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Whilst I've now watched countless thunder storms not far away (within a mile or less) the total rain falling must be sub-mm for over a month. Hence with butts quickly running low the RO has been working flat out for the first time this year. Greenhouse butts now full, one other butt to go. Anyone else missing the wet stuff or have you all been lucky enough to be under a downpour or two?

Hey everyone! On December 11th (last month), I placed two leaves each of Droseras flexicaulis and cistiflora "Purple Flower" into water filled vials and left them unattended until yesterday. When I checked them, I was pleased to discover that erupting from the center of each leaf from both species were long filaments, white at the base and approaching green at the growing end. In D. cistiflora they measure around 1.5 and .5 centimeters, and in D. flexicaulis they measure .7 and .25 cm. I am wondering what other cues I will need to observe before I can safely introduce these cuttings into new media, and what that new media should preferably be. I am considering changing the water and waiting another month before introducing the plants into a peat or sphagnum slurry. Hardening off these species is important to me, as both of them are exceedingly expensive in the US, and the question at issue here is primarily what reliable processes are to securely decant the pullings into media. Of particular concern is D. cistiflora, which will need to develop a taproot in order to survive its dry dormancy. Does anyone have any success with water pullings from this particular species? Or flexicaulis, for that matter? Thank you very much, Carson

hi all, after growing about 100 different species of Mexical Pinguicula in last 4 years in more that 200 pots, I had comes to the problems of water killing most of them during the last two years (one year was with rain from May to July with low temperature, while the other was without a single rain from May to July with big temperatures). The plants were cultivated in standard mineral mix with a flowerpot saucer with little water putted every day in it. The problem is that with irregular flowerpot saucer surface, some pots get more water then others and else when I'm on holiday I can't know how many water a people gives to them for supply my absence. When you have very few plants you can gives them many minutes in a day to figure their state, but with many you can gives only few seconds a day, so you cannot follow them as needed and the result is many plants that died. I so try to think at alternative methods of cultivation when you had not to worry about water level given to them. They have to get what they need. One alternative was the "Pinguiculario" when plant have water not directly at contact with topsoild as it is inside a vessel. You put the water in the vessel (50% of it) and forget the plants for months. The disadvantage is the space needed to cultivate many species with it. Another methods that I experimented this summer is the inclined plate of volcanic Tufo. The plated is immersed into big quantity of water (about 10 liters) but the plant get only the little quantity that from "capillarity" the Tufo present into it. I put the plants for test in it and then fill to the brim of water every weeks. No problem to the plants. The problem with this is the weight of the stuff and the fact that I cannot have too many plants of it as I have to made some holes to put the plants in (if you create many holes the plate breaks. So, now I have elaborated a solution that is a mix of all the previous staff that I hope it can get me freedom in don't' worry about water any-more and have many plant cultivated in a very good looking package. This is a render of the new pot to build. It has 4 spaces for cultivate 4 different species ion the same time. The material is transparent plexiglass stucks with silicon. So, after building the external box, the bottom is filled by 1,5/2cm of Perlite and over it there is a plate of Tufo of 1,5/2cm that is siliconised to the sides, so no water can goes from below to upper part without passing inside the Tufo. At the center there is then apply an hole for let water to pass from upper part to lower part. a rhombus structure in the center become a funnel for inserting the water in the lower part. Then 4 peaces are siliconised for dividing the 4 part of Pinguicula coltivations. Over the Tufo, it will be put 1cm of standard mineral mix of cultivation and above a little (2mm) layer of quartz in granules to gives a better view of all the stuff. Each pot will measure 28,4x20cm ans I will use 2mm policarbonated plate and with 1250x500 sheets I will get 4 pots, so 16 Pingucula. Don't know if this methods will works but I'm feeling positive about it and I hope to have the first prototype assembled in two weeks.

Hi there everyone, I've just joined CPUK recently, and have grown cp's including temperate drosera for about 5 years, however I had to stop for a couple of years until this January. I live in Scotland, my greenhouse minimum temperature is set to 10°C and gets up to around 15°C during the day. I'll be receiving three drosera regia plants soon, and have read the entries on regia in Slack's 1979 and D'Amato's 'Savage Garden along with many of the posts in this forum. What I'm unsure of and would like some advice on from those who have had success in cultivating this species, is how to treat the plant over it's winter period. Some people have been saying that they keep the plant just moist over winter, while others keep it hot and with high water levels throughout the year, giving it no winter resting period at all. When I looked up the conditions in the plant's natural habitat (Wellington, South Africa), it seems that winter there (June to October) has high rainfall, so I can only assume that while I keep this plant in it's winter resting phase at 10-15°C (same as natural habitat), I should keep the pot sat in a few centimetres of water? If you're about to argue that those conditions don't occur in regia's natural habitat, please just look it up before you say anything (unless I'm as thick as two short planks and can't read simple weather data, in which case please correct me), I've attached a link below so you don't even have to do that yourself ;) http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Wellington-weather-averages/Western-Cape/ZA.aspx I'd really appreciate some help with this, as drosera regia is a plant I have longed to grow for years so I would really like to do it right, and not kill what will be my new favourite plant! Many thanks in advance :) David

Hello The very hot UK weather has played havoc with my CPs. I went on holiday for a week, and I thought the trays would be sufficiently topped up with water to last while I was away - previous years have been fine. But I guess the hot weather this year meant that they got through the water quicker than usual. Result: I got home and everything was pretty dry. many Dionaea had started turning black, many Sarracenia had also wilted. To make matters worse, I was also out of rain water. All I could do was give them tap water - I thought that would be better than nothing. I am in London so I am aware that the water is very hard (but I also remember growing CPs on my windowsill as a child and that's all I ever gave them, and they didn't do too badly). Anyway, hopefully some rain in the next few days, plus buying some distilled water if I have to, will solve the watering issue. My question is all these plants look pretty unhealthy now - what is the prognosis for them in the long term. Assuming I can get them the right water, will they recover? And will they recover this year, or is it a write-off for this summer but hopefully they will grow back well next year? Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks!

I've kept my P. gypsicola and P. cyclosecta bone dry this winter. When is a good time to start watering? Thanks,