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Can you over water VFTs?

  • Thread starter ziggy
  • Start date
  • #21
Mine are in a trays with about an inch of water. I seems most people use that (tray) method.

Tom
(my VFTs survived the winter in the fridge!)
 
  • #22
I do have to say I goaded CP Dude. I gave him every adverse, opposite opinion I could, and yet he stuck it out. THAT says a lot about his character, and his internal strength, which impressed me to say the least. I have been in contact with him, and we have exchanged PM's in a much friendlier fashion. I made my points, and he told me his, and we are now on the same page. I like CP Dude and think he would be an asset to this forums, and is tough as nails to get him to back down to negative feedback. Good character, and good internal strength. Great qualities in my book. He can help many with his ideas for his particular area, and I hope he dives in, and stays with us. He may not have realized how pompous he sounded when he first came on, but give him a break, and let him share his ideas. They are valid, after all.
 
  • #23
I think the rule may actually be that VFTs can take as much water as can be thrown at them, until it begins to interfere with their respiration. I grow my plants outdoors year-round with fairly cold winters, and I've clearly observed plants of the same clone succeeding with low water levels and failing with high ones. This isn't a problem during the warm season, only at times when light levels and temperatures are low. I know lots of growers in southern climates succeed with bogs and waterlogged plantings, but via the forums here I've observed that this technique doesn't seem to work as well for growers with cold winters.
I think that plants grown in warmer climates retain a higher metabolic function than those that go into cold dormancy, and as such they can still extract the necessary amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen for their roots and rhizome, even in waterlogged conditions. In colder, wetter regions, plants can become so waterlogged that the water level rises above the soil line and water/air circulation within the soil is minimized. Low temperatures inhibit the plants' ability to respirate and metabolize. I grow my VFTs in very shallow trays during the winter, and even when it rains for weeks and they're soaking wet, they're still OK - only when the water level comes up to the bulk of the root mass do I see problems.
Other growers succeed with more waterlogged conditions, but in nearly all accounts of this phenomenon there seem to be warmer temperatures, decreased rainfall, or a circulating water source. But that's just my observation.
~Joe
 
  • #24
On an interesting sidenote, should your VFTs become afflicted with Aphids (Heaven Forbid!) a good treatment is to submerge the entire plant in water for about 24-48 hours in order to drown the buggers. I've heard this will have no averse affects on the plant, though in the interests of full disclosure I've yet to try it myself.
 
  • #25
Seedman, my observations are the same as yours. We are hotter than CP Dudes area, so we can waterlog them and they thrive on it. I also passed that on to "The Dude".
 
  • #26
On an interesting sidenote, should your VFTs become afflicted with Aphids (Heaven Forbid!) a good treatment is to submerge the entire plant in water for about 24-48 hours in order to drown the buggers. I've heard this will have no averse affects on the plant, though in the interests of full disclosure I've yet to try it myself.

What's an Aphid, some sort of plant pest?
Do they only attack VFTs, or all kinds of plants?
 
  • #27
They attack as many plants as they can suck on. VERY few plants are free from their attention, and even CP are not immune. Submerging is a good way to do get rid of them, but I prefer a systemic insect killer like Isotox from Ortho. They die in droves on my pitcher plants from Isotox.
 
  • #28
i don't think i have aphids where i live...either that or they never found my plants yet...:boogie:
 
  • #29
They attack as many plants as they can suck on. VERY few plants are free from their attention, and even CP are not immune. Submerging is a good way to do get rid of them, but I prefer a systemic insect killer like Isotox from Ortho. They die in droves on my pitcher plants from Isotox.

What do they look like?

How big are they?

Insect killer isn't harmful to VFTs? Wouldn't the chemicals harm VFTs because they are very sensitive to chemicals?
 
  • #30
all i know is they are very very small and green...so it's hard to see them...that's all i know
 
  • #31
all i know is they are very very small and green...so it's hard to see them...that's all i know


There are also BLACK aphids, I had them on a tropical Hybiscus a few years ago.

Tom
 
  • #32
What do they look like?

How big are they?QUOTE]

The last time I saw them they were on one of our citrus trees. The plant was in distress so the aphids seized the opportunity to attack the new growth. We had green, black, brown, white, and red ones – don’t know if there was any difference, they were all sucking the juice out of the plant. They’re pretty small – they seem to get bigger the more they eat :grin:, but easily visible without a magnifying glass.
 
  • #33
If you are using a computer, you can always google Aphids, and get a good look. It gets monotonous answering some questions you can easily look up. I think Ziggy's name will be, The guy with a thousand questions! LOL!!!!
 
  • #34
If you are using a computer, you can always google Aphids, and get a good look.

But what if you post a message here but don't have a computer? ??? :blush: :-D
 
  • #35
I begin to think this place is getting too cheeky for its own good :p
 
  • #36
You said that if it's warmer like in California they can take more water without harming them right? But what has me wondering is do people know how messed of an area like Milwaukee is? Summers here are too hot and winters are "too cold" for VFT's to stay out year round. I'm not understanding the warmer weather means more water thing.
 
  • #37
Having just recently come from a trip the Green Swamp in NC, I saw flytraps growing in very wet conditions...even fully or partially submerged. I would only suggest if growing in waterlogged conditions, you don't let the water get stagnant and foul. That can encourage bacteria and rot. But if you keep the water relatively fresh or let the pot dry out a little before a heavy soaking, you should be fine.

VFT_clump2RS.sized.jpg


Not far from this clump were VFTs growing in and around ditch full of water.
 
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