FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello.

Similar to my post on the sundew side of the forums I have a few VFTs I'm a little worried about.

The first one in the set of pictures is one that lost all its leaves when going into dormancy. I didn't really do much different with this one, just adjusted how deep it was set in the growing medium at one point. When I pulled them all out from the fridge and repotted, this one still had a healthy white rhizome and fairly long roots for it's size. Now, as you can see, it's not looking so hot. Is it possible the rhizome is dead now, or is there enough for it to come back? This one was part of a clump of ones I bought from a Trader Joe's but it's brothers are doing fine.

Next is the Trictherfalle x Coquillage. This one is kind of little, and I can't tell if it's just not as vigorous as the others or if it's still waking up from dormancy. There's a few traps that have taken awhile to grow and get to opening up, so I'm not sure what it's deal is. It's getting the same amount of light as the others, so while the traps aren't turning red I'm not sure if I just need to shove the grow light closer to them or if it's something else.

Last is the Maroon Monster. This guy was in the fridge with the typicals from late November until earlier this month. I haven't repotted him, so maybe that's the issue. But as you can see, some of the traps are looking a little funky. Again, maybe I just need to repot, or I'm really wondering if it's the deionized water that's throwing the plants I've posted about off.

For the first one, are you sure the peat is mineral/fertilizer free? A while back one of my healthy plants died back once I repotted and then I realized I had used Miracle Grow. It looked almost exactly like yours so definitely look at the packaging of the stuff you used to repot. If the soil’s fine then maybe it’s just having really bad transplant shock. The second one looks fine, it just might have a couple of divisions. Idk about the third one.

OopsIForgotToWater wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:49 pm For the first one, are you sure the peat is mineral/fertilizer free? A while back one of my healthy plants died back once I repotted and then I realized I had used Miracle Grow.

All everyone but my nepenthes are in the mixture from Matt and Leah. Haven't ever bought any miracle grow. Unfortunately, that rhizome guy isn't looking much better.

OopsIForgotToWater wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:49 pm The second one looks fine, it just might have a couple of divisions. Idk about the third one.

Yea the Trictherfalle x Coquillage and Maroon Monster are still chugging along.

That’s odd, hopefully it perks back up. I’m glad the other ones are doing well!

The first one might be a goner. I would pull the rhizome out and inspect for rot. Looks like fungus possibly attacked the plant.

The other two look like they are just getting back into the swing of things after dormancy. I'm seeing lots of new growth that looks healthy. Give them some time to see if they straighten out their growth habits.

If they continue to deteriorate and you suspect its the soil. Might be a good idea to repot.

One trouble shooting method I use for questionable plants is saturate the soil in a high level watering tray, catch the run off and test it with a TDS meter. This can help you get a general idea of how laden with minerals the soil is. You can do the same thing with PH testing as well.

jmoore3274 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:02 pm The first one might be a goner. I would pull the rhizome out and inspect for rot. Looks like fungus possibly attacked the plant.

Damn. There was a case of mold on a couple when they were in the fridge, but I picked it out and sprayed them down with the neem oil solution.

Guess the poor thing got the worst of it.

jmoore3274 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:02 pm The other two look like they are just getting back into the swing of things after dormancy. I'm seeing lots of new growth that looks healthy. Give them some time to see if they straighten out their growth habits.

If they continue to deteriorate and you suspect its the soil. Might be a good idea to repot.

One trouble shooting method I use for questionable plants is saturate the soil in a high level watering tray, catch the run off and test it with a TDS meter. This can help you get a general idea of how laden with minerals the soil is. You can do the same thing with PH testing as well.

Hmmm well the Trictherfalle x Coquillage I got like a month or so ago from Matt and Leah and I had ordered it potted. Same with the African Werewolf, got it at the same time as the other one along with my sarr. purpurea venosa "Nombile," which the Nombile is starting to wake up a grow some more pitchers finally. The Trictherfalle x Coquillage has got new growths but it's taking a while to open them up, somewhat the same as the African Werewolf but not as much (2 new leaves are beginning to get to open).

On a somewhat related note, is there anywhere in the US I can get live sphagnum moss? When I had the typicals in dried long fiber sphagnum they grew new leaves quite quickly and I'm wondering, should I need to repot, how the Trictherfalle x Coquillage and Maroon Monster would like it. While I do have this large back of potting soil from Matt and Leah, I kind of like the more space sphagnum moss gives the plants roots and how it can help keep them cool. Maybe like a Calloway's? I don't need a ton that I'll have to keep alive, so the Etsy stores I see selling it in like a pound or two bags is a bit much.

A good many of the Carnivorous Plant nursery's carry live sphagnum. I would also bet a few people on these forums cultivate sphagnum as well. Put up a wanted request in the "Sales, Trades & Wants" section. Someone will probably respond.

If you want to go the commercial route and buy from a nursery. Here is one that is not too far from my home plot that has good quality plants. I would call them to make sure they have it available. Make sure you have enough left over to cultivate. Sphagnum is rather easy to grow and will supply you with your needs for years to come.

https://carnivorousplantnursery.com/

jmoore3274 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 5:24 am Sphagnum is rather easy to grow and will supply you with your needs for years to come.

Uh well I'm in an apartment right now and I don't have a ton of room to be growing moss on top of the plants I have.

Number one and 5 I'm not sure about, I would check the rhizomes. If firm and white just replant. The others look normal to me for fridge dormancy. You will lose a few leaves and have some whitish mold which is no big deal, just hit with some sulfur fungicide. Here is how I've been doing it for the past 15 years:

In mid – October (zone 6) once the plants are well into the start of dormancy I drain off excess water from the pots, hit them with a SULFUR based fungicide and place in zip lock bags and pop them in the bottom of the fridge for 3 - 3 1/2 months. I occasionally check them (once a month) for fungus and hit with the fungicide if needed. Late winter around February 1st I take them out and clean them up, repot any that need it, hit them with SULFUR based fungicide again and place in a south and west window and some under florescent and white 'daylight' LED lights until night time temps. regularly stay above freezing then slowly acclimate them to full outdoor Sun. I've been using this method for 15 years with no losses.

Everyone is starting to look a little better , minus the little one that was just a rhizome that I lost.

Outside temperatures warming up and leaving them outside on my south facing patio (well as large of a patio that I have for being in an apartment) with a little bit of water in their tray before I leave for work really seems to help. More traps are getting to the opening phase so I can start feeding them blood worms that I'm going to try re-hydrating in a foliage fertilizer mix once in awhile.

I wonder if they didn't really like the deionized water. They seem to be perking up more now that I've changed to distilled water. I'll have to buy a TDS meter, create run-off from the soil and see if is too high. Or maybe it's just plain deionized (no reverse osmosis) isn't really their thing.