New Bees 10/17/10 friends - new and old...Come on in...

Never promise that you won't buy any more plants because 5 minutes later you will see the two plants you have been looking for. I did this prior to entering Lowes (not our local store) and found they just got in some carnivorous plants! They had a very lovely Sundew and a huge Pitcher, but because I promised .... grrr.

In other news I bought some bulbs because my Dad said nothing about Bulbs.

Hey.. Does anyone know how long it takes for a fern corm or bulb to grow? I got 15 from one Kimberly Queen Fern that I divided and I just wondered.

Our Lowes had CPs too, and I bought two little ones. A sundew and a venus fly trap, I am sure they won't live long but I got them anyway!

Sooo, Nettie - where are you? By the way, nobody said I haven't done anything bad lately...I just haven't been caught yet! LOL

Lori, keep the sundew inside for winter, and VFT outside. They should be fine if you water with distilled or rain water.

Lori, DON'T use CITY water, AT ALL!!!! on those carnivorus plants. it will burn them up, girl. Set out buckets to catch rain water or do as Mekos says and use distilled water.

Enid ... yes, that would be lovely. All I have is the solid green from a plant at work that wasn't being taken care of. I cleaned it up and took out all the dead hangers. There were some babies there in bad shape and some broken off and just laying on the floor from the juveniles cleaning. Some rooted, some didn't. I never realized there were more than the 2 types, green and varigated!

mekos .... you sure the VFT will survive in the winter here??? It gets a mighty cold in Ooooooooooooo-klahoma when the wind comes whippin' down the plains.......

I'm facinated by the carnivorous plants. The VFT is the only kind I've ever had. I love to set and watch them 'eat'. I know.... I'm easily entertained!

enidcandles - The Lowes in town has had some for a while but they had gnats in their little boxes. LIVE gnats were in with the sundew, seemed sort of odd. Plus they didn't look all that great. The one I went to is in another city and I was super mad because they had just gotten in their cp this morning.

mekos and ridesredmule - I just read that somewhere. I should catch some rain water for my spiders too. I mean, I live in Washington where we are being blessed with a load of rain ... a little too blessed actually lol.

I'm with Crit, I am not so sure the Fly Trap will make it outside this winter, I think I will keep them both inside. I really, really want them to do good...one of those things, I don't want to be defeated! I have killed at least $200.00 of the little devils so far, I just don't want to give up yet.

Crit, I will send you some babies, I might actually be able to get those off to you tomorrow.

Oh, and distilled water, I am gonna try that this time. I have used rain water in the past and had no success so I will try something different this time.

Oh, and RRM...they had a $10.00 red pitcher plant but I decided if I can make this work and keep these alive maybe, just maybe you would send me another pitcher???

I think they put the gnats in there on purpose for the plants to have something to eat...the ones I have seen locally all have bugs flying around in those little boxes. I have been known to be wrong before so don't hold me to that!

I was actually surprised to see a red pitcher there. We are going to our Lowes tomorrow for another reason and I'm not making any promises to Dad this time. With my luck though they probably didn't get in any new shipments.

I need to look up what kind of soil to use. Any suggestions from meko or rrm? I'm hoping to snag a pitcher and a sundew.

I'm sitting here looking at my spider plants and suddenly I'm thinking I need to figure out my 70's macrame hanger booklets. I want to make a two plant hanger since I'll need them!

Thanks Enid, that sounds great.

mekos.... have you started the seed swap? I saw you were shooting for the 8th to start.

I never realized spiders needed rainwater. I always water mine with city water.

I was on a thread and we were talking about different types of recycle items to start plants in. Someone mentioned yogurt containers. Anyone remember that or where it was? Thanks!

I don't eat yogurt so that is out for me, I have used styrofoam coffee cups from the everything's a dollar store with great success. Just poke holes in the bottom for drainage and you are set.

I better get out to the candle shop and get some work done..DH is gonna have his foot in my butt if I don't get some of my mess cleaned up!

I save the styrofoam cups we get pop in from various places and use them.

Good plan! It seems whenever I save something for use later, DH manages to get his hands on it and it is gone...he really likes to throw things away! It sucks too 'cause sometimes I have some good stuff.

My hubby is very helpful with that kind of stuff. He decided if it will keep me from spending money on something, he's all for it.

I save various things:
small plastic cups - pudding, rice pudding, sour cream, yogurt, and ricotta cheese
plastic clam shells - rotisserie chicken, salads, deli food, other clam shells
paper cartons - milk, sugar or other dairy
Egg shells and cartons
Juice jugs or creamer containers, for watering with or mixing plant food.

My dad is like that Enid so I've learned to hide it. If he ever looks in my kitchen cart well them, I'll be in trouble

I was on a thread and we were talking about different types of recycle items to start plants in. Someone mentioned yogurt containers. Anyone remember that or where it was? I was wondering about the yogurt containers. We eat yoplait and my DH noted that they taper from small at the top to larger at the bottom .... how was I going to get the plant out without tearing it up? I thought maybe I could cut it down the side, but wondered what others did. Egg cartons .... good idea there. Thanks!

Crit I was worried about that too. I avoid buying those yogurt cups because of that. I either get the 4 packs with straighter sides or pick another brand that goes smaller on the bottom.

I forgot to add that we also reuse haagen dazs ice cream containers ... because it gives me an excuse to buy that brand.

crit i have planted seed from the health food store. they always come up you get more seed for your money. love nettie.

Gr8 idea nettie!!!!!!

I left my VFT outside but brought my little sundews in. they look o.k. so far but I have a time getting them to live. almost as bad as Sister Lori. We have a heck of a time. They are in a plastic fish aquarium.

I think sister Lori just has issues!!! I have been doing some reading on Cobraplants.com and have decided these will never make it through the winter under my care. I am gonna try anyway, they are just too cool not to have a couple around.

You will be o.k. If you don't try SIS, you won't ever know. Hang in there.

Crit - I've used dozens of recycled containers in my taught courses for 4-H classes. I like to use the trashy stuff that kids can easily find at home or at the school cafeteria. This is all fine if you're not trying to look too professional about it, but I wouldn't reccommend for a commercial greenhouse grower. Almost anything will work as long as holes are punched in the bottom for proper drainage. I had problems once with egg cartons because the size of the spaces simply weren't big enough to hold my tomatoes. I also use Coolwhip and cottage cheese containers to start tomatoes and peppers about 3 weeks before transplanting into larger tray cells. Salad trays from McDonald's also work well with Jiffy pellets to start seeds.

Al

My BBQ chicken planter.

Al

Milk jugs and 2 liter jugs are great too.

I love using milk jugs (we have a baby here you know) and pop bottles! They take up too much room in the trash cans so I like to find other uses for them!

I'm with Al - I use whatever I can get my hands on and poke holes in;o) Egg cartons work best for seeds of things that don't like to be transplanted as you can tear the carton apart and plant it all straight into the ground. Same with making those little pots out of newspaper. They break down rather quickly once planted into soil.

Hi guys, I love the recycling ideas.. I use all types of things to plant in also and I love milk jugs and 2 liter drink bottles for WS seeds.. My DH hates the jugs piled up in the pantry or the shed. Then he hates to see them stacked in the yard for the winter lol but oh well, he will get over that..My biggest problem this year will be a pup named Roscoe who thinks Milk jugs are made for him grrrrrr, blaming DH for that too.. He puts rocks in the jugs and Roscoe runs around the yard with the jug making all kinds or noise.. Those 2 were made for each other.. Two BIG Dummies hahahaha just kidding of course the dog is smart..

Roscoe is getting big, and cuter than ever;o)

You so silly, Girl. Truthful, I'm sure. My dog likes to play with flowerpots. He has strung things from one side of yard to other. Roscoe is beautiful, love that color.

OH OH OH OH OH I get to share my recent recycling idea :D
Two jugs of water were delivered to my neighbor in error and they said they'd pick them up but they never did. So my dad and I took them. I'm thinking of making little green houses with them hehe.

Lol talk about recycling look at that collar.. Lmao it is hunting season and I cant find an orange collar small enough to fit him so my youngest son took an orange tshirt and cut the sleeve to make Roscoe an orange collar so deer hunters can see him, because he is always chasing the squirrels up into the woods...

LOL Roscoe - good thing at least one of your humans is smart;o) Nice recycling job!

Well we went to Lowes and they had some decent looking carnivorous plants but unfortunately not the ones I saw at the other Lowes :( I will have to get them all situated after I open those jugs for recycling. I am reserving the water since it appears to be distilled.

I just got back from helping my neighbor out. She broke her wrist last year and has difficulties still so I took down her three hanging baskets. It's been raining so the soil is all soaked and it makes them very heavy. Since I re-hurt my shoulder today unloading those same jugs I had my dad bring a ladder for me.

Hey RRM, would you come over please???!! I ordered a new window for my garage the other day, it came in and I can't quite make it fit. I have baleing wire, duct tape and yellow twine; if you would bring your baleing twine over, I am sure we could get that thing to stay in the hole somehow!! LOL

O.K. That binding twine will hold it up. My mailbox is still standing. ☺ Maybe we can get it in somehow.. huh????? Betcha, we could.

I got it by golly, it looks like crap but it is in! Mike measured from the inside so I had to install it from the inside therefore, the window sill is on the outside...what a mess!!! I knew I should have double checked his measurements!!

Yeah!!!! for you girlfriend. I knew you could do it. ☺☺