Migrating Bird

Oh yeah Happ - I'm definitely crazy. But that's just every day news. Ha ha ha.

The BOP is now in Rita's room. Temp in there is about 80 deg. with 49% humidity right now. I just didn't get why the leaves stayed curled up all summer, even the new ones. We'll see what happens over winter.

Her basking area (the iguana) has to be between 85 - 95 degrees. So the room always stays warm. It's a 24/7 job since not everything is automated. I check the temp and humidity several times a day, and it's always one of the things I do at night before bed OR in the middle of the night, stomping around after waking up to realize I'd forgotten to do something else.

Enjoy.

A.

p.s. This photo was taken in January or February while Rita was having her annual checkup.

When the leaves curl up just might be to shield themselves from too much sun,I was giving mine morning sun,and had a trumpet vine shading it the rest of the day,Rita needs to meet Rudy,but hes brown not green ,but looks like Rita,but then all lizards look the same to me!!!LOL

Howdy - the clump came to me in the spring from TX where I assume it suffered from whatever in its box, arriving in that condition. I did keep it shaded for awhile, then let it have part sun. I'll keep a closer watch on it now that she's inside. I'm excited about it and may just decide to let her stay indoors.

What kind of lizard is Rudy? Rita is my first, but my BF has had before - he has named every one of his lizards (gecko, anole, etc.) Rita. We went thru the likely/probable names for a lizard her size (she was a rescue at about 1 1/2 years of age like Godzilla . . ... Then he told me about his habit of naming lizards Rita (lovey meter maid!) and we are thankful she happened to turn out to be female! I understand males are very aggressive during breeding season, which is coming.

She merits her own room because of her size and special conditions. In fact, we picked this house to move into because it fit parameters for her sun requirements - had to have an east facing window. She lucked out because it also has a south facing window. Best room in the house if you ask me! Wall to wall carpet, as well as her own phone jack.

It's a challenge keeping plants in there, especially large ones, because she's arboreal, but that's all part of the fun. :)

Keep you posted on the bird.

A.

Rudy is a bearded dragon

AuntB's Beautiful bearded dragon died a few months ago... she was devastated..
I have an aquarium heater stick if anyone wants it. Son brought me home a used tank and stuff, but it is holding turtles instead of fish.. go figger...
Don, the white knight you gave me finally bloomed this year. I love it. Thanks!
how long do I have to wait on those night blooming eps to bloom you gave me? Or day blooming or what ever they are..
sheesh!

Night blooming,when there ready they will let you know!!!LOL
Mine just finished blooming,so spring would be my guess!

I think I know where that saying came from a face only a mom could love ..... rofl they are curie's

When I took my huge BOP in a month ago to the g'house, it had a bloom spike. Not bloomed yet, and I really need to check for any more. It had 12 at one time this past January. It is hideously pot-bound.........in a 20 inch pot and needs to be divided. I don't think I can put it in a larger pot, I will have to hire my son with the 50 ton crane his boss has at the workplace. I have all I want to move it with a heavy-duty hand cart.

Congrats,I never got 12 blooms with mine,being pot bound makes it bloom more,I always waited until the roots broke the pot before I potted up.

The bottom of the pot gets concave and it won't sit right. LOL Hardly any soil around the top of the pot, it is all root/plant.

Dang hate to have my bird break the pot cause I really like the pot...rofl and it is probably the only pot I paid quite a bit of money on....rofl. Bet that was beautiful with those spikes, I would of been so excited.

Here is mine with the bloom spikes.

Anna that is beautiful and it is huge! geepers.... Those spikes are incrediable! I would of been so excited to say the least, when my big ee's have a bloom my dh cracks up.

I see you are zone 4, I hope to do a greenhouse in the next year and it looks like you have a solid north wall? I am zone 5 and was curious if you had any tips for me and what you like or don't like since we are both snow birds...rofl. This will probably be my only shot at this greenhouse so want to do the best I can.

Happgarden.............here is the story of our greenhouse project.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/365081/?hl=Greenhouse+project

That will give you a good idea but I'd be glad to answer any questions you have.

Thank you Anna for the link, I love it.
I remember reading about that a million years ago...rofl. It is amazing, and I reread it all again. Doing all that and having cows and property and a life, you all were some pretty busy people that summer.

DH and I have built alot of things, and had to laugh about hiring someone to help.... ;)
Wish I had a building left over like that. I saw a forum where someone took an old single car garage and turned it into a greenhouse/room.

This message was edited Nov 5, 2012 2:50 PM

No cows anymore...........well, not of our own. We have about 60 of the neighbors' here "boarding". LOL The Spousal Unit feeds them. And we do relief milking and chores for other farmers in the area. Good money in it. Still have the g'house in operation too. Still board large tropicals for other people.

Looks like Thanksgiving bloom time????

Hm, I don't know. They take FOREVER to open. One thinks that they have to think about it before opening. LOL I would say more the beginning of Dec.

Anna_Z - what fun - that's a nice little operation you have going. Wish I could get paid for all the plant and animal relief I do in my neighborhood. Hah ah.

And Tropicman - your beardie is precious - I think they're adorable!

Wanted all to know that the BOP is doing very well. Leaves are not uncurling, but I looked at the square holes in the bottom of the pot I only just transplanted into a month or two ago and there are already roots to the bottom of this pot!!! I could not believe it, really, but she is growing like crazy.

She is close to a south facing window and gets a good blast of full sun for an hour or two with the low angle of the sun. The iguana's ambient temps read between 70-84ish and humidity is between 35%-65% on any given day (this is dependent on the heat in the room (high heat forces down humidity) so night time is usually higher)(currently have 2 humidifiers going - one is your basic cool humidifier from the drugstore and the other is a high end warm steam bought off ebay 3 or 4 years ago).

Rita needs this as she tends to stop eating/drinking in the winter as part of her reproductive cycle. Most lizards indoors live in a semi-chronic state of dehydration, I was told by my exotics vet at NCSU, so I try my best!

I don't know if I'll have blooms this winter, but it sure would be exciting. ;)

A.

My BOP has a 2nd bloom spike coming. And the other one will not be open by the beginning of Dec. I'm thinking Christmas probably is a good guess. I will let you know.

you all are going to make me want to buy a BOP dang it.. *sigh* the addiction continues.

Don't do it, Deb. They take years to get root-bound and big enough to bloom.

I had one of my huge 20ft. BoP clumps chopped down last week, my garden helper will be digging it out on Monday. This will give me room for lots more fun things that won't whap me in the face as I walk by!

Debra and I would have to cart our BOP in and out for winter anyway. Looking at the thing in Rita's room makes me think it might have to stay indoors always. It will become to big to remove from the room with a hand cart as you all describe!

If she were out in a greenhouse that'd be different.

Growing like crazy . . . at least one nice large paddle shaped leaf that is not curled. No complaints so far. Thanks for all your input. :)

A.

No blooms on my bop but it is a pretty plant. I so far have been carting it in and out, but there is nothing easy about it.... and yes mine whacks me in the face everything I try to go out the patio doors...rofl.

My monstrosity up in the greenhouse has 2 buds. This is the varigated one, not the white one that will never bloom. LOL

Need to post pics as it progresses..since I really will never have one..so l can live vicariously ....lol

It opened a couple of days ago, so it should be nice at least through Christmas.

How fun, I love blooms that last and last, it really makes it worth while.

Nothing on either of mine.......

I'm perplexed by this bird. The new leaves coming out of each joint are not really tall, but they are very healthy. And they are still curled!!! :/

What the . . ..?!

It's warm and humid in that room and it has plenty of water. Does it need food? I read that it's a nutrient "hog", but that shouldn't make the leaves curl!!!

Post a pic can you

Bump.

I have decided that the roots to shoots ratio (?!) is off. I just bought a nice tall plastic pot to put her in, and I think once she has enough room her leaves will unfurl. :)

Tropicman, are you sorry you missed our feets of snow...rofl.

Hope that works for you Amanda. Think mine have been in the same pots for ever. Maybe this summer I will get around to repotting mine.

looks like amarillo where Tropicman lives gets snow too!

Boy that is insult to injury...rofl. Move south and still get snow.

yep drifts to 6ft!

Wowzer there tropicman....I only got 4ft drifts across the driveway, me and my little car have to drive across the field to get to the main road....

Hope your greenhouses faired ok thru all of that.....

true that, Don. Miss you guys!

Greenhouse almost collapsed!Had to put 4 center braces up to hold the roof up

Oh tropicman, good thing you noticed what was going on....good grief.....I was afraid of something like that when you said you got that much snow. How are you heating?

oh dear, is it really sturdy now?