Just wanted to share a few assorted Nepenthes photos from the end of a bright winter’s work day. The setting sun was coming in at an angle that added a nice subtle glow to the deadly foliage.

Nepenthes thorelii x aristochiloides
(Thanks again Paul! It’s pitchering like mad!)

Nepenthes robcantleyii

Nepenthes hamata
A new baby pitcher on a very young plant, but it’s doing well.
So cute. But wait until it gets older, it gets soooo much cuter!
(Thanks Drew!) 

I recently got all the plants somewhat sorted out and kind of clean, but I haven’t really done much dividing or trimming yet. I’ll be getting to that. Anyway, if you know me you’ll know that I can be kind of a pyro-maniac at times. That even includes times in the greenhouse.

Now, controlled burns like what Bob Hanrahan does here are beneficial and necessary for the well being of these plants. Burns like I’ve photographed below are unnecessary, and more for my entertainment value. I guess. (Kids don’t try this at home). I think it looked cool so just snapped a couple photos … ‘cuz I’m a nut like that. Besides, I had to keep warm in the greenhouse somehow, right?

Sarracenia leucophylla on fire

Sarracenia formosa flambe

Happy Monday all! Most of the plants in the greenhouse are alseep, but there are a couple that are awake. I mean… like dude, sent up pitchers and ready for business! It’s been a funky year last year so things are adjusting in a weird way. I guess. I would gather that the greenhouse environment also contributes to the early risers photographed below. Both are crosses that I’ve done in years past.

Sarracenia (leucophylla x oreophila, Oudean Clone) x purpurea ssp. venosa

Sarracenia ‘Love Bug’ x flava v. rubricorpora

Recently a new pitcher of Nepenthes jamban popped open! This Nepenthes really fascinates me. It has  such a unique … toilet like shape. My understanding is “jamban” in Indonesian translates to “toilet.” Anyway, this Nepenthes by any other name would be just as awesome. I can’t wait for the other pitchers to open up… it has a couple more toilets, er, pitchers… forming that I’m looking forward to!

Nepenthes jamban

Nepenthes jamban

Ah, sweet progress! I managed a chance to finally start trimming some dead pitchers off. I didn’t have my Katana blade with me this day, but will bring it next time. I managed to clean up the Sarracenia alata and flava table.  Here’s a shot of the table before and after – with pitchers trimmed and weeds picked out. I left some of the foliage and phyllodia on as those will serve as the “solar panels.” (For photosynthesis. ) There’s still a lot of work to do, yet so much to look forward to. I know we’re in the dead of winter, but man – growing season is right around the corner! You ready?!

Pre trim. Sarracenia alata and flava table. 

Post trim. Sarracenia alata and flava table.

I’m getting around to repotting a few plants here and there and thought I would share a quick little tip on keeping the dust down when working with perlite (or any dusty media material for that matter). In my potting mix, I use a rough one part peat to one part perlite mix. Sometimes I use more peat in the mix, or even pure peat as my potting medium… but yeah, the Sarrs don’t seem picky.

I hope that those of you out there that work with perlite don’t be a puff-puffin’ on the stuff in hopes of getting your garden fix. You’ll have better luck with other white powdery stuff. Uhhhh ok. So anyway… when you work with perlite, please take precaution! DO NOT to breath that dust in. It can irritate your respiratory system, and the stuff may contain crystalline silica. Inhaling that can lead to some nasty respiratory issues. You may want to wear something like the last photo in this public service announcement safety post.

How do I deal with it? A quick and simple trick is once you open up the bag, run water through it to keep the dust down. That’s it! Nice and simple. Gardening is awesome, but little things like this will help ensure a healthier garden experience. Remember, practice safe gardening.

Practice safe gardening. Moisten your perlite.

Khadijah rocks the plants.

I had my very talented niece, Khadijah, and her guitar over at the greenhouse yesterday. It was flippin’ awesome to have some live music to work by (as well as a photo assistant.) Dude. She rocked the plants! I’m thinkin’ of having the greenhouse double as a concert hall… or mosh pit! Thanks again for all your help yesterday Khadijah!

Growing from seed is awesome. Under those tiny husks lie the dream of new and great plants, the hope of genetic preservation, and the culmination of ideas made tangible and manifest.

Oh, but when fungus/botrytis attacks: that’s when it’s totally UNAWESOME. Dude, it sucks! You gotta be very vigilant because once some of that fuzzy crap hits, it can spread like crazy. A few causes of this could be things like over crowding, poor water quality, poor air circulation, and/or a combination of all of the above. Seeds and media have the potential to carry nasty spores that will jump at the chance to grow when provided the opportunity. Prevention is key here. Now that I have space, I plan on giving my next year’s crop lots of space to allow air and light to penetrate.

I’ve had to move the plants and seeds from one location to another this past year and no doubt the stress, the conditions, and crowding contributed to the outbreak. Hey, it happens!

The crop below is of an anthocyanin free (AF) cross I did using Sarracenia ((purpurea ssp. purpurea f. heterophylla x rubra ssp. jonesii) x (leucophylla x rubra ssp. gulfensis)) x mitchelliana – AF clone. Yeah, I know. I love ‘em greens.

Ugh, gross!

So, how did I deal with it? I’ve tried to use a sulfur based fungicide, but that does not always do the trick. Once that botrytis fungus hits, it can be a huge pain to get rid of and spraying may not always work. Many of the seedlings as you can see have succumbed to the f*ckin’ grossness, yet a few of the plants still look salvageable. First off, I was sure to glove up as I posted about here.

Next, I began to separate and trim off the crappy dead foliage. I make sure that the foliage is disposed of in an area far away from the growing area when all done.

An important note here is that after the use of the trimming apparatus it is a good practice to clean/sterilize the clippers. Simple use of a 1 to 10 ratio bleach / water solution, or even something like Clorox cleaning wipes can do the trick. I did not have my lighter on me at the time, but I would imagine dousing the tools in alcohol + flame would work just as fine. You don’t want to spread any Sarracenially Transmitted Diseases…

I separate the salvaged seedlings out in a separate working tray and begin to pot these up in fresh media and giving them plenty of room. Some folks say that at this young age, the young plants are “too fragile” to be moved about. In my experience the young plants could more than handle all of this jostling about. I mean, check out those young and strong healthy root systems!

Salvaged seedlings.

Next I fill a pot with fresh potting media. My typical mix is a rough 1 part peat to 1 part perlite ratio. In the shot below, I threw in a little bit of horticultural sand. I dig a hole using the label, (a pencil also works) and gently lower the roots in. I’ll then  use the label to also gently guide the roots in. Next I backfill the hole and give it a nice press to ensure the roots are happy and snug.

Potting up the cleaned and salvaged seedlings.

Gotta be sure to give these guys room for light and air. I used a 3.5 inch pot and put 4-5 seedlings in each pot. They should be good for another year or two at this stage. I’ll then give them a nice watering and set them aside in a separate quarantine area of the greenhouse away from the rest of the plants to monitor their growth and (hopefully) speedy recovery.

All clean and happy!

After I was done with this salvage project, I was sure to clean up my garden area and tools. Gloves were then disposed, and I wiped down with some hand sanitizer. I’ll update you in the coming weeks as to how these babies fare! Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

***

Photo credit: All photos in this post were taken by my talented and musical niece, Khadijah. Since I was gloved up with fungus covered gloves, I was not too keen on handling the camera. Thanks again, Khadijah! You rock!

2012 has been a year marked with intense transition from one place to another, both personally and botanically. Indeed, this year was challenging. Each move was a monumental undertaking and ultimately resulted in increasing formidable awesomeness. I am thankful for it all and look forward to what the next season will bring.

To sum it all up…

January, 2012.

From that, to this.

Then this.

And then finally this.

August, 2012.

On this eve of a new year I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude and say “thank you” for making 2012 so memorable. I am thankful for my family, friends, and you readers out there. (Yeah, I see you!) I really couldn’t of done 2012 without your continued support and encouragement. I wish you all continued success and growth in 2013. Cheers!

Greetings!

Wishing you all a wonderful Happy New Year! 2013 is now here and I am so excited and look forward to so many amazing things this year. One of the things I’ve been working on and recently launched today is THE SHOP! Yeah! You’ll find my extra plants from the collection here. (Plant sales in the USA only.) You will find crosses that I’ve done, seed grown plants that I’ve grown from other brilliant growers, or perhaps even plants that are harder to find in cultivation.

At this moment, I am still going through the plants and doing a few divisions. Inventory will be updated as I find the plants for you beautiful growers. I’ll also be working on a few other non-plant items such as fine art photo prints and clothing/accessories. Check back often and keep a watch on Twitter, or Facebook for updates.

This is an ongoing project for me. If you have any questions, concerns, or if you run into any technical hiccups (yeah, this is all new for me too), please feel free to contact me.

Thank you all for your continued support! Here’s to a beautiful and wonderful 2013 for us all. Let’s grow. Cheers!

While most plants are dormant, there are a few that are early risers here.  Perhaps it is because a few are still adjusting and out of whack from all of the shuffle last year. Also, the greenhouse I am in now has a couple hot spots. The winner of this year’s first flower goes to a complex hybrid I did a few years ago of Sarracenia moorei – Yellow River, FL x [((purpurea x flava) x flava) x minor]

Sarracenia moorei, Yellow River, FL x [(purpurea x flava) x flava)] x minor

Running not far behind are a few plants, one of which is this anthocyanin free hybrid. Not sure exactly what this one is – perhaps some combo of AF (anthocyanin free) psittacina/rubra cross. I caught this one as the sun was behind the new pitcher. It was really highlighting that glow that I love so much with AF plants. And yeah, there’s still a whole slew of dead pitchers in the background, but I’m making my rounds cleaning up each section as I get to it.

Anthocyanin free hybrid about to bloom. I suspect a psittacina/rubra hybrid.

Seeing the signs of plants breaking dormancy is exciting indeed. Like, I’m freakin’ out inside when I think about all the possibilities this year! SO much to look forward to! Again, most of the plants are dormant and just a pile of elongated crispy leaves. These plants are just a handful that are awake early. This won’t be for long though. In a matter of a few short weeks, there again will be a deluge of growth and color. And yes, it will be awesome.

Just a few quick updates on some of the Nepenthes action here!

Here’s an update on the Nepenthes fusca hybrid cutting from Paul. Many of those cuttings are showing growth points at this stage. Woohoo!

A baby Nepenthes hamata, with a new pitcher.
Oh, the cute little teeth are becoming a little more prominent!

A Nepenthes maxima hybrid from Paul.

Nepenthes jamban, a new pitcher opening.

Gone. But not forgotten. The era of this grand Drosophyllum has come to an end. I received a small plant in 2009 from Mike Wang, and the thing eventually grew into a colossal beast. As you can see in the skeleton below, the main trunk got as thick as my thumb. I started noticing a decline last month – and now it’s gone. No biggie though, it happens. I miss this plant though, that’s for sure.

End of an era.

Yeah, the thing was a beast. the photo to the left was taken in July, 2011. This was taken just before it started branching out like crazy and eventually, the weight of it all made it spill over the edge of the pot. I really never expected that I would of been able to grow this plant to this size.

Knowing what I know now, I think that I’ll get a bigger pot for these monsters to grow in next time. When I first received the plant from Mike, it was still growing in a 3 inch plastic pot. It was a young plant at the time. I was able to transplant that plant into a larger terra cotta pot. Yes, it’s possible — but you have to be very careful not to disturb the root system. I basically just slid that dirt brick out of the small 3 inch pot and carefully potted it up all nice and happy in it’s new home.

It eventually turned into this crazy muti-headed honey smelling hydra. See photo to the right taken last year in the fall. Not sure exactly what caused the crash. It could of just been age? It has been said that the plants can flower themselves to death. I have been quite cautious with the flowering part and limited the flowering by trimming off most (not all) of the flower buds/stalks. I suspect that it may of had to do with the roots? In previous years, I’ve kept the plant a little bit on the dryer side during winters, only watering occasionally. Perhaps missing a watering with an overly root bound base may of stressed the plant. Who knows. After yanking the trunk out of the pot, I decided to do an autopsy and look at the root system. In the photo below, you’ll see the black roots running all throughout the pot, and looking somewhat cramped at the bottom.

Cramped.

Above you can see the roots all packed in pretty tight. The mix I used was a pretty rocky/quick draining one. At the very bottom of the pot, I used a thin layer of long fiber sphagnum moss. This was to prevent the media from spilling out of the hole at the bottom of the pot. The rest of the potting mix consisted of a coarse grade horticultural sand, perlite, pumice, a handful of peat moss, and some APS (Aquatic Plant Soil). I can’t remember the exact ratios, but I just mixed it until I felt the media was “happy” enough. I guess.

This Drosophyllum is now gone, but like I mentioned – not forgotten. I’ve had success with cuttings with this plant – it takes a long time but I managed to get roots on a couple of those rejected flower stalks, or random branches I felt like lopping off. Those did not survive all of the moves last year, but genetic representations of this badass plant are still alive and well. Kinda. In my fridge. In the form of seeds. (Ok, now cue the Circle of Life…)

There are tiny beasts locked up in the shells.

New hairdo.

Shrek got a new hairdo! I know, it does not look like much at the moment. I replaced the Pinguicula with some tiny dormant Dionaea “Guava Sawtooth” divisions. In a couple of months, those bald spots should fill in quite hungrily. Lookin’ good there, Shrek.

Sarracenia ‘Alucard’ – “Prince of Darkness”

Signs of spring are being found throughout the Asylum in an increasing frequency. I’m seeing more and more flower buds starting to emerge and new pitchers forming. It’s a great sign, and yeah, I nerd out when seeing things like this. One of the recent finds was of S. ‘Alucard’ “Prince of Darkness.” This is a select S. ‘Alucard’ clone that was created by Phil Faulisi. In the fray of phyllodia, a new pitcher of darkness rises. The “Prince of Darkness” is awake!

Delicious findings: autopsy of a hungry Sarracenia leucophylla leaf.

Last year, I didn’t really see any strong defining characteristics with the plants as they were waking up. From what I’m seeing, this year is off to a strong start. Yo, it’s friqin’ exciting seeing the plants wake up looking happy. Most of the plants are still dormant, but there are some that are awake. One of the recent pitchers that I came across was of S. ‘Black Widow’ x flava v. ornata. This cross was done by Dr. Travis H. Wyman in 2008.  I’ll be watching this one as I suspect that it will get darker as the season progresses.

S. ‘Black Widow’ x flava v. ornata
Cross by Dr. Travis H. Wyman, 2008

S. ‘Black Widow’ x flava v. ornata
Cross by Dr. Travis H. Wyman, 2008

Just a few random shots from around the ‘house… enjoy!

***

Sarracenia oreophila x ‘Adrian Slack’

Nepenthes jamban

Darlingtonia californica peeking out over the edge

Pinguicula “John Rizzi” in bloom

S. (oreophila x ‘Royal Ruby’) x ‘Adrian Slack’ – young pitcher of a cross I did a couple of years ago. I believe that this is a pitcher that was sent up a bit later last season.

S. [(oreophila x minor) x (purpurea x rubra) x leucophylla] x “Green Frog”
This is a complex hybrid I did a few years ago. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen some characteristics from this baby.

Sarracenia psittacina
This is a large clone from Jerry Addington. It is still dormant and was recently repotted. It does not look like much now, but hoping it throws out some beast-mode behemoth foliage once it wakes from dormancy.

Sarracenia rosea “Big Mama”
It’s currently dormant and recently repotted. Just like the S. psittacina above, I am hoping it throws out some beast-mode behemoth foliage once it wakes.

Sarracenia venosa, anthocyanin free clone

Old and New: S. ‘Judith Hindle’ x ‘Adrian Slack’
Cross by Mike Wang

Sarracenia ‘Reptilian Rose’ x (flava v. rubricorpora x leucophylla)
- Clone 8 -
Cross by Dr. Travis H. Wyman – 2008

With only a few days left before [insert major sporting event here], this hybrid crossed by Dr. Travis H. Wyman opens up to display a wonderful contrast of red and gold. Could this be a sign? (…Go 49ers!)