insectivorous

Sad news Sorry to hear this Phil as would be the 1st time this in the history of the society. At the start of the society we had more then one a year. It's may help if news for shortage of items was put on the site of the society half way through the year as even if you got too much they could alway put to the next one. And a posting on this good forum with closing date and asking for more items would may help. If I done a write up like did many times for the newsletter, but bigger & photo's would I waste my time as I may not be able back in the society after putting my dismay of lack replie to re joining member? As I would not like the society to drop this item even for one year. Yours Alan

Hi All Which do you like the best or are type you grow the most? As we over time find that a plant like a condition the best and gives many flower and traps , we all in the end have best type for a time. It would be nice if you add which are your best plant at this time here too.

Hi As there are so many societies out there now. It would nice to know if you feel the service you get from your local or world wide society is working to give all in the best in the world of societies? As there are so many different societies that give a good site, Good meetings, good newsletters or Journals, has good joining packs. Quick replies to your questions to committee. What would you change in your society to make it better and to get more to join it ? I know that most societies run with people that are working in there spare time, but I have had many reports that some other plant societies give a better service to they membership then we get form Carnivorous societies. Why are there Site much better? Why do they manage to have so many gifts that help membership and make good collections. Why do they manage to get service so much better then in CP groups?

Thanks TIM For the update about the newsletter as this is of help to all membership. May be a note could be placed on society site when there is a notice from the committee member about an item too

Thanks for the replies UV is used in many flowers to aid the plant to get insects to pollinate them. And these are normally like arrow or pointing markings. But do these Catopsis berteroniana, Brocchinia reducta and Brocchinia hectioides UV have design that points to the water or is it just there to block out the high UV that is around the plant to stop damage to cells of leafs? The liquid in the middle may have a wetting agent, but is from the plant or from all bacterias and oils from the dead insects? Yes darlingtonia does use a bacteria to help the plant cells take in the nutrients and also sarracenia purpurea also use bacteria too, but both have cells that take in the nutrients. But both use other items to trap the insects and keep them trapped eg. hairs, wetting agents and mock windows. Are the soils poor like other insectivorous plant grow in? Also has there any tests been done to which chemicals the plants take in and need to grow?

Thanks for the reply and you have putting me right on the details. But has it been look at to see if a deal can be done with other societies to have committee member that reports to you of local events and look at a joint action on helping to give knowledge to the public on lost of bogs, plants. And also a joint funding to have a calendar that many growers and others may wish help with cost to place adverts. It could also help with dates that other society is holding. I'm sure that many sites, societies, growers and others would help to sell them and it could help to get money to help buy up land and keep our plants from dieing out. It could be put to help in testing plants that may have chemicals that help us all.

I have grown plants that have taken -17C here in the south of ESSEX and still there were OK. I have updated the page so there are some photo's of the snow we had here on Monday 2nd Feb 2009 and link to another page a few more. You will see that a Darlintonia is covered in snow and below the plant has it's flower buds ready for this year and today 4th I have looked as the snow melts that there is no damage to them. I found over the years that if Ice does not damage the growing tips and the soil has not gone to an Ice cube, so the roots are damaged the plants can grow well. What I have found is that some plants are better then reported in taking cold weather over the years. But if you wish to try a plant, do not try a plant that you have only one off as it may die and also older plants that are fully grown to flower size have a better luck. and look on the pages of my site for more details. Good luck

Hi Find that the idea that our plants are doing great at Kew good and as person that gave them dozen of plants for the collection, as in the 1980's Kew lost lots of there plants and they did not have staff to care for them, but they are know doing good and I like that they are making many copies to send to other gardens around the world. and that seed is add the great seed bank for our kids to see one day. See this page for more photos and some text. http://www.insectivorousplants.co.uk/growing3kew.html

Hi Yet to see that many plants here in this topic are allowed to be placed into the family on insectivorous /carnivorous plants. 1) Attracts prey to trap. 2) Ensnares and Kills prey. 3) Digests into it's own plant cells. What is the tests that have been done and who did them to find out that these are in our great family of plants. I know that there are many plants which have defenses that kill or stop damage to the plants. But I find it hard to allow plants which kill by defense into our plant group. I also find hard to know which plant is being tested and by which group. and I would also like know if another group finds out the same answers after doing there own tests. BUT I would add that I find all plants good and interested to know more about all of them no matter if they are in our group or not.

Hi These plants are not in my knowledge to be classed as insectivorous as the plants do not: 1) Attracts prey to a trap. 2) Ensnares and Kills prey. 3) Digests into it's own plant cells I know that smell of other dead insects may bring some insects to them, and they may use the water to drink or to lay eggs into it. the insects may just fall in by mistake or knocked in by droplets of water from rain or mist. The plant may take in water into it's cells, but is due to need to get more water or due that it needs to stop rot or the pressure of to must water bending the leafs. Or it may have to empty the center to flower and keep it from rotting. Has any test been done to show that these plants need to kill to grow or that there is real design that makes it insectivorous? Is soil low in growth chemicals so the needs to eat insects? Are insects pulled to plant by colour of the flowers more at that time and it makes more full into the water? Are the roots found to be damaged by chemicals in tap water like many insectivorous plants and are there just to take in water and hold to the soil? As I have yet find these plants insectivorous ?

Yes I did but it was still a good item to talk about at this time as I saw no other topic that i wished to add too. But now I have.

Hi Great work by all that took part. I hope to more of this year "2009"

Hi The ICPS has done a good job and with the committee work done over the years, by many. But it's name is I feel is not right for a reason. 1) Only USA committee members and there membership base must be mainly from the USA. I feel a re name to" The National Carnivorous Plant Society" should be done if the below is not done. Yes USA has many local societies so the above name is the only real name it could have if re-named. I know that they have many members from all over the world which is good, but many other society also have membership that are from all over. I Know that it's had the name for years. But if they had a sub-committee that could be made from people of all parts of the world, it would make it's name real. This can work with the Internet world they could have the meetings over the net with out the travel needed. Members from each national society could be voted on to the committee, so each part of the world has a say in the world of our plants and act together to get the world knowing about lost of bogs and the plants and animals that come with them. We could have a real international society that would have the world growers looking to them more and I feel the membership would have a better say as over sea membership could talk to there national society and get the views over better. The society membership would I feel go up. Each local society could pay a little fee, so there details are placed in each newsletter and if a international calendar was made, which could be done by a sub committee they details could be added too. Or better still a full international committee that works from all over the world. I know more in a committee can make the job easier as when one can not do a job due work, family or other items in life another can take over and it can keep movement going and not hold up any long time plans.

Hi I have found that Insectivorous plants will grow with other mosses but only small types that just cover the soil and not the plants. But with many off our plants it's best to grow using the right S.moss as this grows were you find the plants in the wild and it does hold water into self well and that the moss plant cell are thin and does not have much chemicals that can damage the roots of our plants. Because the S' moss plant has such small cells and this why peat bogs can take 100 if not 1,000 of years to build up peat, which is made from it with some heather and few grasses. This why we have no fossil record of our plants

Hi Orange sarracenia ? There are some plants that have copper / orange type colour at the top of the trap, But not a full orange colour like the fruit. There are a few crosses which has almost orange colour flowers, but yet again I would not call them a full orange as they are three main colours in the sarracenia family " red, yellow & yellow green ". But with so many crosses and with the place a plant is placed with the right light, heat, water, you may see a real orange colour. There are many other Insectivorous plants which have orange flowers.

Well if you seen a sarracenia that has been grown in a pot from many years, you would see the damage to the plastic pot, also size of darlingtonia in pot can be large, so in the end the plant size with soil and water will just push the sides of blocks until they just pop apart. I have to dig up the plants in my bog garden three times in the last ten as the plant just grow to big and the smaller plants like sundews, VFT and others get less sun light and room to grow. Also as person that think ahead and work out that we have only one world ( until more money spent to get to another world ) and we Humans are spreading more over the land which mean our plants are becoming to a point at which, they may only live in collections. So may Plastic block made from a hard plastic which may take 100's of years to decompose and at the same put chemicals into the land & water. It just not green idea to use so many block to made a container that is at a size to grow a few plants. If you are going to have CP bog in a container, which is good idea to grow a group of Insectivorous plants, please use a item that is a bit greener or use an item like an old sink, bath, old whiskey barrel or another item like these.

Hi I have grown Insectivorous plants in many different place like greenhouse, cold frames, window seal, large patio containers, heated and unheated fish tanks and also in my bog gardens too. I have found that in the UK you can grow many types of plants outside that you may not think that would make our winters. you can read some detail of plants in winter at www.insectivorousplants.co.uk/growing1winter.html

Hi all As a very long time grower and still love these plants. I also like the people that grow these great plant too. You can visit my site www.insectivorousplants.co.uk I hope you like it?

NO NO NO 1) your plants will grow and this will push apart the blocks in time. 2) in cold weather the soil will inlarge and again push apart the blocks. 3) Also it's just not green using those type of blocks.

Great photo of your bog. I have bog garden my self which I enjoy all year around and is about 15 feet long by about 8 feet wide and I have some photos of my bog on my site. www.insectivorousplants.co.uk I have even shown that the plants can take snow and ice on one of the pages.

Well done for the great new letter and it's nice to see The Carnivorous Plants Society is still working well. I hope that all going well in committee and you have some great plans to promote membership of the great society, with such a long history. I will be looking forward to the next newsletter.