What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Cps not doing too well

Hi all. I just recently got back into the cp thing and they were doing fantastic in san diego under artifical light. I even got to go and transplant them with a 50/50 perlite peat moss combo. my sundew actually outgrew its 2 litre bottle. Basically my problem is this...I moved from the w coast to virginia and my wife put them in a 20 gal terrarium. After a miserable couple weeks (I found out that there was no drainage and perlite) I put them back into larger containers. I have lost the huge sundew and at least one of my vft that once sported the largest traps I had seen. What I am wondering is if anyone can suggest some sort of solution. I saw on one of the other posts that they removed the clear caps off the cp's right away. I have them all under a moderate artifical light. They seem to be sustaining, but nothing like they were. Can I put them on a sunny window sill that gets some full sun? I am also looking for someone to give me some suggestions on getting a terrarium started, drainage and all. I read so many different setup procedures my head is spinning. I am very frustrated also because I cannot seem to get any pitcher plants to grow, they seem to fizzle about a month after I get them. The get the recommended amount of water, about once every three to five days. Anyone that can give me some help would save me a ton of frustration. Can anyone give me soil recommendations on these guys? thanks in advance, Bob
 
Bob,
   Couple of things....We need to know exactly what species you have.  Also, did you check out this page?
PFT care sheets

Since you are now in Virginia, your VFT's can go outside.  You actually have PRIME realestate for a bog garden! They should be placed in a tray of about 1 inch of purified or rain water (tap water, depending on mineral content, can kill them).  You soil (50/50 pete perlite) is fine, that's what I use.  They do like a good deal of sun, but if you bought them from a nursery, introduce them to the sun slowly (think getting a tan without burning...really the same thing.  an hour  the first day, 2 the next, etc).  After they're accustomed to the direct sun, you'll get some really nice red coloration

for the pitcher plants, I assume you mean sarracenia (north american pitcher plants), not Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants), but I won't make any recomendations until I'm sure which genus you have.  I will also reserve my sundew recomnedations until I know which species you have.
Good luck!
biggrin.gif
 
Oh Yeah!!

Welcome to the forums!!
biggrin.gif
 
Bob,

I can suggest several things. First, a terrarium is easiest, in my opinion, with plants still in their containers. In other words, get all the soil out of the tank, and put the containers in saucers of water at the bottom. Next, go buy a cheap temperature/humidity guage to make sure you're not veering too far off of what the plants like. Make sure your terrarium has good air circulation, and it's best if it gets cool at night. VFTs and saracenias don't like stagnant, swampy conditions. Oh, and make sure you're using distilled or rain water. I'm sure some other, more knowledgable people will chime in here.

Capslock
 
Hey, schloaty beat me to it! But he's right; outside is best!

Capslock
 
i'd love to help!! i'd love to help you get a terr started too.


" (I found out that there was no drainage and perlite)" what's wrong with perlite? its auctually GOOD for drainage.

what kind of sundew was it? how did you grow it? (temps, soil, water, ect) ditto for the flytrap.

"I saw on one of the other posts that they removed the clear caps off the cp's right away" whats a clear cap? you mean those little "domes" they remove those because they really aren't needed. especially by the VFT.

what did they look like when they died? brown or black? any little bugs ect? anything out of the ordinary?


as for the pitcher plants, what do they look like when they "fizzle" out? what are you growing them in? you should really let them sit in something, or grow them in undrained containers with a hole cut in it or drilled in it to maintain water level.


as for the terr, why dont you wait a little bit? you mention drainage, forget about filling it in with dirt, making a false bottom ect. its so much easier and imo "cleaner" if you just put down a couple of inches of water, some titanium heaters, eggcrate over that, and then sit the pots on it.




what are you watering with? call me crazy but it might be something in your water. give us a detailed description of how you take care of them.

i hope they live for you!!
 
looks like you BOTH beat me!!!


are you sure they need to get cool at night? i'm growing tropicals and i've been keeping it at 80 degrees constantly (the orchids LOVE it!!&#33
wink.gif
 
Basically, the pitcher plant (not sure of the name, looks like the run of the mill hooded version from Home Depot) were all in the original packing material. the domes are those clear plastic "cups" over the plants when you buy them. When they died, they were all black which when I think about it, sounds like too much water. Several traps died right after feeding a fly to them. There was no perlite in the terrarium when I removed them, and that was what I think pushed them over the edge, too wet and compact. They seem to be sustaining now, especially the sundews. That plant is not the one that has the redish tint to its leaves, plain old green all around, grows like a tree. What temperature and humidity are best for these guys? I have a humidity guage and it is usually around 70%, the temperature is about 70 as well. But again, I think because the soil was sooo packed, that had something to do with it. In CA I had them under full artifical light, high humidity and they loved it...Can I put these guys in full sun outside?? I appreciate all the responses so quickly. I'll get these guys outside and start using rain water. I think that may be part of the problem. Should the be capped of on the tops, or open? How often should the be watered? Can I leave them out overnight? it is about 60 at night here.
 
Your pitcher plants sounds like a S.purpurea (purple pitcher plant), even though yours may be mostly green. The sundew is probably a capillaris or a spatulata. If you give it full sun it'll turn more red.
If you're closer to the ocean your plants can stay outside all year long if they are planted in the ground. If you're closer to the mountains you will need to cover them with pinestraw through the winter.

I think problem was rot. With the plastic cover still on them they didn't have any airflow and that was perfect conditions for rot. The humidity should be perfect in VA.
 
  • #10
yeah. they dont turn black and rot from too much water. i've been in bogs and i've seen S. flavas GROWING in a few inches of water. mine grow in a waterlogged container.


maybe the drosera was a capenesis? they grow stems as they age.

i wouldn't make a planted terrarium like that ever agian. they are trouble IMO. plus, sarracenias grow to be 2-3 feet tall. (some like purpes and psittacinas and hybrids of these are smaller, i think S. minor only get a foot or so, except for the okee. giant)
 
  • #11
VIRGINIA?!? Where??!!! I live in Virginia.
smile.gif
And it is a great climate for most CPs. And I'm always trying to find CP people here...so far nada. Where are you?

Oh...Welcome to the forums!
smile.gif


If the plant you say "looks like a tree" is a sundew, it is probably d. adelae which grows upright on a stem and is often found in those little potted domes at Lowes and the like.

I'm still not to sure about what plants you have, but you can keep your VFTs and American pitcher plants outside year 'round (full sun). Temps here are fine for that. I have a couple of microbogs outside for the sarras.

As for a terrarium, while some people do grow them in soil, I personally have had better success with plants left in the pots inside tanks...mostly the ones that need higher humidity. You will also need to have some air circulation in your tank to prevent mold and fungus. That just means don't completely seal your tank. I have 4 tanks indoors, plus a couple of open shelves of plants and then the CPs outdoors. Oh yeah...and a "nursery" in the basement.
smile.gif
My house glows like its radioacive.

It kind of depends on the plants you have as to which will like full sun and which ones wouldn't.

Any way you could take a pic of your plants as a group so we could maybe identify them for you?

Welcome back to the world of CPs...do I see the signs of a possible addiciton forming??
biggrin.gif


Suzanne
 
  • #12
Suzanne, I am in Winchester. I have several vfts, a sundew and a hooded pitcher plant. I am not to familiar with the other names of them, but the one guy named it, said they could be green as well as purple. I have all my guys outside, uncovered in full sun, not direct until the afternoon around four. All I need to do is keep them moist and they will grow just fine?? I really don't like the terrarium idea because I have a home that does not receive much light due to the trees. Anywho, any other tips would be helpful. I hope to save these guys. My sundews (the bigger one flowered twice and I have probably ten little ones) are doing better. My one vft is still going relatively strong, albeit far from what he once looked like. My other vfts, well, one is dead and the others I am hoping to save. My pitcher plant is uncovered outside. I hope I can get him going. Where is a good place to buy more of the cps (as my wife says, get these ones going and then go buy more). I cannot find any nurseries in the area that carry them. I wonder if the online thing is a good way to go?? I would love to have some different color phase vfts and different pitcher plants, and sundews for that matter. How are butterworts to grow? I have yet to bring one home. Thanks for your help...Bob
 
  • #13
i would grow everything otuside. by growing them inside in a terr. your sort of "overcomplicating" things.

my motto is: "only grow plants in a terrarium that must be in a terrarium" not much of a motto but its true :)
 
  • #14
this place, PFT sells perfect beginner plants, look around here
biggrin.gif
 
  • #15
Hi Bob

Winchester...beautiful area...and the smell of apples everywhere.
smile.gif
Lots of nice antique shops too. *drool*

If you want to have indoor terrariums/tanks, it is easy to do if lighting is your worry. You can provide proper lighting with a simple shop light with one cool white fluorescent tube and one Gro-Lux. Pretty cheap and works well.

If you want more CPs, as everyone does!, beyond what you can get at garden shops, you can order online. Exotic Gardens (PFT), that hosts these forums, has excellent plants that are grown properly so they are very healthy (as opposed to the garden shop ones where they water with tap water and abuse the little guys). You can get some different VFTs like the Green Dragon (a very nice plant) and a dente form.

Also, there is the trade forum where people trade and sometimes give away plants.

The butterworts are nice...often underrated. They can be grown outdoors or on a window sill and have very pretty flowers. Exotic Gardens sells those too.

Your pitcher plant should be fine outdoors in the sun but make sure you keep it wet. They are bog plants so like wet conditions.

I'm still trying to figure out what kind of sundew you have as the care depends on the type. If you have lots of babies then perhaps its a d. capensis...or a d. adelae..both can prolific in plantlets.

Suzanne
 
  • #16
I had all my plants outside for about an hour in full sun. The sundews seemed to like it, but the pitcher plant did not. I removed the clear lids from the pots and the pitcher plant fizzled, looked very dry. I am a bit apprehensive on what to do. I bring them in during the night. I figure the 90 degree heat we are having now is enough for a bit. They are under moderate artifical light until about nine pm. none of the plants are covered. I have the distinct feeling I will lose the pitcher plant. When someone says "full sun" what does that mean?? I don't have any sills that get light, too many trees. What is meant by "indirect sun"? I have a few new additions and I'll see how they do, this is very frustrating for me. I don't like to see these guys fail.
 
Back
Top