Very Red B-52

[oceanblue28]

I just received an order from Peter D'Amato and found my deluxe potted B-52 to be very red. Is this normal?

 

[NemJones]

that means your plant is extremely healthy. congrats

 

[Cruzzfish]

Looks great. Just a word of advice though, blot out the name of the vendor you got it from.


Also, I can see several bladderworts in there too. I'm not sure what color they are yet, but in six months you'll find out.

 

[oceanblue28]

Oh, so that's what those sprouts are. I did notice them right away and was curious. Now I know.

 

[nimbulan]

It's Ultricularia bisquamata. I can safely say this from experience.

 

[oceanblue28]

Ah, thanks Nimbulan. How do I go about caring for them? Same as the VFT? Are they okay to grow alongside the VFT?

 

[Zath]

It's generally regarded as a pest. It won't hurt your VFT, but it -will- invade any adjacent pots. The only time it seems to be actually harmful is in seedling pots, and is a nuisance when you're trying to grow other bladderworts (intentionally).

 

[nimbulan]

Utricularia bisquamata is a notorious weed. It spreads like wildfire and will probably survive conditions that would kill the VFT. It will seed itself everywhere so be careful unless you want it in every pot in your collection.

 

[oceanblue28]

Ah. Alright then. I'll just leave them be. Don't want to stress out the B-52 anymore than it already is by rummaging around it's pot extricating bladderworts.

 

[Benurmanii]

When you see some thin flower stalks start protruding from the media just yank em out (although the flowers are cute). When I first got a pygmy sundew from him, I thought that the pygmies were flowering Sermuncher informed me that it was just the U. bisquamata, and he also pointed out to be careful if using water trays, as they can spread through stolons in the water to other pots.

 

[bluemax]

My solution is to remove the flytrap from the pot, strip the soil gently but completely off of the roots and bulb and repot in new soil. Of course, some people enjoy U. bisquamata but it generally wears out its welcome before long.

 

[Cruzzfish]

Might not be bisquamata though. I've seen some yellow hitchhiker bladderworts from the same vendor.

 

[nimbulan]

The yellow ones would be U. subulata, which is just as weedy. I have yet to see it though, I always get U. bisquamata.

 

[Cruzzfish]

Are the bladderworts even a problem? In my experience they stay low to the ground and generally out of everything else's way. Live sphagnum moss helps keep them limited too.

 

[Zath]

It's not that they necessarily block out light (although some are large enough to), it's that they can, if left alone, choke out the roots of small plants. If left alone too long, something like bisquamata that forms a dense carpet could conceivably stunt the growth of a plant's crown or rhizome. At least, I would assume so.

I have a dedicated pot of U. bisquamata that's been growing unimpeded for nearly two years, and if I were to pop it out, it would be almost solid with stolons, and the surface is an impregnable mass of leaves.

 

[Swagalotus]

It's not that they necessarily block out light (although some are large enough to), it's that they can, if left alone, choke out the roots of small plants. If left alone too long, something like bisquamata that forms a dense carpet could conceivably stunt the growth of a plant's crown or rhizome. At least, I would assume so.

I have a dedicated pot of U. bisquamata that's been growing unimpeded for nearly two years, and if I were to pop it out, it would be almost solid with stolons, and the surface is an impregnable mass of leaves.

 

[Zath]

 

[HeliamWalnut]

Plants from Peter are always very red, I think he grows sell plants under lights or something.

 

[Whimgrinder]

Of course, some people enjoy U. bisquamata but it generally wears out its welcome before long.

The only people I have ever heard speak affectionately of U. bisquamata are those who have not had to cope with it contaminating pots of other species, from which it is then nearly impossible to remove. And the folks who have not yet grown it. All I can say is; good luck to all who allow it into their space. I suggest it be renamed: Utricularia kudzuensis.

 

[oceanblue28]

Alright then. I will take the B-52 out of the pot come the warmest part of the coming day (it's kind of chilly here right now) and wash all traces of the soil from it's roots and rhizome, then repot it in some fresh new soil that I've had in storage for a few months. I don't want an infestation of U. bisquamata amongst my pots.