Greetings to all

Steve Tatman (xas69@dial.pipex.com)
Tue, 10 Dec 1996 10:41:43 -0800

Greetings to everyone I have just joined the CP discussion group.

I have been growing CPs for several years. I have a small collection of
plants, mostly _Drosera_ spp. with a couple of Pings, _Sarracenia
purpurea_, _Nepenthes_ (two hybrids), and a treasured _Cephalotus
follicularis_.

I have been working through the back archives of the discussion group...
brain numbing work but there is so much useful information there. I have
just read digest 924 (the first by email) and am looking forward to
future discussions. I don't have anything like the experience of growing
CPs as some of the correspondents but I hope that I can contribute
something.

Following on from the discussion of _Nepenthes_ growing conditions (John
and Alan), I thought I would offer my recent experiences. I'm not saying
that this is a recommended treatment for Neps but mine seems happy.

When I bought a N. hybrid from a garden centre, it had fine pitchers (5cm
deep on a plant approx. 15cm tall). It lived in the bathroom for a few
months as I thought it would appreciate the humidity. It continued to
grow but the new leaves grew no more pitchers. I had to move all the
plants downstairs when we went on holiday and it ended up standing in the
tray with the sundews. It stayed there, standing in water...not ideal as
I thought the roots would rot. It is in a pond-type lattice plant pot
filled with an open mixture of peat, sand and live sphagnum moss. It now
grows new traps and looks very healthy.

This may be an example of hybrid vigor allowing the plant to tolerate
conditions that are not ideal. However unless it appears to suffer I will
probably follow John Walkers advice and let it be as it appears to be
thriving.

Best wishes,
Steve