Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I went to Home Depot the other day and found on retail sun screens by easygardener. I was looking for something similar because I wanted to take some plants such as D adelae out side... It says on the pack that it filters 75% of light, but because it would be outside, there would be plenty of indirect light throughout the day. Will this work? Or should I keep looking?

Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Alonso,

For Drosera adelae that should be fine, especially if you have hot summers.  We use 50% shadecloth on our sundew greenhouse during the summer for Mexican pings and D. adelae.  They look fine with that amount of light.  Without the secondary layer of covering, and just the shadecloth itself, 75% is probably just right.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,

Thanks for your time, I now have yet another question. In your webpage, you say that Heliamphora is "very difficult" to grow, but I was looking at your e-book and it said there that the culture of it was "relativly easy." That got me rather confused, is it because you are talking about different species?

Answer
Hi Alonso,

Yes, that's part of it.  Some of the hybrids, such as H. heterodoxa x minor are fairly easy to grow.  Many of the species are not.  In general, Heliamphora have a rather narrow range of condtions that makes them happy.  They like days in the 70's, nights in the 50's, bright light and moderately humid.  A large terrarium with fluorescent lights gets them close to these conditions.  We discuss this in some detail in our newest DVD coming out in March on tropical pitcher plants.

For us here in our nursery we find they grow very well during the winter when nights are cool in the greenhouse, and daytime temperatures are in the 60's and 70's.  Likewise, we get our best growth out of our South African sundews this time of year.  When temperatures begin to soar into the 80's, 90's and near 100 during the summer, we find our Heliamphora slow down or stop growing.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com