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!

Have a few questions

Gday all,

I have started to grow a few Venus flytaps from seed and have about 7 which have worked out. I am growing them is some small pots which sit in a container of water next to a window (indoors). I have a few questions:

1. I have put a shade cover over the container for the summer (we could get temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius) is this a good thing to do?

2. I collect rainwater and make sure that the pots are always sitting in an 2 inches of water, is this ok?

3. I am getting a little bit of algae growing on the surface of the medium, will this be an issue? how can you control this?

4. What should you do for dormancy in Australia?

5. Is growing Venus flytaps indoors (while they are young) a good idea?

Any other tips would be great
 
1) I too use a shade cover for my seedlings outdoors. I think this is a good idea. They seem to be more susceptible to the intense heat and sun.

2) 2 inches of water is good.

3) I don't think the algae will be an issue. I too have algae growth on my medium. It doesn't seem to affect the seedlings. I'm not sure how to control it. Perhaps someone else can give some advice on that.

4) If you don't get hard freezes there (not much below 0C and only for a day or two), you can leave the outside. Otherwise, you can put them on an unheated porch in a sunny window or in an unheated garage sunny window.

5) I have most of my seedlings growing indoors until next spring. Then I will move them outdoors. The indoor seedlings are growing faster, so in my opinion, it is good to grow the seedlings indoors, but you should probably move them outdoors once they are a few months (6 months or so) old. Mine will be about 7 or 8 months old once they go outside. Again, it might be a good idea to keep a shade cloth on them.

I don't have any other tips to offer. It sounds like you have a pretty good setup. Just keep them protected from the intense sun and heavy rain and hail. Some of my seedlings got trounced pretty good from a heavy thunderstorm we had here.
 
1. Not unless there's concern about drying out. Maybe some greenhouse plastic that's made to block out a set percentage of sunlight?

2. So long as the pot they're in is high. You have to base this off of a water table standpoint as opposed to a supply standpoint. As long as there's enough water about 2-4 inches below the surface, things are good.

3 Algae? Sounds like it's TOO moist. Fungus is the main concern. Fungucide powders will take care of the bad stuff.

4 Look up your hardiness rating. ~8, you're fine, less than that, you may need to fridge it. same for higher than that. If they're seedlings, you don't have to worry too terribly about dormancy for your first winter with them.

5 As long as you have a rocking light fixed up. I had mine on a windowsill with a small lamp on it as supplement. As soon as I moved it outside, the change was dramatic. They almost immediately started changing a deep burgundy red on the traps, and it grew about twice as fast with approximately 8 hours of direct sun. Not sure about little guys though, as long as they're watered regularly, they should be fine.

Also, if it's that hot there, you may consider getting a timer to induce dormancy, then trimming them when it's time and let them be in the fridge for ~3 mo. with a plastic baggie around the pot. But, once again, they're seedlings, so if they can stay warm and well-lit, no real worry there.

Zed: I'm a noob too, what I present here is the results of endless paranoid research. My plants are spectacular atm, but beginning to slow in growth as the temps drop here. I'm hoping to make it through the first dormancy this year, then propagating the little bugger endlessly as the opportunities arise. turn a $10 investment into a $100 bog garden, I say! ;)
 
Where in Australia! You may be able to keep them outside all year long. They really should be kept outside as inside doesn't provide enough light. I have mine in big buckets. The buckets sit in plastic storage containers such that the plants aren't even close to having their roots in water. They're better off with less water and more opportunity for drainage. There are people in America who grow them very successfully in our desert Southwest. The plants have long, developed roots from growing them in relatively dry conditions.
 
Up here in the north-west, no amount of sun is too much for a VFT of any size (unless it's being acclimatized).
 
Back
Top