Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 10:11:35 -0400 (EDT) From: Perry Malouf <pmalouf@access.digex.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3614$foo@default> Subject: Neps. over Sarr., & vice versa
Paul Burkhardt wrote:
> One can ask, "Why the attraction over Sarracenia instead of
> Nepenthes?" It is all a matter of personal taste.
Ready for some tongue-in-cheek? :-)
Well, as a resident of the mid East Coast of the U. S.,
I can answer this one. Sarraceniae are a helluva lot
easier to grow around here than Nepenthes. No greenhouse
needed, no fuss, no muss. Plant 'em in the proper media
in a sunny location, keep 'em wet in the summer, and away
they go. Come winter, let the pitchers die off, throw
a little mulch on top, and forget about 'em. They'll be
back next summer.
Having said that, I point out that I grow almost no Sarraceniae.
That will probably change :-)
Nepenthes, on the other hand, are a pain. None of them
can take the winter cold we get here. They like their
RO water and peat tea. They like to be misted. Most
won't thrive without high humidity. In short, they
need an artificial environment in my area.
Having said _that_, I point out that I do grow a few
Nepenthes. It doesn't make sense! :-)
Well, personal taste is not always rational, is it?
I was amazed, and envious, to see how well Nepenthes
grow in Malaysia with almost no effort at all. Huge
plants. And here I am busting my hump just to grow one
to 1/4 that size.
On the other hand, it tickles me to see what a hard time
the people of Malaysia, Hawaii, and other tropical areas,
have in growing North American species like Sarraceniae and
Dionaea. Induce dormancy? Put 'em in the fridge for a few
months? What a pain! Heck, they thrive outdoors all year
round where I live with little effort.
What a remarkable world we live in, where people have the
opportunity to cultivate plants that are not native to
their homes. What would we have done without Marco Polo?
Regards,
Perry Malouf
(waxing philosophic)
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