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Growing and Cloning B52 Venus Fly Traps

  • #22
Venus flytraps eating insects is about as symbiotic as a grizzly bear eating a human.
 
  • #23
I am definitely interested in making some B52 seeds. Genetics is fascinating.

A seedling of a B52 could be the next best cultivar =)

My cat tried to kill my butterwort, so I thought a box would be a good idea.

I have a slightly smaller box with no top at all, but I think VFT will grow just fine in a 100% enclosed terrarium.

I definitely do not have 2 or 3 years worth of patience, but I think I can cut that estimate in half with enough light.

I grew a Sundew from a tiny plant with just a few leaves to flowering in 4 months with just 24 little RGB LEDs.

One time I captured a very fat fly and hand fed it to my venus fly trap. After a week or so the trap rotted and I noticed some maggots coming out of it.

The VFT and the Fly's both benefited from this encounter, so I see the two as having a symbiotic relationship.

No seed is going to produce a B-52. B-52 is a unique individual, genetically speaking. Seeds can produce plants with the physical traits of B-52, but the only way to create B-52 plants is to clone that unique individual.
 
  • #24
Venus flytraps eating insects is about as symbiotic as a grizzly bear eating a human.

Probably be a be a better analogy to use a polar bear .... they are known to actually hunt people with eating in mind. Grizzly attacks are usually resulting from abject stupidity or naiveté on the part of the human. ;)
 
  • #25
I understand that a seed from a B52 does not a B52 make.

Symbioses is not the right word, but it was beneficial for those maggots.

Can someone confirm that these are VFT seedlings?

11gubeg.jpg
 
  • #26
If they're actual seedlings, and not pullings, then 2-3 years. Maybe a little less if you consistently hand-feed them and trim the traps when they start to blacken to preserve the leaves.

Secondly, if you have no patience, you're in the wrong hobby. :p

Agreed.
 
  • #27
I think VFT will grow just fine in a 100% enclosed terrarium.

I definitely do not have 2 or 3 years worth of patience, but I think I can cut that estimate in half with enough light.

No, and no. :down:

Adding more light to an enclosed growth chamber = more heat, and you've already discovered that is a problem. As John said, you are just going to steam your plants to death with that approach. :-(
There is nothing you can do that will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to generate a colony of Dionaea, except one method: buy more adult plants.
 
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  • #28
I am definitely interested in making some B52 seeds. Genetics is fascinating.

A seedling of a B52 could be the next best cultivar =)

My cat tried to kill my butterwort, so I thought a box would be a good idea.

I have a slightly smaller box with no top at all, but I think VFT will grow just fine in a 100% enclosed terrarium.

I definitely do not have 2 or 3 years worth of patience, but I think I can cut that estimate in half with enough light.

I grew a Sundew from a tiny plant with just a few leaves to flowering in 4 months with just 24 little RGB LEDs.

One time I captured a very fat fly and hand fed it to my venus fly trap. After a week or so the trap rotted and I noticed some maggots coming out of it.

The VFT and the Fly's both benefited from this encounter, so I see the two as having a symbiotic relationship.

What makes you think VFTs are fine in an enclosed terrarium? Your own experience, or your own desire for it to be so? Fwiw the combined experience of those here says they don't do well under such conditions. I firmly believe in putting nothing above my own judgement, but when I have little to no experience in a matter, that judgement tells me to listen to those with pertinent experience. Ymmv.
 
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  • #31
1 year sounds good to me! I will try to grow them faster.

I have some experience with VFT and Sundews in sealed jars in a window.

VFT needs tons of light and the terrariums will block some so I think the VFT will weaken and eventually die without supplemental light.

I am concerned about the heat, I already removed a 10 Watt light.

The B52 that was blasted with a Red Blue 10 Watt grow light for two days turned red.

332qges.jpg
 
  • #32
1 year sounds good to me! I will try to grow them faster.

I have some experience with VFT and Sundews in sealed jars in a window.

VFT needs tons of light and the terrariums will block some so I think the VFT will weaken and eventually die without supplemental light.

I am concerned about the heat, I already removed a 10 Watt light.

The B52 that was blasted with a Red Blue 10 Watt grow light for two days turned red.

332qges.jpg

And in your experience how long did the plants live? I guess it's like keeping a goldfish in a little bowl. I've known people to maintain them for several years under such conditions. But considering the40 year plus lifespan of a goldfish, I don't consider the feat anything to brag about. It comes down to your expectations I suppose. Personally I expect most of my plants to outlive me.
 
  • #33
I still can't tell if OP is serious or not...:crazy:
 
  • #34
He is serious, but not about getting advice. He seriously wants affirmation for his own ideas.
 
  • #35
He is serious, but not about getting advice. He seriously wants affirmation for his own ideas.

In other words, "I'm going to do what I want and I expect you guys to tell me it's a great idea whether it is or isn't"
 
  • #36
He is serious, but not about getting advice. He seriously wants affirmation for his own ideas.

I'm not sure why advice was even asked for here b/c the OP is just showing us pics while turning a deaf ear.

I still can't tell if OP is serious or not...:crazy:

I wondered about that when I added my turtle post :jester:
 
  • #37
And yet my own experience growing Dionaea from seed does not support this.

Key words there-- my own experience. Fact: Feeding does make flytraps grow faster. Much faster. I do not know if I personally could get flytraps to flowering size in under a year, but I believe Francois.

Flyinthetrap, if you are not going to listen to all the people here who actually have experience on this topic, what, precisely, is the point of even asking? You have your recommendations. I suppose there is nothing more to say here, but the advice still stands. You can choose to ignore it or not.
 
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  • #38
I am serious about getting advice! I haven't pulled any B52 leaves yet!

I'll put the plants in the box with no top.

I killed all the VFTs I ever owned so far =) So I do need the advice!

I never kept one alive more than a couple years.
 
  • #39
I am serious about getting advice! I haven't pulled any B52 leaves yet!

I'll put the plants in the box with no top.

I killed all the VFTs I ever owned so far =) So I do need the advice!

I never kept one alive more than a couple years.

What?! Then why, why are you continuing to use the method which obviously does not work?

I'll say this one more time: Take the plants out of the terrarium, and grow them outside. If you do not have enough sun outside, then put them under the grow lights WITHOUT the terrarium.
 
  • #40
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein.
 
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