I'm looking for a ratio for ferts that would be good to use on sundews and other carnivorous plants. I've already purchased trichodermas and have had safer garden fugicide for sometime... just read that it was good to use on cps... lol ferts is the last on my to buy list. Any help tfers?
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fert ratios
- Thread starter hazedshaman
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I don't grow dews (I have one D. adelae as a gnat catcher) only: Nepenthes, Utricularia and one Heliamphora but I use Grow More brand Urea Free Orchid fertilizer (the blue formula 20-10-20 + micro nutes) on those and have not had any issues. I use a 1/4 - 1/2 tea spoon of blue powder to a gallon of r/o or distilled water.
I try to alternate flushing the soil with it, using it as a foliar feed and squirt some into each open/active pitcher on the pitcher bearing plants. Most often I do foliar feed and pitcher target practice with the mister bottle cos it's faster than flushing each pot though it is good to do that occasionally so long as you follow up flush with pure water a day or so later so the nutes don't build up in the pots.
I try to alternate flushing the soil with it, using it as a foliar feed and squirt some into each open/active pitcher on the pitcher bearing plants. Most often I do foliar feed and pitcher target practice with the mister bottle cos it's faster than flushing each pot though it is good to do that occasionally so long as you follow up flush with pure water a day or so later so the nutes don't build up in the pots.
Dews are different from other CPs imo. They often react poorly to pesticides that Neps & others hardly notice. Same w/ ferts. A dose that is 'normal' for a Nep or Ceph will doom many dews. A buddy on TF killed many of his dews by not excluding them from the monthly fert watering of his Heli's.
Trichoderma is also less phytoantagonistic/phytoparasitic in nutrient rich enviroments..... I wouldnt apply both at the same time.
Ferts is like lighting, not many black and white answers but many shades of gray.... and I agree with Ron. Dews are less tolerant of chems of anykind....
hmmm wonder if Im that buddy he is referring too LOLOLOLOLOL
Ferts is like lighting, not many black and white answers but many shades of gray.... and I agree with Ron. Dews are less tolerant of chems of anykind....
hmmm wonder if Im that buddy he is referring too LOLOLOLOLOL
So would a fungicide and trichodermas react to each other or are the trics not affected by the fungicide?
Will depend on the fungicide AI and the strand of trich. Difficult to say.
edit: agree with Butch though. Would suggest trying one or the other, but not both at same time. If you don't already have a fungal issue, the trich should help in keeping it that way so you shouldn't need the fungicide. If a fungal issue is present, it is possible the trich can help to alleviate or eliminate the harmful fungi over time as I understand it.
edit: agree with Butch though. Would suggest trying one or the other, but not both at same time. If you don't already have a fungal issue, the trich should help in keeping it that way so you shouldn't need the fungicide. If a fungal issue is present, it is possible the trich can help to alleviate or eliminate the harmful fungi over time as I understand it.
I had the safer brand of fungicide. The mortality rate on my dews is horendous and I'm trying to curve that...
You may want to do what is known in industry as a "root cause analysis"
If you have big problems with repeated fungus attacks, then likely those attacks are in fact a symptom of a greater issue...
Killing the fungus without addressing the root cause of the repeated fungus attacks is not going to result in a long term solution. The more chems you dump, the more erratic overall condtions will become.
Ive not used chemical fungicides in many years....
If you have big problems with repeated fungus attacks, then likely those attacks are in fact a symptom of a greater issue...
Killing the fungus without addressing the root cause of the repeated fungus attacks is not going to result in a long term solution. The more chems you dump, the more erratic overall condtions will become.
Ive not used chemical fungicides in many years....
Most Drosera react very badly to fertilizers. The general rule is: DON'T!
+1
Though the key emphasis is on 'most'. I don't fert my dews much with exception to regia plantlets that have grown well with it. I'll generally also lightly spray the leaves with the same liquid fert on the other dews when I fert the regia. No issues so far for me though what works (or at least doesn't show negative results) for one person doesn't always translate over to another person so take it with a grain of salt. Trial and error usually gets you your best results (especially if you have a few extra plants to test on).
So the death of seedling may just be the result of poor rooting? The soil ratios are correct for the quatity I made. I just don't really understand the sudden death. They thrive for a couple months then die. I've checked my water even after installing a reverse osmosis system and it seems good minus a small groth of some gross looking slime mold. I've read that doesn't. Effect cps tho and I remove it as soon as I see it. I have 3 fans running at all time and it stays around 75 degrees with a humidity level of 65 to 75. If the seedlings weren't so small I would change the soil once in a while. I keep everything clean as well. All these problems didn't seem to surface until a month or so ago when I got warmer outside. I feel like I'm at a loss and losing a battle that is probly very easy to fix... 
Some dews like to be fed to grow well. If you can indicate the type of dews you are referring to, some people may be able to help you out. If you are looking to feed them, I find an easy and effective way is with fish food. I use betta pellets which I use the back of my tweezers to squash. If I'm up to it, i put a tiny drop of water to mix and use that mix on the dew leaves. Most of the time I'm too lazy and just pick up the specks with the tweezers and place right onto the leaves. Always a nice growth spurt within a week after I do this for most dews usually. Just don't get carried away with it and too much excess dropping into the media may result in mold.
Nepenthesis
Formerly known as Pineapple
MaxSea is magical! It made my neps that wouldn't grow grow! 
It's like 3/4tsp per gallon, that's the max you can use it at without drosera curling up and stuff. Works on all CPs.
It's like 3/4tsp per gallon, that's the max you can use it at without drosera curling up and stuff. Works on all CPs.
I will try the fish food thing. As for having extra plants I don't. My collection is small right now and I was hoping these seedlings would expand my collection and allow me to share some with my fellow tfers. Ill try to change the soil and mix up some diffrent options. I just bough a 2x2 t5 ho today just for seedling so I'm gunna try and experiment with something new
For Drosera seedlings I like to have a good crop of springtails going. They are tiny soil-living arthropods that are very common in gardens and live on decaying matter. They do no harm to carnivores. These will keep seedlings fed completely and can make a huge difference in survival and growth rates. If you are interested try this link: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129753&highlight=springtails