VCPS Jun 05 Journal No 76

ISSN 1033-6966 VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUS PLANT SOC IETY Inc. June 2005 No. 76 Nepenthes glabrata Utricularia gibba Nepenthes ramispina Utricularia uniflora Utricularia uliginosa Drosera lowriei Drosera intermedia Utricularia australis VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUS VICTORIAN CARNIVOROUS PLANT SOC IETY Inc. PLANT SOC IETY Inc. Annual Subscriptions Issue No. 76 June 2005 Australian membership $20.00 Office Bearers: July 2004 – June 2005 Overseas membership $20.00 Payment from overseas must be in Australian dollars. President Paul Edwards All cheques or money orders should be made payable to the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Inc (VCPS). Vice President Stephen Fretwell Payment by credit card is NOT available at the time of this journal issue. General Secretary Gordon Ohlenrott Correspondence Minutes Secretary Sean Spence Please forward all correspondence regarding subscription, change of address, Other Publications Gordon Ohlenrott articles for the journal and back issues to: The Secretary VCPS Journal Editor Stephen Fretwell P.O. Box 201 SOUTH YARRA 3141. Assistant Journal Editor David Bond AUSTRALIA Internet Co-ordinator Paul Edwards Journal articles, in MS-Word, ready for publication, may be Emailed to the Editor or Secretary. Treasurer Ken Neal Librarian Andrew Gibbons Meetings Seedbank Administrator George Caspar Most VCPS meetings are held in the hall at the rear of the Pilgrim Uniting Church on the corner of Bayview Road and Montague Street, Yarraville – Melway map reference Hardware Co-ordinator Andre Cleghorn 41K7. These meetings are on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 8 PM. However, some meetings may be at the home of members during a weekend. Show Co-ordinator Peter Anderson Details of meeting dates and topics are listed in each journal. Field Trips Organiser George Caspar If unsure of the location or date of any meeting, please ring a committee person for details. Public Officer Alexander Whitehouse The VCPS Annual General Meeting, usually held at Yarraville in June, provides substantial benefits for each and every member able to attend. Sales Administrator Ron Abernethy 2 – VCPS VCPS – 3 Contents Presidents Report he VCPS Annual General Meeting has now been and gone, and congratu - lations to those who have volunteered to take on new roles. Due to Tincreased work commitments, I chose not to stand for re-election as FRONT COVER: President. Our former Vice President, Steve Fretwell, has stood up to the plate, Utricularia australis and I feel sure that he will do an excellent job as the new President. growing at Hoppers Crossing. Photographed But what have I done? I somehow scored the job of General Secretary. Talk by Stephen Fretwell about going from the fat to the fire! I certainly have big boots to fill, following the resignation of Gordon from the position (after a 15 year reign!). BACK COVER: Clockwise from top left: The last three years have been rewarding and enjoyable for me. I have been I Nepenthes glabrata , lucky enough to have gone through a period when the strength and reputation Drosera spatulata from Maddens Plain, NSW, 5cm in diameter. grown by Paul Edwards. of the society has grown. We are lucky that the VCPS doesn’t suffer from the political in-fighting that many other clubs and societies often seem to have. This I Utricularia gibba from is due largely to the work of the committee members, as well as the ordinary Growing Nepenthes – Part 2 6 Toolooma Lake, NSW. members who are never shy to put their hands up to undertake a required task. I Nepenthes ramispina For this, I would like to thank all members for their support and encouragement NSW natives 10 grown by Paul Edwards. during my period as President. Importantly, we all seem to have the same goal – Experimenting with aquatic I Utricularia uliginosa from to enjoy carnivorous plants! Toolooma Lake, NSW. carnivorous plants 14 I look forward to the Societies continued growth over the next few years. I’m I Drosera intermedia from sure that all members will give Steve the support, help and respect that they were Unusual Propagation 16 Poland, photographed by kind enough to give to me. Krzysztof Ciesielski. Expedition to “Zurawie Bagno" I Drosera lowriei , grown Cheers for now, and happy growing. in Poland 19 and photographed by Peter Wolf Regards Paul Edwards Meeting topics & dates for 2005 20 I Utricularia uniflora from Maddens Plain, NSW. Seedbank 21 Journal Design: The articles that are found within are copyright but can be copied Stephen Fretwell freely if the author and source are acknowledged. The views are of the authors and are open to review and debate. Please send all material to Printed by: the editor for consideration to be included in our quarterly journal. Snap Printing (Box Hill) 4 – VCPS VCPS – 5 I find a small piece of shade cloth works well, or you can use a handful of sphagnum. Some growers use pieces of fibreglass (like ceiling bats) or rock wool. It doesn’t really matter what you use, as long as it’s fairly neutral and does the job. FERTILISER Nepenthes , unlike some CPs, will benefit from mild fertiliser application. Use one that’s specially formulated for Australian native plants, as it’s low in phosphorous. Two of Paul’s greenhouses. CPs get their phosphorous from the insects they catch, so additional applications may cause the plant to stop pitchering. However, if you are potting in straight sphagnum, you may find that the fertiliser will kill the sphag - num, and cause it to rot away much faster. With my peat/orchid bark mix, it doesn’t cause it to rot, however it does certainly promote moss growing on the top of the Paul’s Nepenthes hamata (centre) a previous VCPS Grand Champion plant. Photo: Paul Edwards pot. When this gets too thick, it can be quite easily removed, and the pot top dressed with some fresh mix. Or, if you’re patient Growing Nepenthes – Part 2 enough, you can paint the leaves of the plant Paul’s Nepenthes greenhouse built with with clean paint brush dipped in liquid PAUL EDWARDS and open. This mix is long lasting, and polyflute. Photos: Paul Edwards fertiliser. the dark nature of the mix gives some ast issue I covered temperature If you do plan to fertilise, always use half I tend to steer away from black pots. I lovely colours in the pitchers. Other and humidity. If you’ve got this strength, and only fertilise every second know these are the most common and growers grow Nepenthes very success - right, you’re certainly on track for month or so while the plant is actively grow - cheapest, however heat can be a killer for L fully in straight sphagnum, however per - growing healthy, large, show-winning ing, and not at all during winter when it some plants, and black pots absorb a great plants! But there’s a few other impor - sonally I find that this tends to rot down slows down a bit. deal more heat during summer than lighter tant things that should be looked at. fairly quickly, and you are constantly coloured pots. If you have one, try inserting repotting your Nepenthes . Also, I find REPOTTING a probe thermometer in each pot and check POTTING MIX the sphagnum doesn’t tend to colour Every year or two, it is beneficial to repot the difference on a really hot day. You’ll be From my own personal experience (and the pitchers to the same degree. the plant. This is especially important if you surprised! what works for me) I use the following pH is also important, as Nepenthes water using mains water, rather than rain mix – 4 parts sphagnum peat moss (not (like most CPs) enjoy a slightly acidic water (see the watering section below). By LIGHT sedge peat or any other kind of peat), mix. Peat moss, being fairly acidic, lowers repotting, it freshens up the mix and gives Two basic things that all plants need to 4 parts fine orchid bark mix and one part the pHl to a suitable level. your plant a bit of a boost. Also, pots can get survive – light and water. Most Nepenthes fresh sphagnum moss. I don’t heavily pack Always put something in the base of a bit grotty after a while, and having a great enjoy moderate light levels, and they should the mix into the pot, but leave it nice the pot to stop the mix washing out. looking, clean pot compliments the plant. be filtered from extremes during summer. 6 – VCPS VCPS – 7 Seed collection is not hard with Nepenthes , then put out these basal shoots and keep however Nepenthes are ‘dioecious’ – that is, growing. The long vine can then be cut into each plant is either male or female. several pieces, each containing one or two Obviously, you need a male plant and a leaves. Pot these up, and cover with a suit - female plant to get seed. Unfortunately, able clear container such as a coke bottle there’s no way to tell the sex of a with the bottom cut off, or a plastic bag. Nepenthes until it actually flowers! Upon This will provide high levels of humidity, and gaining seed, sow while fresh in your nor - fairly soon you should notice the plant mal potting mix, and protect with a propa - growing from the basal shoots. gating cover or plastic bag. An easier way is to take cuttings. When In conclusion, following these simple your plant gets large, it will produce quite instructions has certainly worked for me in long vine like stems, with leaves emerging being able to grow large, strong, healthy and every couple of centimetres or so. At the beautiful plants. Unfortunately, often the base of each leaf, you will notice a ‘basal’ same recipe doesn’t work the same for shoot.

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