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Newbie that needs help

S

SkaterDude

I need some advice. I found some VFTs for sale at lowes you know the home improvement store and there is two of them near my house one Lowes has some that are green the other lowes and some that are green and red in the middle. are one of them healthier than the other or are they like flowers and just come in differents sizes and colors? Thanks for the help.

Oh and one more question if you don't mind. What should I grow these things in. I know something I can keep humid but what?

Thanks,
SkaterDude
 
Or do yall think I Should get my VFT elsewhere?
 
Hi SkaterDude and welcome to the forums! I have seen variation in the shipments sent to Home Depot. Some will have the red and others not most are what they call "typical", but I have also seen what are called "Dentate". I don't think it is a function of health. More than likely, it a variation in cultivar.

I bought my first successful VFT in late June, 2 years ago and had the pot sitting in an old plastic pretzel container, that was filled an inch with deionized water, which I get free at the lab in which I work. That set up was simply placed at a window sill. What I described is called "open tray". What that means is a pot sitting in another plastic container, sitting in water, but uncovered. I had an advantage with free water, but you can also use store bought distilled water - not tap or bottled water for drinking. You needn't get a VFT elsewhere, as long as it doesn't look like "death warmed over".
 
I'll try that set up so I just put a pot in a container that has a inch of water in the bottom of that container.
If the color has nothing to do with the Health of the VFT I think I'll get the ones with the red in the middle I like the way those looked.
 
What about feeding them I was researching some stuff on this web site in a search. I got confused some people say don't feed them that it could kill them, some say feed them so they stay healthy. Another thing I read is do not feed them Hamburger. can anyone give me any pointers on these subjects too?

Thanks for the help so far,
SkaterDude
 
Deffinately dont feed them hamburger.Nothing but insects.When they said it could kill them they probbly ment just the trap you put the bug in.Every now and then traps will rot away and turn all black its normal so long as every one of the traps dosnt go black.You can remove the dead stuff if you want or just let it be.
 
The red in the middle is encouraged by your lighting... if you buy a green VFT and light it well the red will come.
 
so it is okay to feed them. Where can I get that moss I don't remember the name it started with a P or something?
 
I put mine in a 50/50 peatmoss and perlite mixture. Water with rainwater or distilled water. Acclimate to full sun (slowly move them from shaded spot to sunny to allow them time to adjust- say over a week). Make sure they get no fertilizer.
You can feed them flies you catch but make sure alive so they can stimulate the traps even after they close (or else the trap will just reopen thinking it was hit by a falling leaf or something). Make sure there is always water in tray and s/b good. I just started growing VFT's a few months ago but that's what I've learned.
 
  • #10
Oh, and you're thinking of long fibre peat moss....but you don't need to use that the mixture I spoke of. Just regular peat moss with nothing added to it (no fertilizer).
 
  • #11
You can buy sphagnum peat for about $5 at Home Depot or Lowes. For now, stay away from Scott's brand peat, that comes in the small bags. Look for the big bags that they keep outside. LFS (long fibered sphagnum peat) is also at HD & Lowes, in small bags, for about $4. Sand can easily be found at pool supply places, sold as pool filter sand. Two things cause coloring in VFT's. One is that it is a cultivar with and the other is sunlight. Hard to say what a garden center is bringing in. I bought a tri of red VFT's one summer and by the time dormancy rolled around, they looked green again. After dormancy and getting them outside for direct sunlight, they never colored up again.
 
  • #12
so its called sphagnum peat moss. Sand? Yall put them in sand? They will grow in sand? sorry if thats a stupid question I'm just trying to make sure I do everything right.

List of things I need to get:
Can yall tell me if there is anything else I need to add to my list?
1. a VFT
2. Sand
3. sphagnum peat moss
4. container to grow them in
5. collect rain water (which will be no problem it always rains here.)
 
  • #13
Read "My FTV Care Sheet" which is at the top of these threads and that should help a lot. Then ask whatever questions you still have and I'm sure you'll get help. There are options for what soil medium to use and that's where its getting confusing.
 
  • #15
you dont need sand.
some people use sand mixed with peat, many dont.
its ok to use it, its ok not to use it.
personally, I dont like sand, because it makes the growing media very dense and heavy..
so im not a fan of sand..tried it once and stopped using it.
never much saw the point of it myself..

I use 3 different mixes, for different plants.
pure peat
pure LFS
50/50 peat/perlite.

Scot
 
  • #16
What you want is a nutrient-poor soil. A number of things fit that bill...peat, sand, perlite, vermiculite, long-fibered sphagnum moss. You can use a combination of those. Most people probably use a 1:1 ratio of peat/sand. If you use sand, don't use beach sand or sand that may be contaminated with other minerals. You want a salt/mineral/nutrient free medium. And NO fertilizer...no commercial potting soil.

As for feeding, you can feed your VFT but live prey only. But really if you just leave it alone it will catch it own meals...and it really doesn't HAVE to "eat" anyway. Bugs are kinda like natural fertilizer.

Rain water, distilled water and RO water (reverse osmosis filtered water) are all good. Don't use spring water, tap or other water that might contain salts and minerals.

Give it lots of sun, good air circulation and you should be good to go!

Good luck and welcome to the forums!
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PAK
 
  • #17
With regard to feeding, I foliar feed with half-strength orchid fertilizer once per month on my VFTs, neps, terrestrial utrics, heliamphora, and sarracenia (not on drosera or aquatic CP species such as u.gibba or aldrovanda).  They seem to be doing well.

Rarely, I'll feed crushed dry insects to my CPs (except VFTs) but beware for fungus growth on uneaten parts especially if the plant is in a humid environment with poor air circulation.  Since the traps do not close during foliar feeding, they seem to last quite a long time and in perfect form. (VFT traps will likely die after 2-3 meals requiring trap closure.)

There are those that find insect feeding to be superior to all other forms of feeding. Perhaps they are correct; all I can say is that infrequent foliar feeding with fertilizer works well for my growing conditions.

Good luck.
 
  • #18
Now that you are totally confused by the moderately conflicting guidance, .... Plantakiss gives you a good, comprehensive recipe for success.
 
  • #19
Well said. Once again, Jim, we can rely on you to bring order to our chaos!
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  • #20
Wait, we all seem to have forgotten to mention the containers......the container you grow you VFT in should be plastic, since clay pots will leek minerals and salts into the soil over time which will damage or even kill your plant
 
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