TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Here is what to do:
(First off, where do you live?)
1. keep it in the sealed tube if it isn't too hot out right now.
My friend bought a cube from Lowes w/ Adelae in it, hasn't even opened the seal for 3 months and it looks amazing! Dew and plants everywhere- he is growing it indoors under growlights, though, so it only gets to a max of 75 degrees F.
If it is too warm out, the cube will get extremely hot and the plant will die. I'll post a pic within a month
2. I'd ditch the water in the cube. The cube doesn't allow any moisture to excape, so no need to worry about it drying out.
Good luck. I've found this species very easy to grow.
Happy growing,
Aaron
(First off, where do you live?)
1. keep it in the sealed tube if it isn't too hot out right now.
My friend bought a cube from Lowes w/ Adelae in it, hasn't even opened the seal for 3 months and it looks amazing! Dew and plants everywhere- he is growing it indoors under growlights, though, so it only gets to a max of 75 degrees F.
If it is too warm out, the cube will get extremely hot and the plant will die. I'll post a pic within a month
2. I'd ditch the water in the cube. The cube doesn't allow any moisture to excape, so no need to worry about it drying out.
Good luck. I've found this species very easy to grow.
Happy growing,
Aaron
theyellowdart
sea bear returns!
Bad idea!
Bad idea!
I tried the exact same thing back in my less experienced, semi-newb days. The plant barely lasted a month before it just totally stopped growing and turned black.
Get the it out of there and acclimated to wherever you'd like to keep it ASAP.
-Matt
(I still have the dead plant preserved in the cube lol. The original moisture is still in there.)
Bad idea!
I tried the exact same thing back in my less experienced, semi-newb days. The plant barely lasted a month before it just totally stopped growing and turned black.
Get the it out of there and acclimated to wherever you'd like to keep it ASAP.
-Matt
(I still have the dead plant preserved in the cube lol. The original moisture is still in there.)
laxgoal
I Like Watching Things Grow...
ok.... its outta the cube, sitting in a bowl of dist. water, and under indirect light. ive got a few old 10gal fish tanks i can use (plastic wrap for a top?). ill also try increasing the light by slowly lowering a plant lamp over my plants. but doesnt it LIKE indirect light?
augusta, GA.... its just now getting into upper 70's during the day and upper 40's at night
augusta, GA.... its just now getting into upper 70's during the day and upper 40's at night
Last edited by a moderator:
laxgoal
I Like Watching Things Grow...
Yeah, plant lamps dont count as direct sunlight they do not produce as much energy as sunlight does. Adjusting it so that the light is eventually 5-9 inches (depending on output) away from the plant will do it good.
growergray
Just a guy
Just to warn you, it's gonna look crappy for a few days/weeks.
When I got mine, it was so etoliated that I just cut it down to the soil. I put up about a dozen new growth points(all crammed into a little three inch pot....separating those guys was not fun).
theyellowdart
sea bear returns!
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
UPDATE: i have my old aquarium set up! had alot of room so the pitcher and VFT are in there too. i used plastic wrap to cover the top so i guess the fan wont matter much now. does the VFT need to be in a tray of water too? which is more important for each plant: air circulation or humidity?
ps- i am supplementing the low sunlight with a 75 watt incandescent "grow light".... ok, before you guys tear into me, i know fluorescents are better, more efficient, ect. if i keep it far enough away i figure it cant hurt. i am well aware that the suns energy (something like 3.9x10^25 joules per second, hella wattage!) is far superior to any artificial light (usually less than 100 j/s). i have two 2' and two 4', twin bulb, fluorescent fixtures in storage (left over from a youthful closet growroom endeavor, lol) that will be coming home when i find the time! i remembered them yesterday and im pretty excited!!!
ps- i am supplementing the low sunlight with a 75 watt incandescent "grow light".... ok, before you guys tear into me, i know fluorescents are better, more efficient, ect. if i keep it far enough away i figure it cant hurt. i am well aware that the suns energy (something like 3.9x10^25 joules per second, hella wattage!) is far superior to any artificial light (usually less than 100 j/s). i have two 2' and two 4', twin bulb, fluorescent fixtures in storage (left over from a youthful closet growroom endeavor, lol) that will be coming home when i find the time! i remembered them yesterday and im pretty excited!!!
Baylorguy
"Oh, now he's a philosophizer"
Wolfbane,
I recently got all these as well so this info is fresh in my mind. I got it all from The Savage Garden, Barry's FAQ (here), and by talking to the knowledgeable people on this forum. Be sure to check for corrections other people might post in response to this - I'm not a highly experienced grower. I hope it helps you:
They should all be in trays. Here's the rundown on your plants and what you can do with them:
Adelae tend to enjoy sitting in an inch of water almost constantly. Water gently from top. I always try to avoid hitting the leaves because it messes up its dew groove. I'd keep it in the terrarium with the Nepenthes (tropical pitcher). My Lowe's adelae seem to appreciate high humidity and lots of light.
Your Nepenthes Gracilis should be in a tray to catch water overflow for when you water it, but water should not be allowed to sit in water in the tray (water it till the tray just starts to seep water into the tray; if you get more than about a quarter inch of water in there by accident, empty the tray). Water from the top. They do best in very high humidity (70%+) and lots of light. Mine is doing well at 80% at 85 degrees in a converted fish tank terrarium.
For both of the above, try to keep your temp in the terrarium around 80-85ish, ideally, if you can (low 70's are no good for your pitcher plant, exactly what would happen to it I've no idea, but your adelae probably wouldn't care as much). High humidity is more important, and lots of light. Temp is second to these imo, but obviously, don't put that terrarium in direct sunlight and let them roast either. Your plants would be dead in no time. In regard to temp and humidity, I know the least, so you should probably double check me on this.
As for air circulation, some people get away with opening up their terrarium once or twice a day to get "new" air inside. I'd recommend putting a tiny fan inside on low setting (you should be moving the VFT out so you'll have room).
No air circulation typically means dead Adelae according to forum user Capensis. He's had some experience with this.
Fly trap definitely needs a tray and should sit in about an inch of water. Let the water all but evaporate (I re-water when it has about a 1/4" left) before adding more - they tend to not like being constantly water logged). Water them via the tray unless the soil starts to look dry, in which case water from the top. Your fly trap will do much better in direct sunlight. Does not need to be in the terrarium at all, in fact I'd not recommend it. Fly trap will adjust to just about any humidity, contrary to them being used to 45% or higher in the wild.
All three can be given distlled water, reverse-osmosis puried water (the reverse osmosis part is key there), or rain water. Other water is no good, and will kill your VFT first. Use tap or Spring only in emergency and go get the right kind as soon as you can. Once bad watering won't kill them, but try to avoid it.
If you want to go crazy, your Nepenthes will benefit from being given fertilizer twice a month in summer and once a month in winter. You can use a 50% solution of orchid or epiphytic fertilizer by applying it to the leaves as a foliar feeding, but you can also apply it to the soil with watering. Don't use Miracid fertilizer.
Never give fertilizer to your adelae or your VFT.
You might consider to buy book The Savage Garden. All carny growers should own it imo (I reference it all the time); it'll give you useful info on all three plants you have, and then some.
Good luck.
(edited for clarity, updated based on Capensis's reply (top page 3))
I recently got all these as well so this info is fresh in my mind. I got it all from The Savage Garden, Barry's FAQ (here), and by talking to the knowledgeable people on this forum. Be sure to check for corrections other people might post in response to this - I'm not a highly experienced grower. I hope it helps you:
They should all be in trays. Here's the rundown on your plants and what you can do with them:
Adelae tend to enjoy sitting in an inch of water almost constantly. Water gently from top. I always try to avoid hitting the leaves because it messes up its dew groove. I'd keep it in the terrarium with the Nepenthes (tropical pitcher). My Lowe's adelae seem to appreciate high humidity and lots of light.
Your Nepenthes Gracilis should be in a tray to catch water overflow for when you water it, but water should not be allowed to sit in water in the tray (water it till the tray just starts to seep water into the tray; if you get more than about a quarter inch of water in there by accident, empty the tray). Water from the top. They do best in very high humidity (70%+) and lots of light. Mine is doing well at 80% at 85 degrees in a converted fish tank terrarium.
For both of the above, try to keep your temp in the terrarium around 80-85ish, ideally, if you can (low 70's are no good for your pitcher plant, exactly what would happen to it I've no idea, but your adelae probably wouldn't care as much). High humidity is more important, and lots of light. Temp is second to these imo, but obviously, don't put that terrarium in direct sunlight and let them roast either. Your plants would be dead in no time. In regard to temp and humidity, I know the least, so you should probably double check me on this.
As for air circulation, some people get away with opening up their terrarium once or twice a day to get "new" air inside. I'd recommend putting a tiny fan inside on low setting (you should be moving the VFT out so you'll have room).
No air circulation typically means dead Adelae according to forum user Capensis. He's had some experience with this.Fly trap definitely needs a tray and should sit in about an inch of water. Let the water all but evaporate (I re-water when it has about a 1/4" left) before adding more - they tend to not like being constantly water logged). Water them via the tray unless the soil starts to look dry, in which case water from the top. Your fly trap will do much better in direct sunlight. Does not need to be in the terrarium at all, in fact I'd not recommend it. Fly trap will adjust to just about any humidity, contrary to them being used to 45% or higher in the wild.
All three can be given distlled water, reverse-osmosis puried water (the reverse osmosis part is key there), or rain water. Other water is no good, and will kill your VFT first. Use tap or Spring only in emergency and go get the right kind as soon as you can. Once bad watering won't kill them, but try to avoid it.
If you want to go crazy, your Nepenthes will benefit from being given fertilizer twice a month in summer and once a month in winter. You can use a 50% solution of orchid or epiphytic fertilizer by applying it to the leaves as a foliar feeding, but you can also apply it to the soil with watering. Don't use Miracid fertilizer.
Never give fertilizer to your adelae or your VFT.
You might consider to buy book The Savage Garden. All carny growers should own it imo (I reference it all the time); it'll give you useful info on all three plants you have, and then some.
Good luck.
(edited for clarity, updated based on Capensis's reply (top page 3))
