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By tracieh
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Posts:  422
Joined:  Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:30 pm
#376427
I bought these 2 plants as little seedlings just under a year ago. See 1st pic with my pretty nails haha. They have grown well for me. I am super intimidated by them. I know it's time for them to be outdoors. I know you look at them wrong and they die. I don't have patience for a fancy set up. They are in a white Tupperware w a drain hole on the side and they get top watered w cool water every few days. Currently under lights 14 hours a day. I have a spot in the back yard that gets about 7 hours of afternoon/evening sun or a small balcony that gets 4ish hours of morning sun then shade. My gut says morning sun. The guy I bought them off of I think said that. But with them being under lights for 14 hours a day I didn't know if the back yard would be better?? Anyone have tips or experience acclimating them outdoors?
2nd and 3rd pics were taken tonight.
ImageImageImage

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By Apollyon
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Joined:  Tue May 05, 2020 2:49 am
#376432
Suppose I would double check and make sure your conditions are habitable for Darlingtonia. They're easier to grow inside because of the temperature control. They do like cool water but they also like decent temperature drops. Know a guy who made a zeer pot into a container for them to keep their roots cool. It was kind of genius really.
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By tracieh
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Joined:  Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:30 pm
#376435
Keeping them indoors is an option? I would love to coddle them forever I just didn't know if I was holding them back indoors.
Im in zone 6b (pa) we usually get a somewhat decent temp drop?

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By steve booth
Posts:  1221
Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am
#376441
If it's warm enough outside where you are, I would get them outside and place them where they get maximum sunlight. They may well need acclimating if the temperature difference inside to outside is too great.
As plants, once growing, they are a lot less demanding than many people think, like you, I have no time to mollycoddle the plants nor to give them fancy setups. All the action with these plants goes on in the top 4" of substrate, I keep all mine (and i have hundreds) in large containers of pure live sphagnum, some only 4" deep, the wicking effect of the moss keeps them wet and cool in hot weather, availability of water is obviously crucial, keep your eyes on the sphagnum, that normally is the first to show something is wrong.
Good luck (oh and great nails by the way)

Cheers
Steve
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By Apollyon
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Posts:  1663
Joined:  Tue May 05, 2020 2:49 am
#376442
Was hoping someone more experienced with the plants would chime in. Thanks steve!

But yeah, because our climate isn't conducive to growing darlingtonia, I know a guy who grows his indoors during the growing season and takes them outside during the winter for dormancy when temperatures are no longer a threat. I was also thinking max sunlight if your climate allows it. Morning is just less intense. You may want to harden them off a bit though.

Now this is a "fancy" setup though it's quite inexpensive to pull off but the guy has had good luck with thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3N0CHVgAk4&t=5s. He lives in New York and his pot keeps the roots about 10 degrees cooler by having the watered sand (can even be tap water) pull the heat from the center and it sweats out the terracotta. Only drawback is the condensation but it's pretty clever and might make the plant more forgiving on hot days (If PA gets them :lol:). He claimed he had it outside in 95 degrees but I don't know.
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By tracieh
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Posts:  422
Joined:  Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:30 pm
#376456
thank you both. I am going to wait for the weather to warm up slightly more consistantly and then start acclimating them. I know people say its over hyped but man this is the most intimidating plant I own :lol:
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By Carnies
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Posts:  1380
Joined:  Mon Oct 26, 2020 4:48 pm
#376466
tracieh wrote:I bought these 2 plants as little seedlings just under a year ago. See 1st pic with my pretty nails haha. They have grown well for me. I am super intimidated by them. I know it's time for them to be outdoors. I know you look at them wrong and they die. I don't have patience for a fancy set up. They are in a white Tupperware w a drain hole on the side and they get top watered w cool water every few days. Currently under lights 14 hours a day. I have a spot in the back yard that gets about 7 hours of afternoon/evening sun or a small balcony that gets 4ish hours of morning sun then shade. My gut says morning sun. The guy I bought them off of I think said that. But with them being under lights for 14 hours a day I didn't know if the back yard would be better?? Anyone have tips or experience acclimating them outdoors?
2nd and 3rd pics were taken tonight.
ImageImageImage

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Also on a side note, I have plants from Cascade Carnivores and they grow their cobras in water trays, I have some cobras as well and I live in California, the cobras grow fine just sitting on my water trays in the hot summer.
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By Matt
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Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#376471
Carnies wrote:Also on a side note, I have plants from Cascade Carnivores and they grow their cobras in water trays, I have some cobras as well and I live in California, the cobras grow fine just sitting on my water trays in the hot summer.
I've seen Darlingtonia in the wild that have sent runners out into the middle of fairly deep pools on a stream and the plants are growing just floating in the water with no contact at all to the soil. And these plants were actually fairly large. So evidently, Darlingtonia can be grown entirely hydroponically without any substrate at all.
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