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Should I repot?

Hello all! I've been looking through this forum for a while now, finally decided to sign up, and am in need of some advice. I picked up 2 VFT's from home depot about 2 weeks ago (from the Bloomrite distributor). They were the healthiest out of the bunch, and probably the healthiest I've ever seen. Pictures taken when I first got them. Many of the traps closed as I was taking them out of their tubes. Anyone think they can identify what type they are?
<a href="http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a282/danielng1/?action=view&current=08-04-10_22-001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a282/danielng1/08-04-10_22-001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <a href="http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a282/danielng1/?action=view&current=08-04-10_22-013.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a282/danielng1/08-04-10_22-013.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <a href="http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a282/danielng1/?action=view&current=08-04-10_22-21.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a282/danielng1/08-04-10_22-21.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

I took them out of the long humidity tube they came in and placed them on a saucer. My question is that both plants have their roots hanging out of the drainage holes (you can see on the third picture). I know it's growing season, but should I repot them?
I'm afraid that this might put them in shock as well as slowing their growth during the season. I also had the idea of just taking them out of the pot but leaving the soil intact and just putting it into a bigger pot with the new soil around it. What do you guys suggest?
 
zk,

i would repot. it looks really healthy and should handle a repot without any or minimal shock to the plant. just take care not to break the roots when breaking up the soil around it, even if you arent, i doubt it would kill it.

looks like the typical form to me??

~b
 
plant's on steroid it'll get smaller later, trust me. mine came abit bigger than yours. after the old leaves died back, healthy smaller ones came in
 
XD I think you should, now you have to go back to Home Depot!
 
Well, thanks for the advice! I think I will repot. Oh, by the way I already purchased larger pots, saucers, and soil when I bought the plant so I don't have to go back, hehe ^^.
So they're on steroids huh? Where can I go about buying these steroids... hahaha.
Hey, I just noticed I created thread #3000! Do I get a prize or something? =D
 
Welcome to TF! Home Depot VFT suppliers are likely to be selling "typicals". I would get a large pot or whiskey barrel, filled with sand, peat, and topped with LFS. Then I would put it outside in the shade until acclimated. Then I would put in full sunshine.... and leave it out there, all yearround.
 
They would probably benefit from repotting - more room for the roots and you are less likely to over water with a sandier mix.

I'd say almost all the VFTs from Booman's/Nurseryman's Exchange are "typicals". Apparently they tissue culture from seeds to get more variety.

Other companies like Gubler's probably get their plants from AgriStarts III in Florida which offers a variety such as 'Dentate' and 'Akai Ryu' as well as typicals. You might even get lucky and find a 'Cupped Trap' like I did in Home Depot:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/not_a_number/361266377/" title="P1170092 by Not_a_Number, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/361266377_f3e2d6f970.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1170092" /></a>

BTW: If you live in one of the states with 99 cent Only stores they had another batch of the Booman's/Nurseryman's Exchange VFTs for only 99 cents. These are the same ones that Home Depot sells for $4.99.
 
Zerokool.

Welcome!

I lived in San Francisco and you should have no problems growing VFTs.

Please follow jimscot's advice and let sit outside in the shade until acclimated. I purchased 8 VFTs, like yours, from the .99 store and nearly killed all 8 by just placing them outside in the sun without letting them acclimate.
 
Wow, this forum is great! Thank you all for the support and advice. I forgot to mention that I actually went around this forum reading about acclimation. I remember that there were two options, either acclimate them, or as someone suggested, dump them in full sunlight (although some leaves will burn, the new ones should be fine). So I decided to leave them in the sun for a couple days (I'm in an apartment complex so I don't have a western or eastern window).
This was a bad move on my part, the VFT (all green one in the picture above) started burning the most, and only a couple on the other one. I couldn't stand seeing them in this condition so I'm acclimating them with about 1 hr of sun and the rest as shade now. Is there a way that I can tell when they're fully acclimated?

I've done a lot of research and I purchased a VFT the week before these, and they're not doing so well. I repotted them with 50/50 E.B. Stones canadian sphagnum peat moss and horticulture sand. Anyone know about this brand? Well, I will post some pictures up later and maybe you guys can help diagnose the problem.

I've been looking almost everywhere in and around San Francisco for long fiber sphagnum moss (also live) with no luck. All I find is the Mosser Lee brand which users say contains too many sticks and "stuff". I know some of the online sites, but I'm trying not to spend so much if I can find it for less especially without having to wait for it to come in the mail.

Hey Italo, did you purchase and grow your vft's in San Francisco? If you did, I would like to know where was that 99 cent store you purchasd it from.

Thanks again everyone!
 
  • #10
Hi,

The Vfts that I purchased from the .99 store were near Phoenix Arizona. Here is the store locator.
http://www.99only.com/locator/index.php
It looks like you have a couple of stores near you in Oakland and San Leandro.

I moved to Prescott, AZ to get married but when I was living in SF the growing medium that seemed to work really well was 67% Peat Moss and 33% Silica Sand. I had a Big Mouth that lasted 5 years in this growing medium and I never re-potted it.

I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions?

Giovanni
 
  • #11
Thanks for the site Italo! Hmm.. it would cost me $4 bridge toll to go and return from Oakland. I'll definitely check out the store if I'm ever in Oakland. I can't help but think of Little Italy whenever I see your avatar, haha. That's the only place I see Italian flags in SF (besides Deli's). Anyways, what brand of peat moss, and sand did you use? I currently have E.B. Stones. I emailed them about whether they add fertilizer or not, and they said no. Since I repotted my first plant using this brand, it hasn't been doing so well, but it might not be the media. I'm just being cautious.
 
  • #12
I can't tell if the water dish you have them in is clay/terracotta or not, but unless it's glazed, it's generally recommended that you avoid them because they break down over time and the water leeches material out of them, degrading the quality of the soil your VFTs sit in. We have a couple of terracotta pots at work that look pretty bad, so I can attest that they do break down over time.
 
  • #13
You could try the .99 store in Antioch. If you take 101 south via San Jose, you could avert all bridge tolls. It would cost you a lot in gas but you could make up for it by buying 10 vfts.

In San Francisco, I would always purchase my growing supplies from Sloat Garden Center near the zoo. http://www.sloatgardens.com

They cost a little more but it is well worth it because they sell a lot of growing soils for carnivorous plants that do not have vitamins or nutrients added to it. Here you will be able to purchase Peat Moss, Silica Sand and Perlite. I would recommend experimenting with different growing mediums but as I stated before the 67% Peat Moss 33% Silica Sand seemed to work really well for me in SF.

I miss North Beach (Little Italy) in San Francisco and would always bring my relatives there when they would visit form Italy.

I hope all this information helps.

Giovanni
 
  • #14
If it says "Sphagnum Peat Moss" on the label it should be okay as long as it doesn't have fertilizer added.

Dried long fibered sphagnum moss can be had a Lowe's usually. Look of the small bricks of "Orchid Moss" in the orchid section - Chilean long fiber sphagnum if you don't want to use the Mosser Lee stuff. I find as many twigs and leaves in the Chilean stuff as the Mosser-Lee.

You can probably find New Zealand long fiber sphagnum moss in hydroponics and orchid supply stores. Be prepared for sticker shock as this stuff goes for premium prices and hydro/orchid suppliers seldom discount stuff.

The 99 cent stores in the LA area had VFTs as of last week. They're being shipped from the Nurseryman's Exchange distribution point in San Francisco so you should have not problem finding them there.

If you want 'Dentate Traps', 'Akai Ryu' , typicals or Sarranenia, Pinguicula and Drosera then get them from Andrew and flytrapshop.com

Otherwise San Francisco is rather CP saturated and you can find something just about any plant store. The BACPS meetings are also a great place to acquire plants.
 
  • #16
Terracotta? I'm not sure if I'm using that, but my all my pots and saucers are plastic.

Sloat Gardens is exactly where I purchased my first vft (the one not doing so well), and the media. I agree, supplies at this shop are a bit more expensive than other stores. I guess you left you heart in San Francisco Italo, haha.

Not a Number, I've been to Lowe's, and all that I can find is Mosser Lee. I tried looking for Chilean moss as well with no luck. I'm curious about BACP meetings. Can anyone go to it or is it members only? I've been looking around for the Red Piranha, and it is quite expensive for my taste. Not too sure if I'm ready to spend that much on a plant especially if I don't think I'm completely capable of handling it. But until I'm ready, these typicals will have to do! I'm also going to be at the San Francisco Botanical Garden tomorrow for a field trip (I'm in college) to further our knowledge on the diversity of plants, and I think they have carnivorous plant's, YAY!
 
  • #17
Terracotta? I'm not sure if I'm using that, but my all my pots and saucers are plastic.

Sloat Gardens is exactly where I purchased my first vft (the one not doing so well), and the media. I agree, supplies at this shop are a bit more expensive than other stores. I guess you left you heart in San Francisco Italo, haha.

Not a Number, I've been to Lowe's, and all that I can find is Mosser Lee. I tried looking for Chilean moss as well with no luck. I'm curious about BACP meetings. Can anyone go to it or is it members only? I've been looking around for the Red Piranha, and it is quite expensive for my taste. Not too sure if I'm ready to spend that much on a plant especially if I don't think I'm completely capable of handling it. But until I'm ready, these typicals will have to do! I'm also going to be at the San Francisco Botanical Garden tomorrow for a field trip (I'm in college) to further our knowledge on the diversity of plants, and I think they have carnivorous plant's, YAY!

Terracotta is the typical heavy fired clay pot that is orange in color like what your plastic dish is made to look like. Unfortunately I couldn't tell in the pics if they were plastic or terracotta. You're fine then. ;)
 
  • #18
Not a Number, I've been to Lowe's, and all that I can find is Mosser Lee. I tried looking for Chilean moss as well with no luck.

If they're out now it can take six months or longer before they get more of either one. I'd recommend grabbing a bag or two of either one when you see them as this stuff flies off the shelves in the spring time and not to be seen again until late summer or late fall.

You might want to mosey over to the Berkeley Botanical Gardens on May 11th as Barry Rice will be speaking there.

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/program/event_des/Unselt_lecture.html
 
  • #19
Hey ZeroKool,

I'm from Southern California and just recently bought some VFT's from the 99 cent store, and they looked alot like yours...and I just want to warn you that as they become more acclimated to your climate they WILL start producing smaller traps...so if you see this don't be alarmed. Also, I don't really know the SF area...but I know that a certain very respected carnivorous plant distributer(can't say on this forum) is up there somewhere and if you want more plants I would definitely go there, and even if you don't want more plants I would still go there because from the pictures I've seen it looks amazing and would probably be a great experience!! I wish that I lived closer so I could go there to visit the place!! I'm jealous!!!

Zach
 
  • #20
Hmm, listening to Barry Rice speak about CP's? What's so great about that (no offense)?

Hey CPEnthusiast, think you can pm me the distributor? I would greatly appreciate it!
 
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