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By BxndiTSold
Posts:  197
Joined:  Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:20 am
#435182
I thought about asking the people at Lowe’s about buying flats of them because the ones they have at Lowe’s right now at least at mine are just the little kits that have a “dormant” (half dead” plant, but they probably wouldn’t let us, but i agteee they should sell cps more readily available like jusy think about it! If they sold vfts especially at nurseries in REGULAR pots like the actual nurseries like CC or predatory plants or flytrap store then cps would get a lot more exposure because instead of sitting in a death cube theyd be out for everyone tovsee and admire. And literally like we have at nurseries near me like every plant has its own category light “high light” or perennials and it tells you how to take care of each category of plants! If they just did the same for cps they would have a lot more exposure then they do ! Some people haven’t even heard of a vft before it’s crazy
By Gary
Posts:  442
Joined:  Fri Jul 08, 2022 3:23 pm
#435193
I check my local Lowe's online for when they get a new shipment of VFTs. If the inventory says like 3 or 4 in stock I wait until it jumps to a couple dozen.
The poor things are kept inside on a dark shelf, and get tap water every day. I once spoke to the lady who was watering the other indoor plants and gave her some advice on VFT care but it was obvious that she really didn't care. It's a shame. That said, I do wish they'd get some purps in stock.
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By Bluefire
Location: 
Posts:  661
Joined:  Thu Jun 30, 2022 4:58 pm
#435194
Gary wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 5:50 pm I wish the nurseries here (central AZ) would carry CPs, other than the death cubes VFTs at Lowe's. My father-in-law told me he used to buy VFTs at grocery stores many years back but they always died after a couple of weeks. He thought more tap water would help, so he drenched them. The poor plants never had a chance.
Here in Tucson I found a local garden center that occasionally has interesting CPs. They work with a grower who lends them extra plants. I have found interesting Pinguicula there. They were recently selling large Ping rocks. Many different plants on a single rock. Problem is, they take poor care of their plants. Even with clean water, I think there's a lack of light and maybe too much humidity.
By Gary
Posts:  442
Joined:  Fri Jul 08, 2022 3:23 pm
#435195
I'm in Prescott, we have a lot of nurseries here but when I ask them about CPs they sorta get confused. They usually tell me that Lowe's is the only place to get them. I *can* order pitcher plants through Lowe's but the buyer's reviews are pretty poor. Mostly half-dead plants.
By BxndiTSold
Posts:  197
Joined:  Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:20 am
#435205
See at my Lowe’s they never update inventory for the flytraps or vfts so online it’ll say that they don’t have any in stock and if they do it’ll show the gubler ones but 9-10 times it shows just a fly trap if you know what I mean🤣 but then when you go in the store there’s a bunch of them in the dark on a bottom shelf right outside the GC, like take them out and put them outside at least! They’re plants, ii have never ever found a pitcher plant at Lowe’s sadly but that’s pretty cool that you can order them from there!
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By Intheswamp
Location: 
Posts:  3307
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm
#435208
I think an issue with the death cubes quickly degrading may fall back on the vendors and the beast of mass production and shipping. They put them in the death cubes in *their* controlled environments. They have to have them in shippable/sellable containers and on flats for easy handling of multiple pieces. The problem is that if the retailers (Lowes, Wallworlds, etc) set these out in full-sun (where they belong) those death cubes would become solar ovens...or at a minimum, steamers. Something tells me the "shady locations" that we often find them in probably were determined by some bad experiences that they had in the past with cooking plants in the sun. :o

Watering is definitely problematic at these big box stores, too. The plants are actually fortunate if they get *any* water. Think about it...you have a couple of dozen of these little containers sitting on a cardboard flat....stacked on top of one or more other flats. All the small containers are sealed. They look "ok" when they arrive. Another week...well, they still look ok. Another week or two and they begin to look a little rough... Maybe someone will think they need some water and give them some...but it'll only be a water hose dumping city water across the tops of the death cubes with a little leaking into the little tombs. They make perk up in a few days but then they start looking even worse than before. Unless someone working there actually grows CP themselves they're just considered a short-lived curiosity that the store will get credit from the vendor/supplier for because "they died".

The smaller growers...Flytrap Store, California Carnivories, Sarracenia Northwest, Blue Ridge Exotics, and many other small growers *including* the small growers here in the forums understand what it takes to grow, care for, *and* ship plants around the country. Quality-wise you might compare their plants as the burgers from "Five Guys Burgers" versus the Lowes and Wallyworld plants as being sandwiches(?) coming from the dollar menu at McDonalds. Quiet a bit of difference in quality...you get what you pay for...would you like a Pepcid with that McDouble? ;)
By BxndiTSold
Posts:  197
Joined:  Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:20 am
#435212
I completely agree! Especially with the fact that they pack them and beat them to death into those death cubes I seen one last week in a desth cube, keep in mind this was a POTTED plant, there was hydra fib all around the box and the plant itself was out of the pot. All the medium was completely dried. Like there was no effort at all put into packing it! Im surprised the plant was still alive at all! Now granted at least where my Lowe’s is, it’s bug biting plants and they normally do a pretty good job with the size and packing of the plants, granted it’s not in peat or spaghnum moss but at least it’s packed! I cant tell you how many times I went and looked at those little guys and they were completely dried up, because again they dont even bother watering them! EVEN at my local plant nursery, every other plant was being watered and cared for, ans het they have a tray of flytraps and theyre BONE dry and almost all od them were dead. It’s crazy! I know they do what they do for distribution purposes and ease of transport but there’s gotta be a better way! Look at the way that California carnivores and FTS package their plants! These deathcube companies could learn a thing or 2 and the planrs would honestly probably looka a lot better to the general public! Which means more sales for them which means more $$$ it would be a win win! And probably cheaper then manufacturing a stupid death cube or cylinder
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By Intheswamp
Location: 
Posts:  3307
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm
#435213
Well, no need to stress over them much...plenty of places elsewhere to find good plants.
By BxndiTSold
Posts:  197
Joined:  Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:20 am
#435214
Oh and a couple weeks ago I bought a sarracenia purp from my local nursery and it of COURSE had that stupid plastic cup overtop of it so I took it off before I brought it to checkout, while at checkout the lady tried to PUT IT BACK ON squeezing all the pitchers and everything into that stupid little cup! I said no take that thing off it serves no purpose and could cause the plant to die if you just leave it on there! It’s crazy these people actually think cps need a “dome” or Terrarium environment!
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By andynorth
Location: 
Posts:  1280
Joined:  Fri May 12, 2023 9:08 pm
#437111
I buy from a few different online sellers and have had pretty good luck. My very first VFT's were Walmart specials that I resurrected from the dead. I let one go to seed and planted them. They came up this year but I messed up and over heated them.
By Gary
Posts:  442
Joined:  Fri Jul 08, 2022 3:23 pm
#437154
I saw some Purp hybrids at my local Trader Joe's a month ago. They were jammed into those hexagonal plastic things but didn't look too unhealthy. A lady was watching me choose a couple to take home and asked about them. I told her how to care for them and that it wasn't difficult, just don't ignore them. She ended up buying one. Hopefully the plant is in a good home.
After repotting and getting lots of light and water the ones I got have doubled in size.
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By Intheswamp
Location: 
Posts:  3307
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm
#437165
Yep, you catch the plants just right (soon after delivery to your local BBS) and you can get some healthy plants. But, once dust has a chance to cloud the shiny plastic death chambers all bets are off. Over the last year that I've been paying attention at stores for CPs I've only seen pitcher plants a couple of times and they looked....really bad. Over the last couple of months I've only seen *very old stock* in the stores....several layers of dust on them...growing medium shakes around like pepper in a shaker, plants mostly black, the cardboard flats (if they still sit on one) are curled up and stained from apparent watering...probably from the local municipal water supply. Oh well, at the moment with this heat I'm not that interested in added another mouth to water...which means all the stores will get in a fresh stock of wonderful pitchers of some kind. :roll:
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