Help! vft leaves turning inwards!

[wezx]

hi everyone,

i just got some VFTs from triffid park
variety is 'pink venus' but i got green ones! Donna from triffid park sent me the ones that were being overcrowded, and didn't recieve sunlight


i put them about 3 inches away from shoplights and this happened:

what's the problem?
thanks

 

[firewired]

Hmmm......not sure exactly.....I'm guessing the environment probably changed quite a bit from where you got them to where they are now.  Is the humidity alot different?  I just bought two new venus fly traps from Lowes.  They had those little covers on them, and when I got home and took the cover off, they drooped like that right away.  The tips of the traps of one of the plants turned brown, and they are still like that now.  They just need a little bit of climate acclimation.  With the suggestions of others, I took an open ziplock bag, and put it over plant.  I took this off for an hour one day, two the next, and so on until they seemed to be adjusted.  But be careful not to bake the plant in there.  Don't let it sit in direct sunlight in there.  Also, it looks like you have new growth, that is always a good sign.  

So......maybe if they are not used to receiving light, and when they all of a sudden received alot of it, they suffered a little shock.  

That would be my guess.

 Hope that helps!  Good luck!

- Joel

 

[wezx]

not sure about the humidity part, the VFTs were grown in a huge greenhouse, ill put a cover on one of them to see if it helps, it looks to me that they are 'turning away' from the light, should i lower the light levels?

thanks

 

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>From my experience, two things.

First: they were used to having their underground stem (mistakenly termed "bulb") held tightly by the media, and deeper than they are now. Their previous environment inspired them to produce decumbent leaves and these are most usually reflexed against the soil/media. Presently they are not deep enough, nor are they being held at the proper depth by their current media which appears to be loose, and dead long fibered Sphagnum (LFS). <span style='color:red'>##This is normal, the media will eventually settle and they will grow to be at the depth they prefer in your conditions.##</span>

Second: old leaves do not usually make any major changes to adjust to a new environment (the old dog, new tricks cliche). You will need to wait until the new leaves have grown, they will show how they appreciate their new environment, and from what I see in your nice photo, you should not have to wait very long. <span style='color:red'>##They appear to be coloring up nicely and starting new leaves. Good job.##</span></span>

 

[Jason Wong]

Looks like they're colourin' up.

 

[wezx]

Thanks! Pingman! that really helped, can't wait for those new traps.

 

[wezx]

ok guys i have another problem:

right now i have most of my VFTs in a container, no holes at the bottom means no tray of water. How should i water them? is there an indication to see if there's enough water in the container?

thanks!

 

[jimscott]

I would poke holes in them and create your own open tray set up.

 

[Jason Wong]

Spray them! Misting would be good too. Since you aren't germinating seeds, then those 2 methods should be ok to use.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>I have a tray of VFT plants that are in their own undrained tray. Been that way going on 6 years now. I basically keep them as semi-aquatics. The easiest way for me to be sure they have plenty of water is simply to look at the surface. If I see a film of water on the surface, they don't need to be watered. If I can't see any water, I water. It happens to be one of those disposable food storage containers. When its time for dormancy, I simply top up the water, snap on the cover and pop it into the refrigerator for a few months.</span>

 

[vistary]

I had a similar problem when I took my plants out from dormancy... This is probably due to the plants being uprooted( during transportation and storage) and possible dehydration
Just put the plant in its usual media and give its lots of light. The new leaves look to be growing well.

 

[wezx]

pingman: WOw! semi aquatic huh... in long fibered sphagum or peat/sand or any other mix?
Does this method work for pings, sundews and sarrs?

thanks! im learning alot here!

vistary: yes! i saw donna from triffid park ripping out the VFT from the soil!

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Those in the undrained tray are in 100% peat moss.

VFT seem to grow best in pure peat moss with a layer of LFS on the surface to reduce splashing of the peat.

 

[jimscott]

Quote[/b] (vistary @ July 22 2004,10:22)]I had a similar problem when I took my plants out from dormancy... This is probably due to the plants being uprooted( during transportation and storage) and possible dehydration
Just put the plant in its usual media and give its lots of light. The new leaves look to be growing well.

When in doubt as to a plant's current health, it seems best to concentrate less on its existing leaves and much more on the new growth - if there is any. If the new growth is coming in green or dewy or sticky, my experience is that plant is recovering from temporary shock.

 

[wezx]

100% peat moss?!?! Ive read everywhere that 100% peat moss is too dense, right now i just have sand/peat 1:1 , darn, shouldn't have mixed all of my peat...

I dont know why, my sundews and other VFT varieties from triffid are producing green leaves, under my new growing rack. they are 3 inches under shoplights which dosen't have reflectors for it's sides yet. Maybe they are too used to be in strong sunlight that now fluorescent light is 'weak' for em?

this plant rack is in open air
question: does humidity affect colouring of cps?