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Is my plant healthy?

NeciFiX

Kung Fu Fighting!
It might seem like a pointless topic, but, something worried me about my VFT's.

They are only a few inches away from the fluorescent tube and two weeks ago or so the plant made a leaf that shot about 1 inch from the light (a pest infection made it so weak it couldn't support itself anymore, but, the pests are long dead now), it currently has 18 leaves (it had 10-12 when I got it, in a clump, the leaves were twisting and turning around each other, so it only looked like a few, but there was a ton!) there is 14 developed and about 4 coming in (one leaf done with the trap progress starting, one is developing, the leaf isn't done yet, then there is two leaf stubs, one a bit bigger than the other coming up, it's also tried to flower a few times but I cut them off when they got a bit bigger than an inch).

This trap that went towards the light source seemed like it was etiolated! I've had a majority of these plants for little less than 2 months and none have died and they stay green and continue to grow, every VFT has something developing (I'm letting one flower, oh joy, see if I can get some seed and see the flower once.)

The root system has also developed an extreme amount since when I got it, more so than I had imagined, for instance, when I got the plant simply using a squirt bottle on medium setting shook the plant, the soil was firm then and it is loose now and I tried it now (I stopped doing the watering by the squirt thing a month ago, I just stick to the tray method) and the soil is loose now and the thing barely budged! I packed the soil anyways so it's more secure.

Is my plant unhealthy?
 
If it's etoliated it's unhealthy and needs more light. It should be outside.
 
Then again it could just be a spring/summer leaf.
 
It is a Spring/Summer leaf but it went a bit towards the light.
 
VFTs definately do better outside. Period. Then yours will be healthy
 
I can't put it outside.

I don't live in lucious warm places that are embridled with warmth to the touch nearly all year, I live in the dead Arctic.
 
VFTs need a dormacy period of AT LEAST 3-4 months. You sound like you need more light or brighter light too.
For dormancy you could put it in the refidgerator for 4 months.


Tom
 
What're you talking about?

What about dormancy? Nobodies talking about that. I'm saying the outside is too COLD right now. Jeeze.

Because one of the leaves went towards the light it's ill?
 
VFTS need at least 3-5 months of about 40 degrees F. for their dormant period.

The leaves going to the light is NORMAL, it's reaching for more light. You need to INCREASE the light it's getting at this point. It doesn't mean it's ill, just in need of more light.

Tom
 
  • #10
Well this is interesting. It etoliated considered being ill? I would say yes but not everyone would. weird.
 
  • #11
It hasn't been established that the plant is etoliated. One spring leaf does not etoliation make, especially in springtime. However, given the circumstances it is likely.
 
  • #12
Based on all the pics you would have seen on Dr. Rice's website, other places...you can find pics on how wild VFT's look like. VFT's have different leaves in different seasons etc...HOWEVER, as Dr. Rice on his website puts it....., see your plant from a outsiders perspective and try to see if it looks healthy, see if your leaves are floppy. LOT OF leaf growth doesn't necessarily mean a plant is healthy...it means it is just hanging on trying to keep fighting the situation.

Cut off all flower stalks as it tremendously weakens plants.

leafuh3.jpg
 
  • #13
Right. With the absence of photographs we have only descriptions to go on. A person with little experience of VFTs could probably describe a healthy plant growing in the wild an a way that would sound like it was etoliated. The mere fact that these are growing under fluorescent lights does not mean they are not getting enough light. One should not make rash assumptions.

Ask rather how much light are the plants getting:

How many lights (tubes)? What kind of tubes? How close are the plants to the light source? How many hours a day are the lights on?
 
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