Need pointers- I\'m new to this

[beatnik]

I know that all of this has probably been covered already in other posts, but I only get so long for lunch...

So I just ordered two flytraps yesterday. I already know most of the rules (distilled water, sphagnum peat moss only, no people food, direct light 8 hrs a day, water daily), but there are a couple things I'm not clear on.

First of all, I ordered two plants in one pot. I'm not big on this idea at all: I really want to separate them. I worked in landscaping and gardening for 10 summers, so I know how to transplant, but I'm getting the idea that it won't be a good thing to do it right after shipping and right at the beginning of the growing season.

Should I go by the general rule of thumb for non CPs, and transplant them in the fall, before they go into dormancy?

Also, what are some general guidelines for transplanting? Are the roots particularly delicate? Aren't these bulb plants?

Second question. I read that dormancy may involve putting the plant in the refrigerator. This seems a little odd. I do have a fairly dim, fairly cold basement. Would a cool (about 50 deg) spot in the basement that gets some outdoor light be good enough? Is the darkness of the fridge as important as the cold? How often should I water it while in dormancy?

Also very important: Are mosquitos at all attracted to VFT's? Are they big enough to set the traps off? If so, I may be ordering fifty more...

Thanks in advance

BEATNIK

 

[dave2150]

Welcome to the Posts.

Q1. The idea of having 2 plants in 1 pot is that the plant has more traps at one time. One plant in a 4" pot can look a bit small for some people. This also saves space having 1 pot instead of 2. I would not repot, since the plants are already going to be stressed from delivery. I do all my repotting in the spring , just as they are coming out of dormancy. It is possible to do it any time of the year, but it will stunt the growth of the plant more if it's in full growth. Other people will do this at different times, its a choice thing really. The root system is much more delicate compared to normal plants, i just leave some of the earth around the roots to avoid untangling every root, it reduces the stress the plant will get (my opinion). Plants of different ages and different clones will have longer/shorter roots, e.g. A one year old South West Giant will have longer roots than a 2 year old standard fly trap (in my experience). The soil type determines the lengths of the roots also.

Q2. Some people put their plants into fridges, to force dormancy on the plant. My plants did this naturally in october, they are on a windowsill in an aquarium with no lid. The plants will sense a decreasing light intensity, which will trigger them into dormancy. If your Vft will be kept in a terrarium, you will have to either take it out of there when the dormancy period is approacing, or put it in the fridge.
A 50 deg basement would be fine, as long as it had a little light. I put mine from the window sill into my utility room where they recieve a little light, once they started entering dormancy.

Q3. I'm not too sure about mosquitos, since there are not many of them in the UK. They would definatly trigger the traps if they landed on them, but i thought they sucked the blood of mammals, so i would doubt they would be very much drawn to Vft's.

Good Luck.

 

[FlytrapGurl]

Yes, the basement should be an ok choice. Yes, mosquitoes are attracted to the traps, infact, when I got my second VFT two days ago, one of the traps had TWO mosquito exoskeletons in it! Finally, you should leave the two VFTs the way they are. Transplanting is very dangerous for a VFT, because yes, they are bulb plants and the roots are vulnerable to extreme shock during transplanting. The shock of transplanting to the roots may very easily kill the roots and, therefore, the entire plant. They should be fine together in the same pot.

 

[unknownclown]

Hello and welcome to the forums

I would wait to transplant them personally but that's just me if you do decide to transplant any way I would swish both of the plants around in a bowl of distilled or rain water. That way you don't accidentally disturb either of the plants roots too much.
They don't realy have "bulbs" like a tulip but a rizome called a bulb I suppose I could describe it as being somewhat like the bottom of a celery stalk. You can tell how deep to plant it by where the white part of the rizome turns to green. Oh and becareful after the vft gets out of the soil it will try to curl up making it difficult to plant without burrying the traps. oh and if it does end up eating dirt dont worry the traps will reopen and you can just mist the soil out of there.
As far as dormacy goes you only have to put it into the fridge if you are in a place that realy doesnt get cold during the winter. The basement will be fine although if you have a window down there it would be even more perfect for the plant. The plant just needs to be kept damp so water it about once a week in the tray but dont let it sit in water for very long like you would normally.

 

[steveo]

Male mosquitos, which suck plant nectar, should go for a VFT.

Females will also drink nectar--they want blood for reproduction, not food, so they too are potential victims.

But there is no way VFTs in any numbers will control mosquitos. Even butterworts can't put a dent in 'em.

Spiders are also attracted to nectar, believe it or not. My VFTs are getting visits, with drinking behavior, from spiders all the time.

--steve

 

[steveo]

Male mosquitos, which suck plant nectar, should go for a VFT.

Females will also drink nectar--they want blood for reproduction, not food, so they too are potential victims.

But there is no way VFTs in any numbers will control mosquitos. Even butterworts can't put a dent in 'em.

Spiders are also attracted to nectar, believe it or not. My VFTs are getting visits, with drinking behavior, from spiders all the time.

--steve