Hi guys,
Basically, my VFTs were in a terrarium for their first 8 months. then they started making these shock traps...basically the trap kinda prematurely dies and if it does grow..its growth is all wierd and distorted. Brad on cpuk suggested that it might be due to the water left in the terrarium. I then realised that I used a perlite underlayer for drianage and the water that accumulates under there must become toxic due to Mg release and lack of oxygen. THis was probably shocking the roots (according to Brad). Interestingly....it was probably true. I repotted my plants and after a month, all started making normal traps. This continued for quite a while with the plants starting to bulge with growth. But, suddenly....one of the typicals that finally started growing grew for a little while (2 months [rest were growing 3 months]) and then it started making shock traps again. 2 traps later...a normal trap and then since then its traps are all shock traps and now its almost stalled to very slow. Then my other typical, b52 and red dragon started showing symptoms almost at the same time. NOTE: these plants are all one beside the other. They started making shock traps as well.
Suddenly, the red dragon's growth tip in the center died. But, it made a new one on the side. THis one is now still making normal and nice regular traps. THe others still are growing for the center and still making shock traps.
NOW: considering a infection.
there is also a VFT cutting in the same very exact pot. its growing terrific. there is a vft pot with b52 cuttings and they are doing fine. Seperated from the ceph is a dentate which is doing great as well. its only the big plants which are acting wierd.
Now my hypothesis:
When I was repotting...for a blockage layer to the holes, I used lfs: cheap quality from local home depot:
By vraev at 2007-05-02
Now, I am guessing that the old plants which are big...its roots are reaching this layer underneath its regular peat + perlite mix. Theyounger ones aren't there yet. So therefore maybe the old ones are showing shocktraps as probably this lfs is messed up.
NOW...a good pal here.. joosa was suggesting mealy bug on the VFT. I am having a bit of a scare of that same exact thing with my ceph on its old growth. I am not yet sure...but..interestingly the ceph pot is near all these old plants. but its also in contact with the younger ones.
---current: taken 2 mins ago----
B52: current:
Typical 1: current:
Typical 2: current:
---pics of cuttings in typical 2's pot:
cuttng of the same exact typical 2
B52 cuttings... in a pot right beside the big plants
Now..I have considered repotting. But, remember... my plants (the old ones) HAVEN'T HAD A DORMANCY YET. I got them last year near sept and skipped dormancy. I was thinking maybe I should wait till its over and then repot in spring again.
But, what if there is indeed a mealy bug infestation. How to find out? I cannot obviously see any signs. The signs of that on the ceph was like a white sticky WEB underneath the oldest leaf. However, all new leafs have shown no such signs.
I don't know what to do. I do have backups of my VFT's. The young ones (cuttings) are probably not going to dormancy this year. but, obviously...I would rather prefer that my old plants do well as well.
any help is welcome
thanks,
varun
Basically, my VFTs were in a terrarium for their first 8 months. then they started making these shock traps...basically the trap kinda prematurely dies and if it does grow..its growth is all wierd and distorted. Brad on cpuk suggested that it might be due to the water left in the terrarium. I then realised that I used a perlite underlayer for drianage and the water that accumulates under there must become toxic due to Mg release and lack of oxygen. THis was probably shocking the roots (according to Brad). Interestingly....it was probably true. I repotted my plants and after a month, all started making normal traps. This continued for quite a while with the plants starting to bulge with growth. But, suddenly....one of the typicals that finally started growing grew for a little while (2 months [rest were growing 3 months]) and then it started making shock traps again. 2 traps later...a normal trap and then since then its traps are all shock traps and now its almost stalled to very slow. Then my other typical, b52 and red dragon started showing symptoms almost at the same time. NOTE: these plants are all one beside the other. They started making shock traps as well.
Suddenly, the red dragon's growth tip in the center died. But, it made a new one on the side. THis one is now still making normal and nice regular traps. THe others still are growing for the center and still making shock traps.
NOW: considering a infection.
there is also a VFT cutting in the same very exact pot. its growing terrific. there is a vft pot with b52 cuttings and they are doing fine. Seperated from the ceph is a dentate which is doing great as well. its only the big plants which are acting wierd.
Now my hypothesis:
When I was repotting...for a blockage layer to the holes, I used lfs: cheap quality from local home depot:
By vraev at 2007-05-02
Now, I am guessing that the old plants which are big...its roots are reaching this layer underneath its regular peat + perlite mix. Theyounger ones aren't there yet. So therefore maybe the old ones are showing shocktraps as probably this lfs is messed up.
NOW...a good pal here.. joosa was suggesting mealy bug on the VFT. I am having a bit of a scare of that same exact thing with my ceph on its old growth. I am not yet sure...but..interestingly the ceph pot is near all these old plants. but its also in contact with the younger ones.
---current: taken 2 mins ago----
B52: current:
Typical 1: current:
Typical 2: current:
---pics of cuttings in typical 2's pot:
cuttng of the same exact typical 2
B52 cuttings... in a pot right beside the big plants
Now..I have considered repotting. But, remember... my plants (the old ones) HAVEN'T HAD A DORMANCY YET. I got them last year near sept and skipped dormancy. I was thinking maybe I should wait till its over and then repot in spring again.
But, what if there is indeed a mealy bug infestation. How to find out? I cannot obviously see any signs. The signs of that on the ceph was like a white sticky WEB underneath the oldest leaf. However, all new leafs have shown no such signs.
I don't know what to do. I do have backups of my VFT's. The young ones (cuttings) are probably not going to dormancy this year. but, obviously...I would rather prefer that my old plants do well as well.
any help is welcome
thanks,
varun