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Post by michaelangelo on Jan 20, 2009 0:02:51 GMT -5
Hello Everyone! I just bought 3 VFT from Home Depot last week and repotted them. Images are below =) It's winter here... days are really cold. If I leave them right next to a glass window is that good enough to qualify as dormancy (even though they get plenty of light))  **Note in the last picture, there's actually snow outside (i'm in a residence apartment building) Also... my traps are barely red! What's up? Thanks for the help! -Mike      |
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Post by dvg on Jan 20, 2009 0:45:10 GMT -5
You might be able to get away with a window setting, if it is a north facing window, situated in a cool room.
The traps being barely red could either be from them not getting bright enough light in HD, or it could just be the cultivar itself...some vft's do not get the same degree of trap interior redness as others.
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Post by vraev on Jan 20, 2009 1:24:44 GMT -5
The dentate which I got in walmart also never got red under lights which made other typical VFTs red. Sometimes...its just a genetic limitation. My suggestion is to skip dormancy as the plant doesn't look too strong. I would suggest get a 27 watt CFL philips daylight bulb and a table lamp. Face the bulb over the plant like 5-6 inches as long as it doesn't start burning the leaves due to the heat and give it a light period of like 14 - 15 hrs a day. You should start seeing results in a few months. BTW...the media looks too wet. Don't sit VFTs in a tray of water unless the media is very free. That media looks like 100% LFS and generally it has peat underneath the top layer. That makes it very dense and the plant can easily rot.
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Post by michaelangelo on Jan 20, 2009 1:33:22 GMT -5
sorry the 2 acronyms you guys used... HD and LFS... can you clarify what they mean?
Thanks
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Post by dvg on Jan 20, 2009 2:02:44 GMT -5
sorry the 2 acronyms you guys used... HD and LFS... can you clarify what they mean? Thanks Sure can, Home Depot  and long fibred sphagnum; typically from Chile or New Zealand. |
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Post by michaelangelo on Jan 20, 2009 9:06:21 GMT -5
ok thanks.
The plants came in tiny pots with nearly 100% LFS. I repotted them with 1:1 peat/perlite and just put some sphagnum at the top.
With respect to the water, I guess I tried to follow the "tray method" where you leave the pots in some water at the bottom. I guess this is a bad idea? how wet should the soil be?
With respect to dormancy, could the reason they appear weak be because they haven't had dormancy this year?
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Post by tael on Jan 20, 2009 9:22:34 GMT -5
In regards to the water, I wouldn't keep it sitting in a tray of it... I think you want the potting media to be moist, but not sitting in water at all times.  Maybe soak it every once in a while, but I've heard it's not good to keep the plant sitting in water. |
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Post by michaelangelo on Jan 20, 2009 9:51:05 GMT -5
ok cool. And in in response to the window.. It's south east facing... so it gets considerable light, while being pretty cold. What do you think?  |
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Post by tael on Jan 20, 2009 9:56:47 GMT -5
Are you trying to give them dormancy? If so, I think it might be a bit too late. I might skip dormancy this year, but you might wanna ask the experts, I'm sure someone will pipe up and let you know.  |
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Post by hackerberry on Jan 20, 2009 12:24:26 GMT -5
Hello michaelangelo,
Skip the dormancy for now, your vft looks good and as Tael said a little too late for that. Buy a cfl and highlight your beautiful plant. He'll love you for that.
hb
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Post by prmills on Jan 20, 2009 23:53:23 GMT -5
If it's from HD, they've probably only been out of TC for a short period and should pass the dormancy needs this year. Unlike the others, I did use the tray method last year for mine and they grew fine, needed more light than I could give them but what do you do. As long as the roots are not under the water line they should be good to go. I used 2:2:1 peat:sand:perlite for the media with no LFS at all. Just my two cents |
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Post by michaelangelo on Jan 21, 2009 1:22:56 GMT -5
Thanks again, what's "TC"?? lol i'm so new to this.
hahah and cfl is compact fluorescent light... but I have problems finding a cfl bulb that actually runs cool. The ones I find are yellow-ish and hot... they resemble incandescent lights more than the pure white, hot only on the glass normal florescent lights I usually see.
Any tips on what bulb to run and where to find it??
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Post by tael on Jan 21, 2009 2:43:53 GMT -5
TC is tissue culture. It's pretty interesting if you ever wanna grow seeds, you should look into it. |
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Post by carnivoure12 on Jan 21, 2009 10:46:49 GMT -5
Staples has a good selection of cool flourecent bulbs, i personally don't mind the yellowish tint in those fluorecents you say, i use them with great success.
Also the water tray method depends on the media,, the more lose and airy, the more wet you can keep it, if its dense i wouldn't use the tray method.
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Post by flytrapcare.com on Jan 21, 2009 10:49:57 GMT -5
I just want to echo everyone's opinion on skipping dormancy this year. As for lighting, you could probably get away without supplementing the light. That window you have your plant in is pretty bright. But if you want to supplement the light, try to find a bulb similar to the one in this post: www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=406#p3009If you can't find one like that, most "cool white" CFLs will do fine. |
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and long fibred sphagnum; typically from Chile or New Zealand.
Maybe soak it every once in a while, but I've heard it's not good to keep the plant sitting in water.
