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Help! dormancy or death!

Sup guys, long time no see
i live in the tropics (Singapore) and i not so farmilar with VFT dormancy.

Anyway, my VFT's health have been declining, especially the 'pink venus' which have been growing well. These are freom triffid park in Australia.
I dunno if i should stick it in the fridge or do something bout it... they look pretty bad
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Here are the 4 pink venuses that WERE healthy a while ago.
Conditions: Temperature... feels like 25 degrees celcius plus ;)
humidity: i guess its pretty high in singapore
Light: normal fluorescent lights
Water: the usual tray method


VFT 1: This one is quite ok... but im afraid it turn out like the rest
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VFT 2: This one........ ill let the picture speak for itself
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VFT 3: This one looks SO dead and rotten, but i might be wrong

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VFT 4: The big trap is one from few weeks ago, this one looks like dormancy...
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Here's another one im worried about... the traps seem to be getting smaller


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just a quick qns, what temperature should it be when if i stick it in a fridge?

Thanks alot people
 
The brown ones are definetly goners. I think they might be a bit too wet. I'd leave them just in case though-I've had VFT die back to the point that all was left was a few dead dry leaves on the top pop back to life. In the second dead pot you have what looks like a small sundew popping up
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Not sure about the other plants-hopefully someone else can help.
 
It looks like root rot to me. I think the main problem is keeping them too wet with no air circulation. How long have you been growing them? You might want to stick them in the fridge for three months to maybe nurse the plant back to health.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (wezx @ May 21 2005,3:30)]...just a quick qns, what temperature should it be when if i stick it in a fridge?
Any temp above freezing. Most fridges are set at about 4°c (39°f)
 
Thanks, i stuck one in the fridge just for safety.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I think the main problem is keeping them too wet with no air circulation. How long have you been growing them?

Ive been growing them for about 6 months and they have grown beautifully until now. The VFTs are in open air so air circulation must not be the problem. Oh... one thing, i've transferred them to another tray, which holds alot of water. Should i allow drying out in between waterings?

Thanks for the help guys
 
I would allow the tray to dry out for a day or two, before refilling. This allows air to be drawn back into the soil. Roots need a little air to remain healthy.
 
I agree with them being too wet all the time; especially if grown indoors.
Also; don't be stingy on the medium; they have deep roots; so fill the pots to the top (not burying the rhyzome more than the white part).

I have had alot better luck growing indoors when I would let them get to cold damp before giving them another drink from underneath. I would seldom on purpose get them sopping wet, as it takes too long to get back to the damp stage in which they could rot.
 
Also, cut off the dead traps about 1/4 inch above the rhyzome to help prevent rotting.
 
You need to crop the dead ones and use a fungicide powder to keep them alive and healthy, One dead plant trap kan kill your whole plant.
 
  • #10
Guys i think i've found out the evil mastermind to all the problems, MITES
The next leaf of one of those VFTs were deformed and puny. It seems to be spreading through my collection
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Ahhh!
Ill get some cinamon oil, or what do u guyz recommend? Should i smack the plant till the mites are dead?

Also, if in the future i wanna prevent mite attack, what precautions should i take? what are early signs of mites?

Right now all i got is captan, which i 'blow' (In dust form) into my collection occasionally.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]You need to crop the dead ones and use a fungicide powder to keep them alive and healthy, One dead plant trap kan kill your whole plant.

usually i allow the trap to rot cuz there are just too many black traps to cut out! That seems to work fine but not in this case
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thanks people
 
  • #11
I read some where that you can sink the entire plant under water for a few days and drown all the little buggies with out hurting the plant.
 
  • #12
Hi all, it's been a while. My plant won't eat, and I don't know why. They are slowly dying of trap by trap. Do they stop eating when they go dormant? When I rub the bug on the inside of the mouth to trigger the little hairs, the trap doesn't close. Any of them. But the plant is all green.Some have been developing red on the outside of the leaves, and in the cheeks of the mouths.
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  • #13
What are you growing conditions? Inside? Outside? Terrarium? Covered? Open tray? Now is the growing season. Dormancy wouldn't be an issue until the Fall. Has it been recently re-potted?
 
  • #14
Oh thank you thank you thank you guys! Now I realise why I have killed every VFT I have gotten. Root Rot! I was told to keep them in water by someone who shall remain nameless. Do drosera have similar requirements by any chance? I've killed every one of them, too. I feel SOOOOO bad.
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Aprilh
 
  • #15
Oh thank you thank you thank you guys!  Now I realise why I have killed every VFT I have gotten.  Root Rot!  I should have recognized the signs. D'OH! I was told to keep them in water by someone who shall remain nameless.  Do drosera have similar requirements by any chance?  I've killed every one of them, too.  I feel SOOOOO bad.  
confused.gif
 Didn't mean to hijack the thread.  Back to your discussion. Aprilh
 
  • #16
This is a bit of a "ghetto" look, but it is a pic of my co-worker's plants, which I have been entrusted to care for, during the past 6 months. With the exception of Nepenthes, this works well with most CP's - expecially sundews.

Jamie's%20Plants.jpg
 
  • #17
Hmmmm....I know other people who are keeping their VFT's and sundews in water all the time, too, and their plants look great.  I wonder why I am losing mine.  At this point, I am just casting about aimlessly, and trying anything because I HATE LOSING PLANTS!

PS...sorry for the double post above!
 
  • #18
April, the way you see those VFT"s is NOT the way I keep them. I am just waiting for Jamie to take them all and do what he pleases, so I can get window sill space. My one and only VFT is outside, in a mini-bog. This was just winter storage, actually 2 weeks of vacation that turned into 6 months of plant-sitting. Yes, most plants do well with their respective pots sitting in a container of water - especially sundews.

What double post?
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  • #19
Hi, in reply to your question. My VFT is in the same pot that I received it in. It sits on my desk in front of a large window.I drench it everyday, but drain the excess water, so it doesn't sit in it. It's in a little green pot with no lid or terranium. Indirect sun morning to noon, direct sun from non till dusk. I constantly check it's soil to make sure it's not thirsty. Since my original post, the leaves are turning orange. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  • #20
Kitkat, stop feeding your plant. It doesn't need the bugs in particular, and trapping them takes energy that stressed plants can't afford to spend. I keep my VFT outdoors in full sun for seven or eight hours a day, in a tray about 1/3 as deep as the soil level. I water until the tray is full and then let it dry out on it's own. I think you should maybe try the same - keep it in a shallow tray of water and let it dry out on it's own, giving the soil time to take up air in between waterings. My VFTs struggled when I kept them very wet - since giving them the alternating wet-and-dry treatment, they've become much more productive and healthy. Is there any way you can get it direct sun in the morning instead of the afternoon? It probably doesn't matter much to a healthy plant, but if yours is strained, it might benefit from getting cooler morning sunlight.
Good luck,
~Joe

PS - When my VFTs started to take a dive, I not only moved them to a drier tray, I also separated the plantlets, repotted them in fresh medium, and gave them a much deeper pot, and I think this has something to do with the improvement.
 
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