My vft experiment

[WildBill]

I wanted to share with you an experiment I have been doing - we have been talking about this sort of thing on the pitcher plant forum, but since it's a VFT, I thought I would post it here.

For the last few months, I have been adding blue food coloring to the water my test VFT sits in. It's in a 5 inch tall dixie cup (yes, with holes in the bottom) that sits in a small japanese ceramic bowl and the water level varies from 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches. Each time I add water to the bowl, I also add 3 drops of coloring.

Nothing has happened - it looks just my other flytraps. So, today I am starting a new approach. I just fed it a big fat fly and a large drop of blue food coloring in the trap!

We will see what happens......

Wild Bill

 

[Clint]

maybe you should use LOTS it. pour a couple of bottles into the soil and into the water.

 

[Clint]

or hey its wildbill! can you post some pics of your terrarium? i was told it had fish and a frog in it. sounds cool!

 

[WildBill]

I still have to take some photos of the terrarium, and I'm sure Nathan will put them up on the NECPS page too.

As for the 'Blue Wonder' flytrap - I have since fed it 4 meals of flies and blue food coloring. The spines of the traps turned a bit blue with streaks down the trap sides - but this might be because of overflow.

I am bringing it to the NECPS meeting tomorrow, hopefully someone there can take a digital picture of it.

Wouldn't it be cool if it flowered and they were blue!

WildBill

 

[D muscipula]

Per request, Wild Bill's Blue Wonder

The parts that look black are really deep blue. I think it's just stained with food coloring so far, but the experiment is new, still.

 

[Clint]

ewwwwwww..... your sure thats just stained dark blue?

it looks really gross.

good luck!! i think i see a mutated trap too! it almost looks like it tried to be a cup trap. neat.

 

[uglypho]

Blue.............and somewat gross.

 

[lithopsman]

I'd love to see if it flowers blue, like you can make carnations do?!

 

[schloaty]

I'm blue daba dee daba diiiii

I have a blue house with a blue window....
blue is the color of all that I knowwwww....

Sorry.

 

[Sarracenia0]

Eiffel 66 right?

 

[WildBill]

Yesterday I fed it another large drop of blue food coloring and a juicey fly. 5 traps fed that way so far.

It has been growing indoors, under fluorescent lights. Today I am moving it outside, where many of my other VFTs are sending up flowers.

WildBill

PS: I am also thinking about trying something with professional food coloring - the kind you have to buy at a Cake Shop. Either liquid or paste form. What fun!!

 

[schloaty]

Sar0, Bingo! Guess I wasn't as out of tune as I thought...LOL

Bill, that poor plant! Must feel like it's on the Island of Dr. Moreau!

 

[PlantAKiss]

I'd say that poor little flytrap is feeling a little blue....

Muuaaaaahhhaahahahah!

 

[schloaty]

Oh, Plantakiss...

Might I say you just blue it with that one?

DOH!

 

[lithopsman]

...ouch, groaners, what wicked, yet blue fun!

 

[VeiledFighter]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (PlantAKiss @ June 27 2003,02:19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I'd say that poor little flytrap is feeling a little blue....  

Muuaaaaahhhaahahahah!  

[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I would have to agree.

Travis

 

[uglypho]

Isn't it 65 not 66?

 

[phiber_optik]

Thats kinda cool, but really gross too.

 

[WildBill]

For those of you following this,

Today I fed two more traps big drops of blue food coloring and big flies.

Wild Bill

 

[WildBill]

The experiment continues...

Today I fed 3 more traps big drops of blue food coloring followed with a fly.

No signs of a flower scape yet. It does seem like it's growing slower than my other flytrap plants.

Wild Bill