Howdy, this is my first post here. I took pity on a VFT at a local garden center a few months ago, one of those in the little red put with the plastic cup on top. I grow orchids in a big case in my office, and put the VFT in with the higher-light orchids -- There is a HID light on a mover track, and the VFT has been at a point where it gets about 500 foot-candles of light maximum. A recent rearrangement of the orchids makes it spot very shady.
It has been doing very well until recently, when the larger traps started turning brown, and the new growths look a bit on the smallish side.
As for culture, the plant is watered exclusively with reverse-osmosis water. I have it sitting in a little tray with about 1/8" of R.O. water in it so it stays boggy in the pot. It has never dried out. I don't fertilize it. Humidity in the case is kept to around 70%, temperatures range to upper 70's daytime, 60's at night. It really doesn't get bugs because the case is in the house, and the only thing I typically see in there are some little fungus gnats from time to time. I haven't seen it trigger a trap from one of these, anyway. From what I understand, though, bugs aren't essential to it growing -- It will just grow slower in their absence -- right?
My questions are:
1) I moved it to a higher point in the case where it will get closer to the light, and out of the shade of the taller orchids. At the new location it will get about 1250 f/c max. Is this OK? I was kind of careful to keep it from getting too much light but think the shade from the orchids really was overdoing it.
2) Could the plant just be going dormant? I got it at a store, it could have been growing without dormancy for some time and needs it. It's getting cooler at night here now, could that be a trigger for dormancy, or am I just seeing the effects of too little light?
3) The plant is in its original media, in its cute little red pot. Any trouble leaving it there, or should I repot it/pot it up/etc.?
I can post a photo if that would help. Thanks for any input you might have.
It has been doing very well until recently, when the larger traps started turning brown, and the new growths look a bit on the smallish side.
As for culture, the plant is watered exclusively with reverse-osmosis water. I have it sitting in a little tray with about 1/8" of R.O. water in it so it stays boggy in the pot. It has never dried out. I don't fertilize it. Humidity in the case is kept to around 70%, temperatures range to upper 70's daytime, 60's at night. It really doesn't get bugs because the case is in the house, and the only thing I typically see in there are some little fungus gnats from time to time. I haven't seen it trigger a trap from one of these, anyway. From what I understand, though, bugs aren't essential to it growing -- It will just grow slower in their absence -- right?
My questions are:
1) I moved it to a higher point in the case where it will get closer to the light, and out of the shade of the taller orchids. At the new location it will get about 1250 f/c max. Is this OK? I was kind of careful to keep it from getting too much light but think the shade from the orchids really was overdoing it.
2) Could the plant just be going dormant? I got it at a store, it could have been growing without dormancy for some time and needs it. It's getting cooler at night here now, could that be a trigger for dormancy, or am I just seeing the effects of too little light?
3) The plant is in its original media, in its cute little red pot. Any trouble leaving it there, or should I repot it/pot it up/etc.?
I can post a photo if that would help. Thanks for any input you might have.