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Another question

I ordered flytraps from Cook's since I live in Canada, and they were shipped a week ago last Tuesday. I don't think they came in today's mail, which means they'll have been un-route 14 days IF they get here by Monday. Will they be in pretty rough shape by that time? Is there anything I can do once they get here to bring them back from the brink? Multiple views and perspectives are apprecaited, thanks everyone!
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The best thing you can do for them is put them in the conditions they like. They will go through a shock period (anyone's guess how long) and as long as they didn't dry out they should be ok.
 
Another one...Ok, I was impatient and went do golden acre garden center to rescue a couple of their flytraps. They come in the typical 3 inch pot with a cup over it. They're doing fine now, my only question is this. Once they have adjusted to the new environment and I'm ready to transplant them, do I strip the roots of the moss they're planted in now (sphagnum I'm guessing)? I ask because I won't be using sphagnum, only a peat/perlite mix.
 
CN, assuming the moss they are in is ok, no algae or fungus growing in it, then I would stick the whole thing in the new soil and cover the moss with you're peat/perlite mix.  This would minimize the shock to the plant from having the roots disturbed.  It's what I usually do with my plants when I transplant them.
 
Sounds good, will do! Although...how can you tell if there is something amiss with the moss? *grin* I mean, I don't know much about sphagnum moss, not even what it looks or smells like. Any particular hints for how I can tell if the moss is healthy?
 
If it has green shiny stuff or grey/white fuzzy stuff growing on it then that's slime or mold. It usually doesn't bother my plants unless I leave a dead leaf or bug setting on the moss for a couple days. Usually sphagnum isn't as prone to this as peat moss is. Live sphagnum moss looks kinda like miniature pine trees sprouting up. Dead sphagnum moss looks like brown string. I can only describe the smell as earthy. Like a dirt field after a short rain.
 
Ok, the top layer of sphagnum visible to the eye is all green and slimy, and everything below that does look like brown string. So if I need to get rid of that to prevent problems, how can I safely strip the current moss from the roots without damaging them? I want to wait a few days I think, I don't want to freak out the plant...but I've never been good with root handling, I usually over-do it and kill my plants! Any tips?
Thanks for all your help dyflam and bigcarnivourkid...I'm slowly getting the hang of this!
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CN, algae won't hurt your plants, it's just unpleasant to look at.  It is often found where the soil is wet and has some nutrients in it.  Of course the store wouldn't have watered with regular tap water *said with a large dallop of sarcasm*.  You can gently scrape most of the algae off the surface with a spoon then flush the moss thoroughly with purified water.  I would not remove the moss from the roots unless it was absolutely necessary.  It is almost impossible to do without damaging the roots.

Getting them adjusted to being out of that cover and put in a place with good air circulation will help prevent the algae from reoccuring.
 
  • #10
HAHAHA, you said 'dallop'
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C-newbie,

I wouldn't replant them. If they are fine in what they are in, leave them be!

VFT's hate transplanting ( they also hate long trips via the postal service and UPS
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The plant will suffer if it is transplanted.

If you are bent on doing so, I would wait until you pull them out of dormancy. That way you can enjoy the plants now and not have to worry about them growing out for a few weeks ( and we are almost at winter time...so that means not a lot of time to enjoy them! )

If you didn't pay for permits when he shipped his plants to you, you are taking a chance that they won't make it!

I have noticed some people reporting trades not going across country lines.

It also depends on the method that he sent his plants.

The few times we have sent samples to dealers in Canada, we sent them global priority, they got their in no time.

We don't publicy announce we send plants to places other than the US, you just have to 'ask' sometime
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You also have to remember that for some people, it isn't worth the 80$ in permits for a 5$ plant
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  • #11
CN, I hope your plants make it. Plants from Cook come in a sealed ziplock bag, so your plants probably aren't dried out. But 2 weeks without light, eeek!
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  • #12
Yeah..."EEEK" is right! Thanks for the best wishes.
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Thanks bigcarnivourkid. I will gently scrape and flush as you suggested for the two I rescued from the local garden center. But OOHHH! My poor babies from Cook's. I'm afraid I'll have lost them by the time they get here.

What is the deal with these permits anyway? It wasn't worth my while because it was a $35 US charge which would've cost me darn near $70 after exchange!
 
  • #13
Ok, here's another! Many of the posts I've read refer to the fact that some flytraps remain limp while others will stand up at attention. It seems obvious to me that if they go into a little shock, they will all go limp...but if one that would normally stands up at attention goes limp from shock or sickness, will it always stay limp after that time, or will it once again stand at attention once returned to normal health? If so, how long do you think after I have returned the flytraps to a good, healthy environment will it take for them to once again "rise to the occasion"?

*shy grin at last comment, thinking outloud "OH MY!"*
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  • #14
Each plant will be different. It will also depend on how bad the shock is to the plant. If it's a mild case, the leaves will revive and be like new. If it's bad, the leave(s) will continue to die and be replaced by new ones. The time it takes for you VFTs to recover will also depend on the health of the plant and the severity of the shock the plant is in.

*rise to the occasion**chuckle*
 
  • #15
Whoa wierd! My VFT ate a tiny fly the other day, and it's been closed for about 2 days now. It's opening today and the fly is still alive and walked away from it!
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  • #16
No way!! That's like escape from alcatraz...
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  • #17
I've read that vft's will open after 2 days if dirt or small insects (too small to absorb) set off the trap... more plausible than the fly pleading for it's life.
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  • #18
New Growth! The VFT's I got from the garden center are showing new growth! COOL!
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