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carnivorous plants
I've recently acquired insect eating plants. (1 Dionea
muscipula--venus fly trap & 1 sarracena pururea---bog plant) There seems to be quite a lot of google entries concerning their water requirements, but what I'm looking for is more on the lines of just what can they eat and how much of it? I mean, what with the hot weather n all, we have to stuff the chicken leftovers into the freezer until bin day to prevent us from having a stinky dustbin. So, just how many such plants would I need to save freezer space (& save electricity, thereby aiding the enviornment) Like, how are they on chicken bones? Or the fat from a slice of ham? Just wondering. Back to flies. The venus fly trap could best be described as slow to catch. I have to swat the flies first to stun them. Place on trap and wait for fly to wiggle, but sometimes it wiggles and has walked-out before the trap closes in. I guess I'd have to take a mallet to the chiken bones first. |
In article om,
a.c. wrote: I've recently acquired insect eating plants. (1 Dionea muscipula--venus fly trap & 1 sarracena pururea---bog plant) There seems to be quite a lot of google entries concerning their water requirements, but what I'm looking for is more on the lines of just what can they eat and how much of it? I mean, what with the hot weather n all, we have to stuff the chicken leftovers into the freezer until bin day to prevent us from having a stinky dustbin. So, just how many such plants would I need to save freezer space (& save electricity, thereby aiding the enviornment) Like, how are they on chicken bones? Or the fat from a slice of ham? Just wondering. What you want to grow is the Greater Gromboolian Cow-Muncher. Only the very biggest ones can eat even a calf, and they take a century to grow to that size, so using a young one for the purpose you envisage should work. It is believed that the oldest and largest one in the UK is in the Home Office, and is used to threaten Home Secretaries who show signs of a liberal disposition. Well-behaved ones are allowed to feed it with dissidents on special occasions, of course. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
In article om, a.c.
writes I've recently acquired insect eating plants. (1 Dionea muscipula--venus fly trap & 1 sarracena pururea---bog plant) There seems to be quite a lot of google entries concerning their water requirements, but what I'm looking for is more on the lines of just what can they eat and how much of it? I mean, what with the hot weather n all, we have to stuff the chicken leftovers into the freezer until bin day to prevent us from having a stinky dustbin. So, just how many such plants would I need to save freezer space (& save electricity, thereby aiding the enviornment) Like, how are they on chicken bones? Or the fat from a slice of ham? Just wondering. :-) Cover your whole garden with them and you might begin to make an impression - that is if you can stop them gorging themselves on flies ;-) Assuming this isn't simply a wind-up, you may need to tackle your problem at source. The obvious is to scale down your chicken cooking so there are fewer left overs ;-) This probably isn't your scene, but if you boil up the left overs for a while, you make a good stock which can be frozen for later use in gravy, soup, casseroles etc and save you a fortune in Oxo cubes, and the boiled scraps are much less smelly. Otherwise, wrap each batch of leftovers in one or two supermarket carrier bags and tie the top - stops the smells and raiding dogs. Chop the ham fat into small pieces and let the birds have it. Back to flies. The venus fly trap could best be described as slow to catch. I have to swat the flies first to stun them. Place on trap and wait for fly to wiggle, but sometimes it wiggles and has walked-out before the trap closes in. They have an elaborate trigger mechanism involving two or three hairs - makes sure it closes for live flies and not bits of dead leaf etc that have blown in. But if it's closing slowly, it may simply be that you've been overfeeding it. You don't need to feed it - in fact you shouldn't feed it as a routine. It will catch all it needs by itself. -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
The message
from Kay contains these words: Assuming this isn't simply a wind-up, you may need to tackle your problem at source. The obvious is to scale down your chicken cooking so there are fewer left overs ;-) This probably isn't your scene, but if you boil up the left overs for a while, you make a good stock which can be frozen for later use in gravy, soup, casseroles etc and save you a fortune in Oxo cubes, and the boiled scraps are much less smelly. Not only that, but you get a stock that tastes like chicken/realfood, instead of monosodium glutamate. If you chill it, the fat settles hard at the top and can be lifted off. Very good for making herby dumplings to go with your chicken soup. The boiled scraps after you've made the stock, with the bones taken out, are a gourmet meal to dogs and cats. (The bones come out very easily after the boiling). Now all you have left is a very tiny collection of clean boiled bones. This is a gourmet meal to any plant you happen to be planting :-) Janet |
On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:51:39 +0100, Janet Baraclough stood forth and
addressed the huddled masses thus; The message from Kay contains these words: Assuming this isn't simply a wind-up, you may need to tackle your problem at source. The obvious is to scale down your chicken cooking so there are fewer left overs ;-) This probably isn't your scene, but if you boil up the left overs for a while, you make a good stock which can be frozen for later use in gravy, soup, casseroles etc and save you a fortune in Oxo cubes, and the boiled scraps are much less smelly. Not only that, but you get a stock that tastes like chicken/realfood, instead of monosodium glutamate. If you chill it, the fat settles hard at the top and can be lifted off. Very good for making herby dumplings to go with your chicken soup. The boiled scraps after you've made the stock, with the bones taken out, are a gourmet meal to dogs and cats. (The bones come out very easily after the boiling). Now all you have left is a very tiny collection of clean boiled bones. This is a gourmet meal to any plant you happen to be planting :-) Are the bones clean enough by that stage that they won't attract foxes? I've avoided using bonemeal in the garden as I don't want the local foxes digging up everything in the vicinty of bonemeal. JB |
The message
from JB contains these words: On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:51:39 +0100, Janet Baraclough stood forth and addressed the huddled masses thus; The message from Kay contains these words: Assuming this isn't simply a wind-up, you may need to tackle your problem at source. The obvious is to scale down your chicken cooking so there are fewer left overs ;-) This probably isn't your scene, but if you boil up the left overs for a while, you make a good stock which can be frozen for later use in gravy, soup, casseroles etc and save you a fortune in Oxo cubes, and the boiled scraps are much less smelly. Not only that, but you get a stock that tastes like chicken/realfood, instead of monosodium glutamate. If you chill it, the fat settles hard at the top and can be lifted off. Very good for making herby dumplings to go with your chicken soup. The boiled scraps after you've made the stock, with the bones taken out, are a gourmet meal to dogs and cats. (The bones come out very easily after the boiling). Now all you have left is a very tiny collection of clean boiled bones. This is a gourmet meal to any plant you happen to be planting :-) Are the bones clean enough by that stage that they won't attract foxes? I've avoided using bonemeal in the garden as I don't want the local foxes digging up everything in the vicinty of bonemeal. Do you know anyone that has actually happened to? I don't, though I've heard it passed round often. It may just be one of those urban myths. There's decades of chicken bones (and roadkill and dead pets and bonemeal ) buried under plants in our last garden, and none of it was ever dug up, even though there were lots of foxes around. Our dogs have never bothered either. Janet. |
The message
from JB contains these words: Are the bones clean enough by that stage that they won't attract foxes? I've avoided using bonemeal in the garden as I don't want the local foxes digging up everything in the vicinty of bonemeal. No. And rats will dig them up. I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local rats started a bone mine. Mind you, with the AirArms S310, the grape vine is flourishing on a second-helping of rats... -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words: What you want to grow is the Greater Gromboolian Cow-Muncher. Only the very biggest ones can eat even a calf, and they take a century to grow to that size, so using a young one for the purpose you envisage should work. It is believed that the oldest and largest one in the UK is in the Home Office, and is used to threaten Home Secretaries who show signs of a liberal disposition. Well-behaved ones are allowed to feed it with dissidents on special occasions, of course. That's why they gave Blunkett the job - in the hope that he would blunder into it, but luckily for him, he had a loyal dog... Maybe we now know exactly what _really_ happened to Stonehouse. -- Mike. |
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words: Maybe we now know exactly what _really_ happened to Stonehouse. We do. What isn't generally known is the the Mary Celeste had a mature Dionea pura |
The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains these words: The message from JB contains these words: Are the bones clean enough by that stage that they won't attract foxes? I've avoided using bonemeal in the garden as I don't want the local foxes digging up everything in the vicinty of bonemeal. No. And rats will dig them up. I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local rats started a bone mine. Had you cleaned off all the meat, or left those gristly bits in the hocks, and how deep did they have to sink the mineshaft? Janet |
In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote: Are the bones clean enough by that stage that they won't attract foxes? I've avoided using bonemeal in the garden as I don't want the local foxes digging up everything in the vicinty of bonemeal. Do you know anyone that has actually happened to? I don't, though I've heard it passed round often. It may just be one of those urban myths. It is. There is a grain of truth behind it, as with the ant and aphid myth, but it has been amplified from an observation of occasional behaviour and a guideline not to tempt fate into a religious tenet. There's decades of chicken bones (and roadkill and dead pets and bonemeal ) buried under plants in our last garden, and none of it was ever dug up, even though there were lots of foxes around. Our dogs have never bothered either. Heck, I just heave bones and stock residue on the top of my heap, and neither rats nor foxes bother with it. By the time you have made stock with something, or gnawed the meat off the bones the way my family do, there isn't enough left to interest anything except a starving rat. People who put half-eaten legs of lamb onto the heap may have more trouble. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: The message from JB contains these words: Are the bones clean enough by that stage that they won't attract foxes? I've avoided using bonemeal in the garden as I don't want the local foxes digging up everything in the vicinty of bonemeal. No. And rats will dig them up. I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local rats started a bone mine. Are you sure that they were after the bones? I have had rats in my heap from next door's rubbish tip, and they completely ignored such things in favour of the worms. However, the two are correlated, as buried bones etc. do cause a concentration of some types of worm that prefer a high-protein mix for their feed. Mind you, with the AirArms S310, the grape vine is flourishing on a second-helping of rats... Seems reasonable. I am planning to buy a Gamo for the pigeons. My ancient BSA jumps far too hard as the spring goes off to be accurate at the distance I need. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words: I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local rats started a bone mine. Are you sure that they were after the bones? I have had rats in my heap from next door's rubbish tip, and they completely ignored such things in favour of the worms. However, the two are correlated, as buried bones etc. do cause a concentration of some types of worm that prefer a high-protein mix for their feed. They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms. Mind you, with the AirArms S310, the grape vine is flourishing on a second-helping of rats... Seems reasonable. I am planning to buy a Gamo for the pigeons. My ancient BSA jumps far too hard as the spring goes off to be accurate at the distance I need. Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my BSA Cadet Major. thinks Come to think of it - where *IS* my Cadet Major? /thinks -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: [...] Mind you, with the AirArms S310, the grape vine is flourishing on a second-helping of rats... Seems reasonable. I am planning to buy a Gamo for the pigeons. My ancient BSA jumps far too hard as the spring goes off to be accurate at the distance I need. Huh! Sometimes I hate you non-varifocal guys. -- Mike. |
The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words: I planted a grape vine over a big pile of (mainly) chicken and bacon hock bones, and despite their being a couple of feet down, the local rats started a bone mine. Had you cleaned off all the meat, or left those gristly bits in the hocks, and how deep did they have to sink the mineshaft? Indeed, and made stock from them. -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Nick Maclaren wrote: In article om, a.c. wrote: I've recently acquired insect eating plants. (1 Dionea muscipula--venus fly trap & 1 sarracena pururea---bog plant) There seems to be quite a lot of google entries concerning their water requirements, but what I'm looking for is more on the lines of just what can they eat and how much of it? I mean, what with the hot weather n all, we have to stuff the chicken leftovers into the freezer until bin day to prevent us from having a stinky dustbin. So, just how many such plants would I need to save freezer space (& save electricity, thereby aiding the enviornment) Like, how are they on chicken bones? Or the fat from a slice of ham? Just wondering. What you want to grow is the Greater Gromboolian Cow-Muncher. Only the very biggest ones can eat even a calf, and they take a century to grow to that size, so using a young one for the purpose you envisage should work. It is believed that the oldest and largest one in the UK is in the Home Office, and is used to threaten Home Secretaries who show signs of a liberal disposition. Well-behaved ones are allowed to feed it with dissidents on special occasions, of course. Regards, Nick Maclaren. Thankyou for that, though it may be a tad too much as I don't want to end up loosing the cat. I have already had to give assurances to my other half that the cat will remain unharmed even on contact with my 2 new plants. It wouldn't do to loose both job and pussy in the same week! Well, when I say loose job, I mean its "pluckkaart" 65 day duration had expired and even recent events do not leave me wanting to feed the Greater Gromboolian Cow-Muncher certain individuals who might well deserve such treatment. It's understandable to apply for a full time job only to be told that I can only have the season work because my Dutch is poorish and only a few people in the firm speak a little English, so best I join as a seanon worker and then we'll take about the full time post at the end of the 65 days, (which, in truth lasted considerably longer.). It's quite annoying to start and discover that though only a few speak a little English, the majority speak English remarkably well and even one of the managers speaks to the them in English. It was a further irritation to discover that the measly rate per hour ( approx. mim wage in UK)did not turn out to be after tax as was promised. It was more than a little annoying after the Loooong 65 days to discover there never was going to be a full time post available, ( though just such a post was advertised) because they were so inundated with full time contracts they terminated 3 of them.... this only 2 weeks after telling me directly that no contracts were available, but that should anyone leave I can have one immediately therafter. Lo and behold, it looks like they managed to retain me ... with a little creative accountancy... for a long 65 days which coincided to end remarkably well just with the onslaught of student workers that have now become available... and inspite of trying 6 or 7 job agencies it now looks like I'll have nowt to do till september. But what's really annoying is that the firm in question (who made a not so measly 650K profit last year)have acted knowing that if I cannot produce evidence of a full time job (contract) or wage slips through an Intirm job agency by the end of September, then I will be forced to leave the country and not allowed back. Nice people eh! Had they been a little more truthful I could have worked a real 65 days and be out in time to get further work before the student explosion. But as I say, even that wouldn't make me want to feed them to a plant. On the bright side, I now have more time to boil the 1 chicken a week as kay suggested. I did notice yesterday that the venus flytrap isn't all that keen on spiced cooked chicken and the flies it has been fed are still undigested a whole 3 days later. Oddly enough, now that I have these plants, I can't seem to find anymore flies. I had wondered if the might produce a scent or similar to attract even more flies. |
In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: [ rats ] They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms. Odd. You're not in a soft-water area, are you? Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my BSA Cadet Major. I am confusing myself again - I have a BSA shotgun! It is a Webley Mark III - still powerful (and, yes, I have measured its approximate muzzle velocity at c. 550 fps) - but the sping clangs like anything and it is no longer accurate at 30+ yards (my needed distance). Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
a.c. wrote:
[...] I did notice yesterday that the venus flytrap isn't all that keen on spiced cooked chicken and the flies it has been fed are still undigested a whole 3 days later. Oddly enough, now that I have these plants, I can't seem to find anymore flies. I had wondered if the might produce a scent or similar to attract even more flies. I've never grown them, and have only an amateur plant-spotter's knowledge of these plants, but aren't you under a misapprehension here? As I understand it, they "eat" very few insects, and can live well enough without them in cultivation. They, surely, can't make any impression on the fly population around one's house; and I'd guess that sticking little bits of spiced chicken into them might risk causing disease. (I'm always ready to become better informed, of course.) -- Mike. |
Mike Lyle wrote: a.c. wrote: [...] I did notice yesterday that the venus flytrap isn't all that keen on spiced cooked chicken and the flies it has been fed are still undigested a whole 3 days later. Oddly enough, now that I have these plants, I can't seem to find anymore flies. I had wondered if the might produce a scent or similar to attract even more flies. I've never grown them, and have only an amateur plant-spotter's knowledge of these plants, but aren't you under a misapprehension here? As I understand it, they "eat" very few insects, and can live well enough without them in cultivation. As I understand it, looking at previous info here via google, they digest insects to compliment their diet and may have evolved to do so due to insufficient soil nutrients, hence the need to avoid water with nitrates. They, surely, can't make any impression on the fly population around one's house; It might depend on how small that population is and how much fun it is to feed them with it. For me 1 or 2 flies buzzing around is 1 or 2 flies to many, especially if I go for a nap and wake up having been biten my a small fly which was in fact a mosquito. and I'd guess that sticking little bits of spiced chicken into them might risk causing disease. (I'm always ready to become better informed, of course.) The chicken was well cooked and therefore, presumably, reasonably sterile (disease). Close obsevation suggested it was not interested in it and so said chicken was removed. -- Mike. |
The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words: In article , Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: [ rats ] They dragged the bones out and carried them some distance. And they completely ignore my compost heap, which is squirming with worms. Odd. You're not in a soft-water area, are you? No. Decidedly not. Come over with the BSA sometime. I used to knock pigeons over with my BSA Cadet Major. I am confusing myself again - I have a BSA shotgun! It is a Webley Mark III - still powerful (and, yes, I have measured its approximate muzzle velocity at c. 550 fps) - but the sping clangs like anything and it is no longer accurate at 30+ yards (my needed distance). Sounds like the piston is letting air by it. The pellet should have left the barrel before the piston comes to rest - slowed on a cushion of compressed air. I don't know the Wibbly - my experience of them is restricted to the air pistols,. Currently, I have a Hurricane. (·177"). Also lurking about the place I have an Edwin Anson air rifle of around 1890-1900 (·177"); a Hainal (I think) from the 1920s (·177"); the Cadet Major (but I don't know where it is - it's in bits somewhere, probably on my friend's pig farm.); BSA Scorpion pistol (·22" - also packed away somewhere;) the AirArms S310 (·22") and an American pump-up (·22") air pistol - can't remember its make - though if ICBA to go up to the attic I could tell you. Here, (in my garden) I can't safely use any type of gun unless I fire downwards from an upstairs window. And I don't want the house surrounded by a swat squad... I have to take the armoury over to the estate, and then there's plenty of room. (You can see a few pics of the estate on http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/temp/ - there will be more as I continueo building up the page.) -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk |
In article , Jaques d'Alltrades writes: | | Sounds like the piston is letting air by it. The pellet should have left | the barrel before the piston comes to rest - slowed on a cushion of | compressed air. That is possible but, from the muzzle velocity, I doubt it. My belief is that it is just too badly worn and the spring is loose in its container. The clang is a rattling noise rather than a muffled thud. Anyway, I shall see whether I am any more accurate with a new Gamo. | Here, (in my garden) I can't safely use any type of gun unless I fire | downwards from an upstairs window. And I don't want the house surrounded | by a swat squad... I can shoot against a wall, or with care down the garden (it is some 75 yards from the house to the end), but plan to shoot from an upstairs window. However, I do need to be able to hit at 25-35 yards for that. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
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