me cry on the inside: many different clones of S. alata lemon yellow Sam Rayburn Reservoir, TX, early 2000's. I ended up composting all but 2 clones because "nobody was interested in them" and I was running out of space. Biggest mistake EVER! So many of these were super vigorous and easy to grow! outside of the 2 clones in cultivation today, the rest of the plants in the wild are likely extinct:
Let's fast forward more than 25 years later, here's a section of the collection today! compare the first pic with this one!
To be continued....I have tons of old pics and lots to share, so stay tuned.....
Anways, the whole point of this thread: I don't have pics until 1998, but I technically had one S. leucophylla from Chuck powell and acquired that in 1996, so that's when the collection officially started, 28 years ago!
Okay guys, back in the 1990's, if you wanted to use a cell phone, you'd probably have to find a drug lord because they were the only ones who could afford them....plus, you'd have to extend the 3' long antenna before dialing, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get a signal! Well, to be honest, I have no clue if that's true, that's what they led us to believe in the movies at the time. They also had cameras that were on film, so you had to go to the store, get the film developed and then you'd have physical copies of the pictures, that's what all of these old photos are!
I started growing in 1996, but got serious in 1997, that's when I thought to myself "I'm gonna produce the most genetically diverse collection in the world." Big goals for a kid, and even among carnivorous plant collectors at the timeNOBODY understood or cared about genetic diversity except hardcore conservationists! Hobbyists only wanted one of each type, they didn't want 20 different clones of rubricorpora!
The Sarracenia forum didn't start until 2011, so these pictures are from more than a decade before we could post them here! Here's the oldest photo of my collection on the famous "balcony" this is dated 1998! It would be nuts to rewind time and be able to see just how much progress has been made since then. Check out that huge 3.8 cu. ft. bale of sunshine peat moss and big @ss bag of perlite in the background, I wasn't playin around back then SON:
I also grew Nepenthes indoors on a sunny windowsill! The pings loved it, no supplemental lighting or anything, just blasting hot afternoon sun:
In the upper left hand corner of the pic is S. purpurea ssp. purpurea Marl bog form Bruce Co, ON and S. purpurea ssp. purpurea Huron Co, ON, circa 2001. Still have these in the collection today, although only a few clones survived the test of time (I tried guys, it's just so dang hard to keep them alive that long!)
S. flava var. cuprea 'best clone,' 1998, a few months after I had acquired it. Yes, it's still alive and well today! here's a thread on it: sarracenia.proboards.com/thread/4531/flava-var-cuprea-best-clone
This picture makes me cry on the inside: many different clones of S. alata lemon yellow Sam Rayburn Reservoir, TX, early 2000's. I ended up composting all but 2 clones because "nobody was interested in them" and I was running out of space. Biggest mistake EVER! So many of these were super vigorous and easy to grow! outside of the 2 clones in cultivation today, the rest of the plants in the wild are likely extinct:
Let's fast forward more than 25 years later, here's a section of the collection today! compare the first pic with this one!
To be continued....I have tons of old pics and lots to share, so stay tuned.....