New VFT owner

[Kat]

Hey all, new here. I've been looking around the forums, but haven't been able to find all the specific information I need.

I bought my first and only VFT earlier this summer (sometime in late July, I think), and it seems to have been doing fairly well. Initially, it caught bugs constantly and grew like woa, but now it's slowing down and worrying me a bit. I'm keeping it in a dish of water on my dorm room windowsill in northern Colorado, and I'm afraid that the change in location from the kitchen window at home hasn't left it entirely perky. My best guess is that this is at least partially due to the weather, since it's been unusually cold and I still have to keep the window open most of the time to avoid a stifling hot room. Three of the traps have dead flies in them that are either undigested or oddly complete exoskeletal remains, and the traps that are currently growing are doing so very slowly. Judging by past growth, I'd expected the newest nearly-mature trap to open by yesterday or the day before, and the other three (two are still dinky) that are growing haven't shown much of any change since last week. I know that they require a dormant period each year, but I'd hate to do it so early in the season. I could send it back home for my mom to look after, but she's notoriously bad about plants (though she did pretty well at taking care of it the few weeks I did leave it with her) and I'd miss having it here. If I do need to put it in the dormant stage soon, I can either put it in the basement at home or my little fridge here, so I'd like some advice on which would be better. I've left it in the soil the garden center had it potted in and I've used all distilled water, and the only thing I ever fed it by hand was an earwig.
Picture:

I'm also concerned because there's something white and whispy in one of the traps. Is it fungus?

And also, at one point the leaves stopped growing with nice, even edges. It wasn't like that when I first got it, and it stopped growing ragged-edged leaves after I trimmed off the dead traps that were on it, but I don't know if that's what fixed it. You can still see a few of the leaves that grew like that. Any idea as to the cause?

Thanks!

 

[jimscott]

Hi Kat and welcome to to TF! May I ask where you got this plant? Was it from Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart... that sort of thing, or did you buy it at an online store? The reason why I ask is that an online place, or one of us, is likely to provide you with a healthy plant. In contrast, a tissue cultures plant from a department store, is likely to be in a neglected, weakened state. Even a healthy plant may react to a change of conditions - temperature, humidity, or lighting. A department store plant is far more likely to react. So you may be exeperiencing that.

Also, this is the time of year for dormancy plants to go into dormancy. Let me explain. There is a bit of confusion as to what dormancy actually means. To newer hobbyists, it is classically thought of as being totally asleep, like a bear hibernating. While it does slow down to next to no discernible growth in the dead of winter, its dormancy is also is really a process that begins when the the photoperiod begins to decline (late June). It may still be growing, but the decreasing photoperiod is signalling that it is time to slow down. So in the broader sense, dormancy is the actual process of slowing down. And while dormancy includes variables such as declining temps, less food supply, and less water, it is the decreasing light that is the most significant factor.

I think you have 2 dynamics going on - adjustment to its surroundings and the process of dormancy. If any traps blacken, snip them. Retain that which is green. Provide as much light as possible. provide as much drainage and air circulation as possible. Don't concentrate on providing it with food, as this is secondary to it being a plant. For now, it is good to be by a light source, but it isn't necessary to provide a fridge or a garage or attic or....

Do keep us informed and feel free to ask questions.

Oh... and what's your major? Do you live anywhere near Buena Vista, CO?

 

[glider14]

ites ok...its getting redy for its winter domancy. it wont go under yet but soon it will. you will have to read up on that because i have never evengone through dormancy yet(this is only my first year of growing cps. my vfts are also slowing down dramaticly! so are my Sarracenia(pitcher plants)
Alex
PS welcome to the forums!

 

[Kat]

I got the plant from Nick's Garden Center down in Aurora.  First time I've ever bought anything from them, but their VTFs were sure in a lot better shape than the poor withered pitcher plants at the other garden center we visited.

Drainage?  Should I elevate the pot out of the water or water it less or something?  The plant's getting plenty of air, being in my constantly-open window next to the fan...not much I can do about light unless I go out and get a lamp for it.  It's a southern-facing room, so when the sun's out the plant gets oodles of light in the morning, but it's been pretty rainy for about a week now.  What kind of light would I need?

Do you think it will be all right to just leave it in the window all winter and let it go dormant there?  It shouldn't get too ridiculously cold since later in the year I'll start actually closing the thing, and the heater's along the wall under the window.  Then again, maybe that leaves it too warm.

Maybe I should get a thermometer to figure out what temperature it actually ends up being in that spot?

I'm a film major (Russian studies minor as of Friday...woot!), and I'm up in Boulder for school.  Not terribly close to Buena Vista (in the opposite direction of Boulder from home in Aurora, actually), but I've been there.  Tons of white water rafting and a place that serves good pie, but that's about all I know about it.

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

Quote[/b] (Kat @ Sep. 11 2006,6:23)]...and a place that serves good pie...

Jan's has the best pie in Buena Vista (Don't you dare pronounce it with a Spanish accent!

) in my opinion.

Kat, your plant looks fine. The ragged edges could be insect damage or the edge might have been damaged during its developement. The slowing down is the beginning stages of dormancy. They can take light freezes if you leave them outside to thaw gradually. If you have a spot that is cold but doesn't freeze and gets some to lots of light during the winter that would be best for dormancy.

Water it a bit less during the winter, it won't need or use as much and it will discourage mold. Keep the soil just slightly moist

Are you a member of the Colorado Carnivorous Plant Society? We will have a display set up September 16 to 18 at the Colorado Springs Home & Landscaping Show in the Phil Long Expo Center in Colorado Springs. Check it out if you have the time. Jeremiah and his family will be manning the booth which will have a variety of CPs to admire or purchase. I'll be there Saturday with my wive and daughter. There's a little more info here: CCPS Events It's the entry at the bottom of the page.

 

[mabudon]

I let my VFTs "sleep" on my windowsills and they don't seem to mind, so I would imagine you should be okay doing that- if it doesn't give it a "full" dormancy, it will at least give it enough of one for you to think up another strategy for next year, I would imagine

Oh yeah and welcome to TF!!

 

[flymantang]

Hi and welcome to the forums

Anyhow, others have pointed this out already, and I too think that your plant is in a later stage of its dormancy period. I've had to snip off two traps already due to developing black spots.

Am also new at this so my plant will go through its first dormancy period as well ... Hopefully I can keep it alive during the fall and winter months ... Hahaha

 

[Alexis]

It looks fine to me. Dormancy is a fair few weeks off yet.

VFTs don't always grow non-stop from spring until fall. Your conditions sound fine and I can see another trap emerging from the centre.

The insects in the traps have been digested - the exoskeleton isn't able to be dissolved, so the insides have been sucked dry, just as a spider eats its meals.

 

[xscd]

If your VFT is slowly becoming dormant (or when it does), if the window has lots of very cool to cold air falling from it on the inside, that should probably be enough to keep it chilled most of the time and give it its rest/dormancy, even if the temperatures rise some during the day on the window sill. It seems a bit early for dormancy though (mine go dormant in November here in eastern New Mexico), so maybe it's just pausing to readjust to its new environment, or maybe the cool air of the window is causing it to slow temporarily.

When the plant does become dormant, be sure to reduce the water a lot, because the plant isn't using nearly as much, and to discourage rot and fungal infections that can occur in too-wet environments. During dormancy I would take the VFT out of the tray of water and just water it occasionally, when it has dried to just moist (the dry side of moist). Then water it thoroughly and let it (almost) dry out again, all through dormancy.

The plant will probably still grow a little during dormancy, and will still photosynthesize and store that food for a vigorous growth spurt next spring.

If the plant is not going dormant right now, don't worry too much. Try not to give it much more water than it needs, but allow it to adjust to the temperatures and environment it has newly been placed in.

Best wishes. Nice plant--

 

[jimscott]

Excellent guidance provided above, so I won't add to it, except that if you have a way of augmenting the light, go for it!.

There are a variety of ways of approaching the winter, depending upon what climate you are in, as well as what you have available to you. I'm in Buffalo, NY, so having cold temps isn't an issue. If I had them outside for the winter, I would need to keep them from getting too cold. That can be dealt with by mulching it heavily. If you were in Florida or the equivalent, you'd have to find another way of providing cold - like a fridge. What I have been doing is keeping my dormancy type plants outside from April-> mid-November, in bickets of minibogs and then I tote them to the cold, but not frigid attic, as is, placed at the SW window sill. When mid-winter comes around, the photoperiod has increased enough such that the plants begin to awaken, on their own.

Some people take their plants from the cold outside or inside window sill and move them into the fridge. Some put their pots in there, as is. Some add fungicide and put into baggies. Different approaches are made, based upon the respective dynamics. 3 Years ago I had my VFT's, purchased during the summer, on a window sill in the lab that I worked. The sill was not airtight and it got into the 50's. Then I took them home and put them in between the storm and inner kitchen windows. But it wasn't cold enough at first. So then I put them on the screened porch - until we had a cold snap and the soil froze. Then I moved them to our butter keeper, as was., where they stayed there for another month. Then it was back to the lab and into a sample fridge, until March. Then it was back to the coldish window sill. Lastly, in April, I took them outside, where I was then rewarded with flower stalks. The point is that there are more than one way to successfully approach matters, albet circuitous, in my case. I may have been emphasizing temperature in this post, but light is still the dominating factor, as many Californians can attest.

 

[Kat]

I'm really thinking a lot of it has just been a reaction to the cold and the overcast skies--today was sunny (more sunny than I like, but the plant digs it), and the immature traps did more than they have all week. I'm going to see if I can get ahold of a thermometer and see how cold the window sill gets once it starts getting cold for real, but it ought to be all right from what you've all said.

I've been letting the water in the dish dry up so I can control how moist it is (though now that it seems to be warming back up maybe it's too soon--it's always something, hahaha). I'm hesitant about taking it out of the dish for winter just because the pot of course has drainage from the bottom. Suppose I could put it on an old towel. If nothing else, I am planning to change it out for a smaller dish that's actually designed for this. I'm just using the cereal bowl because I couldn't find the other when I moved the plant up here.

I doubt I'm going to be able to make it down to Colorado Springs this weekend. Even if I go home I'll have to convince someone to drive me, and it's a bit of a long drive to visit one booth, even if it is a chance to get healthy carnivorous plants.

What's disturbing is that I'm already having thoughts about getting a second one so I can get seeds a year or two down the road and cram my window full of the things.

 

[Kat]

Hey, sorry to bump this but it's doing something new. The two little just-barely-there new traps that were in those pictures have about doubled in size since I posted them (slower growth than I'd seen before, but I haven't been too worried), but they're now only about half green and the backs are tannish reddish. I haven't seen this happen before, so I'm wondering if it has to do with dormancy/location change/sick plant. It's probably been getting more water than it really needs, but I was out of town this weekend and had to leave a good amount of water in the dish to avoid it going dry while I was gone. I think they were turning that color before then, though.

 

[vraev]

I was told by a CP seller at keehns that most VFTs on sale are out of TC. That means they need a little time to sync up with the real seasons around. He said...that if the plant is growing....keep them growing (if u grow them in terraria like me) until it shows changes like blackening of traps...etc...and only then send it into dormancy. DO NOT FORCE THE PLANT. Even the universty greenhouse caretaker who has 10 yr old VFT's told me that. Let it grow. It will let u know when it wants dormancy.

I am in a similar stage..when I don't know the language of my vft. I don't know when I should send it into dormancy. I guess the best bet is to keep a close observation on it. Then depending on the need and require ment send it dormant.

Keehns told me that only 2 plants so far in my 5 plant collection...one typical and one dentate(from walmart) require dormancy this yr. The others are straight off TC and can probably withstand till next winter for their first dormancy. however,I guess I will watch the signs and put them into dormancy whenever they express themselves appropriately. In the worst case....I'll do a force dormancy in stages....move it away from light....open the window...and so on. I don't know....I just hope the plants survive thorugh the firsst yr of my noobism.

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

@Kat Are your plants receiving lots of direct sun? If so that is the likely cause of the tannish reddish color developing on the leaves. It's the normal reaction of most healthy VFT to bright sunlight and is nothing to worry about. It will develope to varying degrees in VFTs as a sort uf sunscreen to protect the leaves from sunburn and indicates your giving them adequate sunlight. Don't worry about occasionally having to overwater. They can handle that a lot better than getting too dry.

@vraev Sounds like you've done some asking around. I don't think you'll have any problems with getting your plants through dormancy

 

[Kat]

It's been getting more sunlight than before, since after the "augment the light if you can" comment I've been moving it back and forth in the window each day so it stays in the sunlight as long as possible.

I'm also trying to start watering a little at a time from the top instead of leaving it to sit in the dish full of water, but it's going to have to face a decent number of weekends where I just leave it overwatered. Hasn't hurt it yet, so I'll take your word for it that it'll be all right.

vraev, I just have it in a pot on the window sill, so it's pretty much taking its cues from nature.