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I'm stumped

One of my vft's was doing good, growing really fast healthy and everything, but 5 days ago 2 of the leaves started to rot and it stopped growing, a third is beggining to rot now, no new growth detected, at all it was growing 2 traps a week before. dont know if this means it will die or not, and wanted to know if its happened to anyone before. any feedback would be apprecited, thanks everyone
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What are your growing conditions, media, watering habits... Looks like your VFT is rotting, if the dead parts are mushy then it is and I reccommend repotting it and washing off all the nasty stuff.
This has happened to me on several occasions a few years ago, it was because the plant lacked air circulation and the soil was bad.
 
Sounds like what happened to my 'burbank's best', only that it had new growth (leaves), but they rotted too. I am thinking that it could be one of two reasons, 1 - insufficient lighting (doubtful), or 2 - fungal attack. In less than a week the 'bulb' turned into a mush of decomposing cells, not very pleasant for the nose...
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I would say try to check your VFT for fungus, and if fungus is found, dust with a systematic fungicide like Captan. Too bad mine was too black to see if any fungus was present already...I would still try to dust it anyway as a safety precaution. Then isolate it in a 'emergency chamber', with high humidity, strong light, an re-planted into the freshest mix you have.

I have never tried this b4 except once, when I think mine was too 'dead' to start with. Well, I suppose, from reading all the books and stuff, that this would help, so give it a try!

Jason
 
why high humidity jason? vft's dont need it and it would only help the fungi.
 
the conditions haven't changed, the dead parts aren't mushy they are crispy.. like dead leaves. i noticed the rotting doesnt continue onto the petiole it just affects the trap. I dont think its rotting.. after looking at pinguiculaman's experiment growing vft in water.. i find it hard to belive they are rotting, sometimes i let the tray dry out before filling it back up with water..
As for growing conditions they have been stable, they are outside all day all night they get sunrise to sunset (they only get sunrise-noon direct sunlight so about 5-6 hours) humidity well im in new york its pretty humid here about 60% in the day 90+ at night. They are in pure peat moss. That help any?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JustLikeAPill @ Aug. 04 2004,1:03)]why high humidity jason? vft's dont need it and it would only help the fungi.
That's why you need to bathe the VFT in fungicide b4 putting it in high humidity. I thought mimicking a VFT's natural environment would be best when it is in a crucial state.
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I'm having the same sorta problem. I have one doing well and the other four plants leaves are turning black and dying. It looks like the bulb continues to send up new shoots but they don't seem to last very long. I have mine in a glass fish bowl. I was wondering if the air circulation is affecting them. I'm considering putting them in clay pots. Or at least a couple of them. Something has to change. Why is smaller better when it comes to pots? Also, my plants are in pure spagnum. I've had these plants about 3 years.
 
If you have your plants in a fairly enclosed area (like the fishbowl) not only is air circulation an issue but heat can build up VERY quickly. Your plants may be getting cooked. Air circulation helps prevent heat build up and keeps mold/fungus at bay.

I did not have any success with VFTs in enclosed spaces so that is why my personal recommendation is to put them in a plastic pot and put them outdoors as nature intended.
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I know some people live where there are weather extremes and may not be able to do this, but, if you CAN...give it a try.

Unless they are in a very wet and STAGNANT environment, I doubt they are rotting. My VFTs regularly become totally submerged in water (as they are right now) and they are fine.
 
I'll advise against using fungicide since most VFT are rather sensitive to chemicals contained in them.
I agree with plantakiss. You should move your VFT outdoors where natural sunlight is plentiful.
Growing VFT indoors and in a terrarium under artificial lighting will tend to weaken the VFT in the long run.
 
  • #10
My plants are outside, read my post, you solved papatoads problem WHAT ABOUT ME? lol
Papatoad, mine was sending up 2 traps a week then just stopped, absolutely no new growth, it just halted
 
  • #11
My Vft's had a short dormancy this year. Though I hardly think that is to blame. I'm rethinking the clay pot theory, because of water evaporation is faster through clay. Gonna go with the plastic.
They did fine in previous years, same conditions. Actually, traps were a bit more red last year,with larger plants/traps.They seem very small and undersized this year aside from the blackening of leaves. I moved a small one. The bulb seems perfect. Crispy white.
I will let you know how they are doing after I get them moved outside. Good luck Amateur Expert.Wish I knew what to tell you.


















I will let you guys know how they are coming along after I get them adapted to life outside the bowl.
 
  • #12
Since I moved my VFT's outside, my eldest plant has put out two new leaves. The traps are the biggest of the year yet!One measuring just shy of one inch. Can't wait to see how they big they get by the end of the growing season. When I took them out of the fish bowl,there was seemingly stagnet water at the bottom. I wonder if that was a problem also.  They are doing 100% better. They should be seasoned enough to put in direct sunlight. That should turn traps from pale green to a rosey pink. Later
 
  • #13
my big mouth is still not growing, no leaves are dying though, maybe it thinks its in dormancy or something? it was imported from australia?
 
  • #14
One of mine did that once... just stopped growing, about 5-6 leaves died, and then it started growing again like nothing had happened.
I got really worried and nervous, but when it resumed growing I just figured maybe they do that sometimes...

/Quensel
 
  • #15
Only that mine ded back and never came up again, not even as a zombie. I think in my case it was the result of the bulb rotting.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]You should move your VFT outdoors where natural sunlight is plentiful.

Just one of the downsides of not having a garden...
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  • #16
Something not mentioned is the possibility of an infestation of unfriendly bugs. Consider it.
 
  • #17
I have the small gnats that live in damp soil. Though since I moved them outside,I have not seen any. Except one dead in a trap that has since reopened. I am waiting to see how the plant fares on the hunt in open territory. Time will tell.
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  • #18
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jimscott @ Aug. 13 2004,8:32)]Something not mentioned is the possibility of an infestation of unfriendly bugs. Consider it.
how would i know i have this infestation? and how do i kill the little suckers!?!?
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  • #19
whenever i think my plants might be having a problem with insects, i will totally submerge the plant under water for 24-48 hours. the idea is that the bugs will either leave the pot or drown. since vft's are bog plants, they can handle the water.

i would try this before getting more agressive with chemicals.

peace,
tech...
 
  • #20
Investing in a magnifying glass would be helpful, not only to detect small bugs, but when you attempt to germinate seeds, you can see them much more easily. As Technoracer suggests, drowning them is a good, safe way of killing many critters, without doing harm to CP's. Please refrain from using the magnifying glass for other purposes, if you catch my drift.
 
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