Othello

[fredg]

I received a small "Othello" from a fellow CP enthusiast a couple of years ago. I grew it on in it's pot for a while and then planted up in its own gravel tray of pure live sphagnum ( my prefered way of growing) and it seemed to be quite happy.
Watering is as a norm ( for me), I flood / top up the tray as the level drops.
A couple of weeks or so ago I noticed a small pitcher poking up through the sphagnum at the side of the pot, followed a week or so later by another at an adjacent side. A little careful poking around revealed that the two pitchers were on seperate stolons.
At this point I was quite happy that "Othello" seemed quite happy with the treatment I was providing.
Another week later and when I topped up the water in the tray, some sphagnum was syphoning the water off over the sides. So I pulled the tray forward slightly to pat the sphagnum into place.
Another stolon which was running into the bigger tray behind (this is Jnr colony) becane evident. Slighty further forward again and another two stolons.



These had to be bent back into the "Othello" tray and the whole tidied up.
Since this I have had another couple of stolons poking out of the sphagnum. It's beginning to look like next spring could be interesting in this tray.

[stevebooth]

Hi Fred

Considering this variety is supposed to be more difficult that 'ordinary' darlingtonia it seems remarkably at home with your conditions.
Do you keep in in the grenhouse with your other darlingtonia.
Nice looking plant.
Cheers
Steve

[fredg]

Yes Steve, its tray sits directly in front of the typical form Junior Colony.

[Brian Barnes]

Looking good,

I'm sure it will soon fill the tray, as your other ones have....

Don't ask to see mine... ;D

Brian

[fredg]

Finally there is a proper youngster showing from the stolons in the front left corner , not just a single pitcher.



The plant may have tried to send one up earlier as it's looking like there is a congregation of three stolons in the back left corner which just so happens was tucked underneath the rim of the Junior Colony tray. I pulled the tray out as soon as I noticed so I'm now torn between repositioning or just leaving alone. Oh decisions decisions ;D

[daniel]

Nice littel baby.

[fredg]

It's twins



Mother is doing well and adding pitchers of her own

I ended up repositioning a couple of stolons from the back left corner so there's more to come .

[fredg]

Well now we have Quads ,the two new plants are on the right.



The plant on the left is the first one that popped up 3 weeks ago. I would suggest the size would counter the often encountered claim that these plants grow slowly. 3"+ pitcher and it still has more to grow before inflating.

[fredg]

The 'mother' has finally inflated the first of the season's pitchers.
I suppose this should now also be refered to as a colony.

[fredg]

Othello has grown very well in its tray, so much so that a move up to a double tray was required. The transfer was performed a couple of days ago with an extra four trays of sphagnum and some perlite incorprated. The plant and existing sphagnum were tranfered in one block to minimise disturbance.
It was noted that there are stolons everywhere. on the wider pictures small pitchers can be seen popping up all over the place.





Growth on two of the young plants from the stolons has been rapid. The picture below is of one of them after three months



It will be interesting to se just how prolific the colony will be next spring.