All Activity
This stream auto-updates
- Past hour
-
Most areas of Preston are high in TDS I'm afraid. Their water doesn't come from the Lake District like most areas of NW England. I would stick to deionised water, which you can get from most supermarkets.
- Yesterday
-
You can buy a TDS Meter (Total Dissolved Solids) from Amazon for less than £10. Do a search on TDS Meter for a selection. Always good to have for testing your water and rainwater should be anything from about 8 - 15 ppm if not contaminated. Water less than 50 ppm is usually fine for carnivorous plants. Kind regards, Rob
-
Danny... changed their profile photo
-
In Preston Lancashire . I've not tested the water. Where do you get the test kits from and witch kit should I get?
-
The only thing wrong with greenhouses is the Mrs can see what your up to .
-
Its Looking good. I'm hoping to get another greenhouse or a larger on. But I'm a long way from that atm.
-
Where do you live? If you're in a soft water area you can search your water quality on your water company website. It's usually listed as conductivity, which you can convert to total dissolved solids.
-
Bottled water isnt distilled water and does contain nutrients so wouldnt be a good alternative. Water sold for irons or car batteries are distilled or RO but some aquarium specialists (if you can fin done thats open) sell RO water which is perfect. If you have access to an AC unit the water from that can be used. In the short term if plants are dying, any water is better than none and pots can be flushed with rain/distilled water later if tap water has to be used. I collect water off my shed felted roofs, and my house roof, it raises the mineral content slightly (worse in light rain or infrequent showery conditions) but not enough to worry about, according to my TDS machine the 'pure' rainwater is 8-12 ppm and the roof water varies form 8 -15 with the dust and muck that accrues on it. If you feel rich enough you could buy a Reverse Osmosis machine. Cheers Steve
-
Hi Maciej,
do oyu have some Heliamphora for spare at the moment?
Best Regards,
Michael
- Last week
-
xxvitoxx joined the community
-
I'm getting back into the hobby and I'm about to receive my first few plants in a few day. BUT my 3 year old son has opened the tap on the waterbutt that I've collected water for the plants and has emptied completely .No rain is in the forecast . Where can I buy distilled water ? Is it just bottled water? Also could I collect water from my shed ? Or is it best to stay clear as the roof is covered with shed felt, wood it harm the plants?
-
Jamie joined the community
-
I have the same thing on my red azaleas. It did not affect the white ones, right next to them. They have no leaves on them, but they are loaded with buds. Help!
-
Hello Joelugs, welcome to the forum.
-
Hello, as we all know N. truncata is a very widespread species and I'd be interested to know what temps you give to yours and possibly what clones they are. Also, I've heard some people had particular issues concerning watering too much their plants... what do you think?
-
Mine can get flooded over winter with no sign of rot ever outside. I am in sunny Hampshire so may not be a fair comparison. However, my mother has sarracenia I've given her sat permanently in her pond North of Bolton so you should have no problem in Wigan
-
Hi and welcome to the forum. In a normal year there are many open days you could attend and pick up plants from many of the growers on this forum. Next year, perhaps?
-
TrevorYoung joined the community
-
Beristian joined the community
-
siegetrain joined the community
-
Hi there guys, Here I have my nepenthes x Miranda. I believe the source of the damage may be cold temperatures, or a combination of cold temperatures and over-watering. I’ve moved the plant from my conservatory to a warmer location where it receives a good dose of sunlight from a south facing window. I’ve stopped watering as much, allowing the pot to dry out slightly. What do you think the chances are of this guy surviving? It looks as though the plant is still producing new growth, as can be seen in the third picture. Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for your support.
-
Hi jolugs13 and welcome to the forums and back to the hobby. There is a sales and wants section for plants, for which there is a qualifying period before you can use it and there is a Carnivorous Plant Website section which has a plethora of places where you can obtain materis. Cheers Steve
-
Hi . After about 8 year from keeping a only a handful cp in my greenhouse and a couple of house moves and I'm where I want to be in live . I'm ready to start again . So the greenhouse is up and I'm wanting to concentrate on growing sarracenias. I just love seeing all your greenhouses packed full with them. Where or how do you obtain these plants . If anyone is parting with some or thinking there collection down a little or even plants to a good free home to get me started. Please PM me . I'm really looking forward to get back into obtaining knowledge from all of you.
-
Joelugs13 joined the community
-
Well done !!! Maybe in winter reduce the water if you use saucers.
-
Not routinely available in the U.K.
-
elle joined the community
-
I am also curious if anyone has seen benefit from drosera. I used drosera for viral whooping cough a few years ago and found it relaxed throat a bit when at its very worst but did not help to clear lungs - plus if whooping cough is not treated with antibiotic it comes back a few months later and packs a whollop with a cough that won't stop. Can have long term negative impact. So drosera didn't convert me then. Guessing if ailment in your throat like diphtheria like ailments, then probably more useful. But any herbal in this day and age is booster treatment. We must still be socially responsible and if a empirical proven treatment or cure is found, best to go with that. Until we get vaccine for covid19 then any natural remedies I think are fair go because we are all at same disadvantage. I would say from experience that nigella sativa aka black seed is much better for clearing respiratory from nose to throat to lungs - can use it in cooking or on cereals so makes it very versatile and user friendly. I think there are front liners in France and Iran who are using nigella seeds as immune booster. I also found andrographis useful. I am thinking of trialling these with lotus (blue lily) to see if this has more beneficial relaxing qualities than one would get with drosera. Also have started adding withania back into health regimine. Haven't seen much use in horseradish. garlic is a staple so can't say it does any more or less than before the corona. But probably anything ginseng is worth a go, panax, siberian, etc. as well. But if anyone hears of other beneficial complimentary remedies, please post. Thanks.
-
Djey54 joined the community
-
ticuad joined the community
-
I was observing a colony of Drosera cunifolia on table mountain with Drosera aliciae just meters away when I found an oddball that immediately stood out to me and I am assuming is a hybrid between the two. No other species were closer that 50 meters. The plant didn’t flower this year and i don’t want to wait till next year so does anyone have in their collection Drosera cunifolia x aliciae or a picture of it please? And if anyone has heard of this hybrid in the wild also please let me know. It’s very nice seems to have the best characteristics of both species and for this time of year when both parents look small and unhappy it looked like it was in its prime bigger than both parents. Probably some hybrid vigor there:)
-
Freshly potted up D. capensis 6 years old.
-
I keep the water level almost to the top of the pot on mine. It gets some direct Sun in the afteroons.
-
Any BT product will help. Ask for BT at the garden center.
-
Hey guys, Can anyone please help me identify this Nepenthes? It is a good grower and makes nice tall vines. The most distinguishable trait I guess would be the pitchers. Both the lower and the upper pitchers have a completely green bottom half and a speckled top half. Also both lowers and uppers have a very small and completely green peristomes. Thanks!
