'bout when does U. livida start flowering?

[Drosera36]

I've had a U. livida plant for 'bout 2 weeks now, and it has been making some new smaller leaves. I planted it into a 5" deep and 6" wide pot (I know, it's kinda big). When should I start expecting it to flower? Should it have flowered by now? Or am I just incredibly impatient? By the way, I keep the water level anywhere from 3 inches to one inch below the soil level, the temp stays at 80 fahrenheit during the day, 70 at night, and it gets 82 watts of light. And it's soil is about one part peat to one part sand, with a teeny little pinch of perlite.

Many thanks,
-Ben

 

[dewy]

Quote[/b] (Drosera36 @ Dec. 03 2005,4:46)]I've had a U. livida plant for 'bout 2 weeks now, and it has been making some new smaller leaves.  I planted it into a 5" deep and 6" wide pot (I know, it's kinda big).  When should I start expecting it to flower?  Should it have flowered by now?  Or am I just incredibly impatient?  By the way, I keep the water level anywhere from 3 inches to one inch below the soil level, the temp stays at 80 fahrenheit during the day, 70 at night, and it gets 82 watts of light.  And it's soil is about one part peat to one part sand, with a teeny little pinch of perlite.

                                Many thanks,
                                  -Ben

Mine took anout 4 weeks to make its first flower. Once they begin to flower, they rarely stop.

 

[Drosera36]

Cool. Awesome to hear that!

 

[rattler]

generally they need to get themselves a lil crowded in the pot. i rarly get flowers from any of my Utrics till they start feeling a bit crowded livida is an extreamly fast grower in most conditions and ive had it go from a dime sized plug to filling the surface of a 4 inch pot in 6 or 7 weeks. i would expect you to start seeing flowers in another 2-4 weeks.

 

[jimscott]

My experience: In the spring of 2004, I was given a pinch of U. sandersonni, the blue version, and U. livida. I knew nothing about these plants at all. While both sandersonni spread nicely, by summer, the regular version began flowering. The livida just layed there, neither dying nor spreading. In June, I moved them outside. Shortly thereafter, I gave what I thought was all of it to someone who wanted Utrics for their terrarium. But apparently, there was activity below the surface and it made a comeback. By late fall and through the winter, it flowered. As Dewy indicated, this plant flowers profusely and is something to look forward to during the winter months.

 

[Drosera36]

I think it's pretty cool how utrics have that above ground/under ground growth habit. Say, Jim, have you moved into your new home yet?

 

[jimscott]

Not yet. I am staying with a co-worker for another week. I had hoped to take the CP collection with me, but it looks as though my son, who is also down here, will have a lot of stuff to fill the car. So I will probably have to keep them at the lab, under the trusted care of another co-worker / forum member, for a few weeks, until my return.

 

[Drosera36]

I suppose that also means no sandersonii for another few weeks.

 

[jimscott]

Yeah, they're in the fridge for now.

 

[Drosera36]

I just noticed in other posts that everyone is getting their U. sandersonii 'Blue' to flower. But is it actually blue?

 

[rattler]

yes the flowers are definatly a nice light blue compared to the typical form. the flower shape is also a bit different between the two. i tried to explain the differences in shape at one point but my communication skills arent the greatest and it turned out poorly. best bet is to grow both forms and see for you self, when/if yah get it to bloom. or if yah want to search the forums a bit i think my post was about a year ago and you can go see what i wrote.

 

[jimscott]

Quote[/b] (Drosera36 @ Dec. 04 2005,5:15)]I just noticed in other posts that everyone is getting their U. sandersonii 'Blue' to flower.  But is it actually blue?

Well... not everybody gets to see the flowers!

I got two flower stalks and a teardrop shaped bud - but I never actually saw a flower.

I'm in therapy, now....

 

[Drosera36]

Maybe the little magical dwarves are up to it again, nurturing your sandersonii, and then relieving themselves onto your plants, just to make them shut down their flowers, and make you mad.

Anywho, I was wondering if there is any significant difference between U. livida and U. sandersonii stolons/leaves (i.e. U. subulata has grass-like stolons and U. longifolia has large, leafy stolons)? For if I was to put them into my Utric pot, I would want to know if one or the other survives.

 

[rattler]

flowers is the main way. if you get stolons going over the edge of the pot its definatly sandersonii. sandersonii leaves can varry in appearance quite a bit even wih the same clone depending on how much light the plant is getting.

 

[Drosera36]

Oh, well, then I suppose I wont know if any plant survives until it's too late. But, why should one Utric crowd another out, since they're so similar, and one colony consists of a hundred plants?

 

[rattler]

oh one Utric can easily crowd out another. in something the size of a 4 inch pot some utrics can about choke out Drosera. about the only place i mix Utric species is in dart frog and Mantella tanks cause i really dont care if one does better than another as long as one of them decides to grow and spread like a weed.

 

[Drosera36]

Yes, I understand what you mean, but too very similar plants couldn't possibly crowd each other out because they're the same size and shape. But, I really have no idea, so correct me if I'm wrong. And if I am, I 'spose I'll have to just keep my large Utric pot with only U. livida in it.

 

[rattler]

sandersonii and lividas growth habits are different. kinda hard to explain but if yah get both of them growing good youll see what i mean real quick

 

[Drosera36]

Hmm...I suppose I'll have to give in and say you're right.

 

[rattler]

best explination i can give is that if conditions are ideal, sandersonii grows more ontop of the soil, and sends runners every where including over the side of the pot. livida grows in the soil, like most Utrics and wont, atleast in my experiance, go over the side but it will come out the bottom drain holes(as will sandersonii.