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"red vft" problems

chibae

An orchid fancier with a CP problem
Hi all. I have tried to raise red VFTs in my barrel bog without success. The typical forms all do great, but the red forms, ie red dragon and simillar named varities never make it past their second season. For some reason, by late spring the typicals are growing with vigor and the reds, after a brief growth spurt, die.
The growing conditions are the same for both types, in fact they are grown together in the same part of the bog.
Is there a trick to getting these red guys to grow that is different from the typicals?

Thanks for any thoughts
chibae
 
not really. they are the same basicly besides mutations. Perhaps the place you purchase them from dont put them through dormancy, and the plants get too overworked and cripple away. Perhaps they have unhealthy plants and you shoul try somewhere else.
 
They are all Dionaea, just give the red ones, alot more sun. maybe where you buy them from they have pests, or just a disease?
 
Give it more sun. Maybe pests, or disease? They have WAY more anthocyanin in them than the typicals. SO give them more sun. Do you have pictures?
 
Each time the plants were purchased in the spring, grew fine, allowed to go dorment with everything else (barrel bog is mulched on top and then covered with netting against digging squirrels). It's always in their second spring that I lose them.
 
I have had my Red Dragon for 3 years. It is pretty slow growing compared to my other VFTs. I would try to give them as much light as you can. I'm not sure how cold or wet your winters are but I believe they are a little more sensitive as well during dormancy. At least in my experience.

I almost lost my Red Dragon this winter due to a fungal attack when I kept it a little too wet in the garage and didn't give it very good circulation for a few weeks. My other VFTs were fine, but my Red Dragon nearly kicked the bucket.

I ended up repotting it and cutting off the growth tip because it was covered in mold. It made a comeback this spring but slowly.

So I guess in my experience I have found Red Dragon touchier than others. The only other red clone I have is Red Pirahna and it grows pretty well. I have about 6 of them and got them as seedlings. They are not yet fully mature yet being in the 2-3 year old range. I have had no problems with them.
 
hmmmm, maybe I'll give a red pirahna a try then. I'm beginning to think my bog is going monochrome. My northern pitchers ended up being veinless, so they grow almost entirely green with only the faintest blush of purple along the edge of the pitchers when they are still closed, my S. jonesii turned out to be the green variant and now the VFT issue.
thanks for the input
 
That sounds like you are not giving them enought light. All sorts of bad things can happen when sarrs and vfts are not getting enough light because the plants are in a weakened state and cannot fend off attacks from fungus, pests, etc like a healthy one could.

How much direct sun are you giving them a day. At minimum these should get at least 8 hours of direct sun. I try to give mine 10-12 and they look like this (last year).

bog1rkx.jpg
 
I find that the "Akai Ryu" does well in slightly drier conditions than most of my other cultivars; also, they tend to die-back the most during dormancy and are the last to return in the Spring . . .
 
  • #10
hmmmm, maybe I'll give a red pirahna a try then. I'm beginning to think my bog is going monochrome. My northern pitchers ended up being veinless, so they grow almost entirely green with only the faintest blush of purple along the edge of the pitchers when they are still closed, my S. jonesii turned out to be the green variant and now the VFT issue.
thanks for the input

You might need to get more light to the bog... considering they are nearly all all-green... :poke:
 
  • #11
I find that the "Akai Ryu" does well in slightly drier conditions than most of my other cultivars; also, they tend to die-back the most during dormancy and are the last to return in the Spring . . .

Good to know. That explains alot about the mold last winter.
 
  • #12
The bog is located in the sunniest spot I have in the yard. It gets at least 8-9 hours a day. The interior of my VFTs traps all turn red. I may test this theroy though by getting some red sarrs and seeing how well they keep their color.
 
  • #13
Hmmm. 8-9 hours of full sun, no shade, should be enough to turn a northern purple pitcher plant pretty purple unless it is a heterophylla form. If that's the case you could have an antho free jonesii and hetrophylla purpurea and just an issue with the Red Dragon. I guess that's possible.

Perhaps a pic would help?
 
  • #14
Hmmm. 8-9 hours of full sun, no shade, should be enough to turn a northern purple pitcher plant pretty purple unless it is a heterophylla form. If that's the case you have a anto free jonesii and hetrophylla purpurea and just an issue with the Red Dragon. I guess that's possible.

Perhaps a pic would help?

The purple pitcher is definitly northern, it actually is what's considered "vein free", it is almost entirely green but blooms with normal colored flowers. I had chosen a far northern purple pitcher purposely because I wasn't sure if a more southern one would survive winters in the barrel. From what i had learned, the further north the plants originated from, the less purple it carries.
I'm also not surprised at the anto free jonesii, I know they exist. In fact meadowview has some for sale right now.
I just need to add some color, other than green
 
  • #15
So it seems your bog consists of...

S. purpurea purpurea f. heterophylla
S. rubra ssp jonesii antho free
DM. Red Dragon

It sounds like you have a knack for picking finicky plants. LOL
 
  • #16
Have you considered that there may be a pest involved that's causing the problems with the red VFTs? I've noticed that spider mites seem to be more drawn to red VFTs. Do you use any insecticides or miticides?

Initially my red VFTs grew a bit slower and seemed to struggle, but since I've regularly been using a miticide and insecticide, they seem to grow with the same vigor as all of my green clones.
 
  • #17
So it seems your bog consists of...

S. purpurea purpurea f. heterophylla
S. rubra ssp jonesii antho free
DM. Red Dragon

It sounds like you have a knack for picking finicky plants. LOL

Well, I also have Calopogon tuberosus and Vaccinium macrocarpon so it's not entirely green. Guess I really will start looking for easier color than 'red dragon" or figure out what these buggers really want out there.

---------- Post added at 07:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 PM ----------

Have you considered that there may be a pest involved that's causing the problems with the red VFTs? I've noticed that spider mites seem to be more drawn to red VFTs. Do you use any insecticides or miticides?

Initially my red VFTs grew a bit slower and seemed to struggle, but since I've regularly been using a miticide and insecticide, they seem to grow with the same vigor as all of my green clones.

What insecticide do you use? Unless i'm haveing a MAJOR problem with critters on my orchids I use a spray of cinnamon oil, neem oil and distilled water. Would this be safe in the bog? I'm the first to admit that my orchids are not being raised organically but so far the bog has been.
 
  • #18
100% pure Neem Oil.
 
  • #19
What insecticide do you use? Unless i'm haveing a MAJOR problem with critters on my orchids I use a spray of cinnamon oil, neem oil and distilled water. Would this be safe in the bog? I'm the first to admit that my orchids are not being raised organically but so far the bog has been.
I know that many people use neem oil with great success on CPs. Personally, I use acephate for my plants. For a miticide, I use Avid with Stirrup M.
 
  • #20
100% pure Neem Oil.

Uhm, no. Mix it with water as the instructions say.
I used to use Orthene 75sp (acephate) but when I tested neem... I was amazed how well (and much faster!) it worked. I have been using it every sense. But I still hold my Orthene 75sp....just in case :)
Andrew
 
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