Problems with VFT Growth

[recacho638]

My VFT's are having trouble growing in condition in which they should be thriving. They get plenty of sun with distilled and or rain water. They are set in 100% spagnum in a 4 inch pot.......

Any thoughts would be great

 

[Clint]

that soil looks nasty, i'd change it. it doesn't even look like LFS. there is excess nutrients which is why algea is growing.

if you planted it recently, or changed conditions, then it's in shock.

 

[recacho638]

I planted it about a month ago. What should I do because I don't want to kill it by moving it again?

 

[vft guy in SJ]

That looks like a tera-cota pot which can be very bad for them. They tend to leach salts and minerals back into the soil. The first thing I would do is repot it in a plastic pot and use all fresh media.

Steve

 

[recacho638]

Should I change the media.....it is currently in canadian spagnum peat

 

[Clint]

yep. pure peat, 1/1 peat/sand, 1/2 or 2/1 peat perlite, doesn't really matter.

 

[cprus]

I would definately repot into a plastic pot with a sandy/peaty mix. What you can do is soak the plant bare root in superthrive for one day, yes that may seem a long time, but I've left vft's in superthrive for 2 days before and you can see what happened to them in my thread. It's a great way to overcome shock.

 

[recacho638]

Where can I find pure peat and what is the difference between pure peat and spagnum peat?

 

[Clint]

homedpot,lowes, walmart, etc.

peat is any decomposed plant matter, but here when we say peat we mean sphagnum peat.

 

[Est]

Quote[/b] ]Where can I find pure peat and what is the difference between pure peat and spagnum peat?

"Pure" was used in a context meaning "no other materials in the substrate". It can be a good idea to wash your peat before using it to help prevent the growth of algae. A little algae isn't a big deal in most cases though. However, seedlings and smaller species can get choked out by algae and moss growth associated with high (relative to what we want) mineral content.

 

[recacho638]

OK....this is the peat I used....from Home Depot. But I didn;t soak it before repotting.....How long should I soak the peat before repotting my VFT?

 

[Clint]

are you saying you planted it in dry peat?

 

[recacho638]

I watered it but I guess not enough.........Is there a specific amount of time to water peat before using it to pot the VFT? Sorry, I'm very new at this......

 

[Clint]

oh wow. peat has to be soaked. soak it untill it's satured (about 6 hours for me)

it's possible that your peat has already soaked enough water up from the trey. but more than likely, you'll should find that under a wet layer where you soaked, it's dry.

 

[recacho638]

So........................should I repot right away?

 

[Est]

Quote[/b] ]I watered it but I guess not enough.........Is there a specific amount of time to water peat before using it to pot the VFT? Sorry, I'm very new at this......

Peat does not need to be soaked.
Peat is generally soaked for two reasons:
1. Hydrate the peat as it is fairly hydrophobic once it dries out.
2. Help wash away minerals.

You didn't soak/wash your peat. That should be fine. The peat looks moist, so sinply watering it was enough in this case. Great. If peat is dry, you'll be able to see it.

If I were you, I wouldn't repot at this time. I've had plants (including drosera) grow in unglazed terra cotta just fine despite buildup along the terra cotta at the substrate surface line. However, if you wish to repot then you may want to take all of the peat that is around the roots with the plant so as to not disturb the roots, thus preventing shock due to root disturbance. If you repot the plant, use a glazed pot or plastic. It would be best if you would rinse your peat with clear (ie low in mineral) water several times and continue to only use clear water for watering.

Good luck!

 

[Alvin Meister]

Your VFT looks fine to me - it's growing a fresh new trap. You just need to be patient.

The peat won't suddenly have become bad if it's new and the algae won't do any harm. I'd repot in plastic though as over the next few months salts will leach into the soil from the terracotta.

In the meantime, I'd just buy a new plant with plenty of growth and just wait for the one you've got at the moment to get going.