Zach's Newbie Thread

[ZachA]

Hey guys!

I'm Zach, a 3rd year finance student at the University of Florida. I just decided to try my hand at growing a few D. muscipula after a friend got one from his mom. Needless to say I was jealous and had to have one myself.

I eventually ended up with my friend's plant, as well as a second one that a girl gave me, still in the tiny plastic pots you would buy them from Wal-Mart in. They had already split so I decided to re-pot them in separate containers (solo cups).

I put each little plant, as well as the "mother" plants in their own solo cups filled with 50% peat humus and 50% perlite and after watering them with distilled water. In case you didn't catch it already, PEAT HUMUS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT FOR VFTS. Being a complete newbie, I thought peat was peat until I did a little research. Turns out you want sphagnum peat. Peat humus is a mixture of peat with humus, which I learned was a nutrient rich type of soil. If you know anything about vfts, you don't want nutrients in the medium.

Either way, I have to go pick up some sphagnum peat tomorrow and re-re-pot all my vfts. I'll put up pictures when I'm done.

In the meantime, here's one of the smallest ones in the original wal-mart pot.

It's hard to see but you get the point.

Hopefully updates tomorrow!

 

[vraev]

yeah....looks like u did ur homework. good job. Read barry's CP faq on VFT's and get your sphagnum peat and then pot them up. Put them in the sunlight and enjoy.

 

[joossa]

I agree with Vraev. They need sun badly. Once you repot, throw them outside in full shade and slowly move them to a sunnier area. Eventually you'll want them in full sun. Maybe you can get some good traps before dormancy begins.

Good luck!

 

[jimscott]

Welcome to TF!

 

[ZachA]

10/7 Update

Well after many days in the wrong mix, and getting pounded by Florida's summer rain, I finally re potted what was left of the 2 vfts I split.

This is how I set up the solo cups they are currently in.

They need drainage down here because of the intense rain. I put two drainage holes at the bottom of each cup. To keep the medium in, I put a swatch of cotton over the bottom of the cup. Then I put dried sphagnum moss in the cup in case they sit in water for too long, I don't want the peat / perlite mix to get compacted. Then came the mix and finally the plant.

I still need to find a good tray to put them all in, will look later today.

Anyways, is this a good setup for now? Questions, comments, constructive criticism, insults, and advice are all welcome.

 

[vraev]

ALSO remember that you try to keep the media as loose as possible. It will compact in time though as water passes through it....but its good to not pack the media in. My adult VFT's are having issues with compaction and I am trying a looser mix this time.

 

[CPsInAtl]

Just my opinion, but I'd use sand rather than perlite. I hate perlite. It has a tendency to float when it rains on the pot then collects on the crown of the plant and gets in the traps and just makes a mess.

Granted, the stuff isn't bad for the plant and it does what it is supposed to do, I just don't like it, personally.

 

[ZachA]

CPsInATL - I already see what you mean. I'll try to keep the perlite off the top of the mix. Next time I'm definitely going to follow your advice with the sand; I just don't want to put these guys through any more stress.

 

[vraev]

yeah....if its easy to find silica sand....go for it...go for a big grain size though....however personally its hard to find that sand here..so perlite is the thing available.

 

[xvart]

You can always put LFS as a top dressing to keep the perlite down.

xvart.

 

[ZachA]

10/30/07 Pics

Hey guys, took a few update pictures. After all the mess ups, 4 plants survived. I took xvarts advice and added some dead LFS to the top to keep the perlite down and the moisture up.

This is the largest one and is showing lots of new growth, even though it is late October.

This one is the second largest and is showing tons of new growth around the base, although the new leaves are not as advanced in growth as the first ones are.

This plant is somewhere in the middle and has a couple new leaves growing from the bottom.

This is the smallest one, you can hardly see it because my camera sucks. There is one larger trap leaf as well as a couple tiny ones you can't even make out in the picture.

Sorry for the crappy pictures, but you get the idea.

All of the solo cups they are in were in about an inch of water at the bottoms to keep the soil moist in the hot Florida sun. Recently, with the temperature and photoperiod decreasing, I took the water out and they are receiving waterings when needed while they prepare for dormancy.

Please hit me with any questions or advice.

 

[duckking]

congratulations! they looks like more and more well.

give they more sun, and keep going.

 

[ZachA]

Watering during XMas time?

These plants are located in Gainesville, FL, where I go to school, but I need to go home for an extended time during the Christmas season. I have heard that during winter its usually best to take out any standing water that the plants are in. I have all of mine in individual solo cups in a small plastic tub that I have about an inch of water in during the summer.

Long story short, I have taken the water out of the tub and am doing daily waterings, or when needed. My question is: should I put some water back in the tub while I'm gone to ensure that they are adequately watered while I'm gone? I'm just nervous about rot and infection.

Thanks in advance for any help!