Nigel H-C
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Posts posted by Nigel H-C
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Certainly looks like it! I'd be inclined to pinch it out and let the plant concentrate on growing for another year.
Nigel HC
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Morning Tim,
Not actually there this year, it always clashes with Polly's birthday (which is also our anniversary), and she was 40 yesterday so I said ages back that I'd give it a miss this year!
Be good to talk about this in more detail, and agree an evening out would be good again. Think Stewart is back later this month/next?
Nigel
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Hi Tim,
Are you at the NEC this week?
If someone chooses not to use peat and has success that's his/her choice and none of my business. The peat fascists are those I describe who treat you like a criminal for using the stuff, not those who like you and Phil (Hi Phil), who have made an informed decision.
Even if ex-situ conservation represents a small number of plants, it is still worthwhile don't you think?
I seem to recall some plants grown peat free at the NEC last year on the society stand which were looking good?
Nigel
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Ha ha ha!
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Most of the seed grown plants I have date back nearly 15 years, and the seed was collected responsibly by one or two well known names at the time. The rest of the nursery I have propagated from division from my own collection over the years and also by seed from my own plants.
These aren't the sort of plants you can get from a wholesaler as you know, so it's a long road to become established!
Also, another slant you can now justify, is that as more and more of these sites are destroyed, we hold the only genetic material remaining of these wonderful plants.
It's always a work in progress and I have a number of plants I'm working towards selling in the nursery, but as ever it just takes years.
Nigel HC
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Hi Tom,
Welcome to the obsession.
Nigel HC
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Indeed, I use the briquettes myself sometimes, the smell is fantastic! Here's the confession though, I changed from the open fire to the log burner a couple of years back, mainly so I can leave it burning overnight and not rely on the heating as we are not on mains gas and the suppliers really screwed us, cost wise.
Nigel
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Yes, the colour is something else! It stands out like a curry to a pisshead!
Nigel HC
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Hi Richard,
No, I dont fertilise them, though the liberal application of blood worms would certainly do no harm, indeed I use them on the tuberous species.
Nigel HC
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Just avoid whats sold as rich dark peat which is the type of sedge peat harvested from the levels here in Somerset.
The peat issue is somewhat out of hand. I have to be well versed in the argument as there are always one or two peat facsists at the flower shows who look at you like youve just wee'd on their Granny when you mention using peat 'Oh I dont buy peat'. When asked why, they come back with a flimsy argument no better than theyve read they shouldnt buy it!
UK horticulture uses around 2 million tonnes per year (apparently a lot of that goes to vegetable plug growing), whereas EVERY peat fired power station (which incidentally 99 percent of people have never heard of because its easier to kick the little man in the balls) use a million tonnes each, every year. There are many of these in Ireland, Russia, Finland, Argentina etc. but this never gets mentioned. However, we are conserving these plants by growing them-look at the number of sites being lost every year, including a couple of high profile ones recenty.
If we all listened to the liberal Notting Hill Chablis swilling luvvies we'd be in serious trouble!
Nigel HC
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Yes peat and sand, erring on the side of the sand so 60:40 sand to peat.
I find I come away from the shows with various plants (rarely cps), and resort to hiding them around the place until I can get them in the ground! Polly didnt even spot a 6 foot Brahea armata last year that suddenly appeared!
Glad the regia arrived okay, am now in cornwall for the show if anyone's attending?
Nigel HC
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Hi Fred,
You are quite right, treat it as D. Capensis or aliciae, winter minimum 7 celcius. I've not tried freezing this one yet!
Nigel HC
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...apart from the fact I'm at the Bath & West show this week, and straight off to Cornwall for next!!
Then a couple of weeks before Hampton Court to catch up with the day job.
Nigel
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They're around 3-4 inches high, and 2 years old. They seem to be growing well after a slow beginning this year.......!
At another show currently (Bath & West) , judging this morning, and at the Cornwall show next week.
Nigel
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Finished at last, driving home tomorrow morning.
Nigel HC
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A friend has a display of Aquilegias, one of which is called 'Winky Blue'. A woman in the crowd shouts over to him 'Have you got seeds of your winky?' The rest of the crowd laugh and she turns puce.
The Neps bear up okay, though yesterday was by far the coldest day I can recall at any show, and has certainly been my coldest Chelsea. It was somewhere around seven degrees yesterday, but the sun is shining today and I can look forward to the bedlam of breakdown.
Nigel HC
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Yesterdays quote of the day.
Woman looks at the Nepenthes alatas and says 'I've seen these in Morrocco. Where are they from?' 'South east Asia' I reply. 'Oh, must have been something else'.
With my botanical hat on I try to think of something that could have resembled and came up with 'It could have been an Aristolochia'
'No, it was in Marrakech' came the response.
Don't know about you guys, but I've never heard of a place called Aristolochia!
Wet, and very cold today.
Nigel HC
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...should have mentioned, heard a man say yesterday 'Oh look conifers' whilst he pointed to my friends display of Fuchsias next to mine!
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Morning All,
Yes, I'd heard that Rob Cantley was going to be at Hampton this year, and yes it is televised. Busy day yesterday, seemed to be more crowded than Tuesday, but today is the first public day which means a bigger crowd!
12 hour stints talking continually are knackering, so enjoying a coffee before I start.
What is worrying me is the shining yellow disc which seems to have appeared in the sky-anyone know what it could be?
Nigel HC
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Hi All,
Thanks for the comments. Ive had a couple of radio interviews so far, but not seen any of the tv coverage for obvious reasons-its a knackering show to do on your own!
Yesterday was good but bloody cold, God help us at the end of the week when a temperature of 9c is being bandied around. If anyones visiting come and say hello.
It was a great day for Somerset with a number of Golds and Blackmore and Langdon won the presidents award as they've been at the show from the very begining, am wondering if I'll get it in a huned years time?!
Nigel HC
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Yes, we are all selling and displaying! Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow.
Nigel H C
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Well I had them in the nursery unheated and they're fine. It's a smaller, more gracile form than the standard, but despite it's delicate appearence it is pretty tough.
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Slackii will survive but is slow to grow back from its roots. All of the binata plants are fine, except multifida Extrema, which again is slow to grow back.
All of the filiformis will be fine as will some forms of spatulata. I also left some ascendens in the nursery and amazingly they survived!
Nigel
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Hi Richard,
The simple answer is no. I have left a few tubers in the nursery over winter and been surprised at how well thay grew, but I wouldnt recommend it. D. peltata seems to fare okay, but the others which were D. erythrorhiza forms grew but looked pretty ropey.
That said, it's surprising how cold tolerant they are as a group and they can shake off a light freeze with no problems. I keep mine in a partitioned end of the Drosera house and allow the temperature to drop to about 4 degrees celsius. I don't give them any extra light as they are adapted to lower winter light levels and even in our grey climate they can colour well.
Every year is different and this past winter most of the rosetted species have been pretty abysmal, with a couple of exceptions. The long protracted winter seemed to affect the emergence times with some appearing very late and not producing much in the way of growth. Quite how this will have affected the production of their new tubers remains to be seen.
In all, a fascinating group and well worth a dabble as they certainly add interest and are generally easier than considered. I have written an article on the tuberous species which I'm waiting to be published later this year.
Nigel HC
Saw these ebay
in General Carnivorous Plant Discussion
Posted
I have recently named a plant which has reversed out veins and peculier 'air brushed' colouring. Will upload an image if I get time!
Nigel HC