Wow its been a while

[nature_boi]

hey guys...i dont know if anyone really remembers me. i was here about 6 monts ago but i kinda died out (as did my plant lol). anyway ive been dropping in alot lately and i also have a new VFT and Sundew with a few new questions if anyone doesnt mind the sudden comeback lol

Ok I bought the two plants from Lowes along with Shagnum Peat moss. I potted the two in seperate clay pots (6 in. diameter 5 1/2 in. high) with the sphagnum/peat moss only (I didnt add sand or pebbles or anything). I then took the plastic dome lids that the plants came in and put them over the plants for a makeshift terranium . I have my VFT sitting in a dish of water right now and im planning on getting one for my sundew, but im wondering if i need the plastic domes. My house currently has the air conditioner on so there is basically no humidity in here. I have them sitting in the bay window where they dont get direct sun (specially with the lids on I didnt want them directly in sunlight). THey seems to be doing ok right now....how am i doing?

thanks guys!! it feels good to be back.....

 

[jimscott]

I remember you!!! Welcome back!!!

I have kept my plants, until they were evicted by management, in the main laboraory, where there is constant air being pumped in. So the humidity is always low. However, the "open tray" method seems to be doing a good job of keeping the "local" humidity adequate for them. So as long as the pots sit in another container of water, they do just fine. No need for the domes. They actually do them a dis-service by blocking out light as well as potentially leading to mold.

 

[Darwin]

Lol I remember you, and I'm never here. You must have been around during the few weeks when I first registered.

 

[vft guy in SJ]

What do you mean by clay pots? If they are in those orange terra-cotta pots, Id suggest you get them out. Those pots have a nasty habit of releasing salts and minerals into the soil which can build to toxic levels quickly. Use plastic, or a glazed ceramic pot for your cp's.

Also ditch the plastic domes. VFTs and most Drosera dont need or want that extra humidity. All that does is trap a small ammount of air around the plant which aside from getting incredibly warm in a short time also becomes stale quickly which will encourage fungal growth and other nasties.

VFTs love full sunlight, if you bay window has a spot that gets a lot of direct sun, put your plant there. I dont know what species of Drosera you got. I'm assuming that its going to be D. adelae, which is going to want slightly shadier conditions.

Good luck
Steve

 

[nature_boi]

hahaha thanks guys for the repsonses!! Im glad Im still remembered!! lol
Ill see if i can't find some plastic pots around here....i removed the dome on my VFT and im still looking for a tub to put my Sundew in....
OH one more question....does it matter that the plastic tub i have my VFT sitting in isnt any wider than the width of the top of the pot? i have no idea if that would make any dif., but just thought i would mention that it isnt a very big container. (still big enough to hold enough water though...)
thanks guys for all the help!!
scott

EDIT: thought of one more quick question...
I currently dont have ANY rain water and dont really have access to getting distilled water any time soon so Tap water is all i have. Would boiling it get rid of all the unwanted chemicles?? thanks abunch...

 

[jimscott]

Boiling it will make it worse. A grocery store should have a distilled water for about 50 cents. A picture is worth a thousand words. Check this out:

 

[Mannex17]

I have my plants in 6" plastic pots that have water trays built right into the bottom of them. They just have a little lip/opening sticking out of the side, and you pour water into it. Yes, terra cotta pots can leak minerals into the soil, which is a very bad thing. They also suck up a lot of moisture, which can cause algea to grow on the outside of the pot. I buy distilled water from my local Wal-Mart for about 50 cents a gallon. You pretty much have to use distilled or R/O water with CP's. They hate minerals and nutrients.

I wouldn't keep the humidity dome on the plants. High humidity coupled with low air circulation leads to mold. I took off my domes and the plants did a whole lot better. Having the pots sit in an open tray of water should provide all the humidity needed. Whether or not you're getting enough sunlight is more of an issue.

I have my plants on an east-facing windowsill, so they get light, but not hot afternoon sun. My D. capensis seems to be in shock from repotting right now, but my other plants seem fine.

 

[cockroach]

I read somewhere that repotting flytraps when they're not dormant is a Bad Thing. I'm scared enough by the dire warning that I've never tried it.
Of course, if the pot is gonna kill 'em, better to get them out of it.
As for the pots, as I understand it, what you really want is a nonporous pot. This means that any unglazed ceramic is out, but glazed pots will work just fine, as well as plastic.

 

[jimscott]

Anytime you move a plant, you may accidently disturb the roots. If that occurs, you may put the plant in shock and set ity back several days. Some plants, like pigmy sundews just plain die when being "bumped".

With a plant that is dormant, lke a VFT, that risk is next to nothing. When in the growing season, like now, the risk is significantly greater. If you have to re-pot, try to get underneath the roots and around the plant and move it as one unit to another container.

 

[vft guy in SJ]

I disagree..  unless you do something like chop off all the roots you have little or no worries from repotting at any time. Yes the plant will not grow as vigorously as it was before you repotted, but it will recover fine if given good cultivation. I repot my plants whenever they need it, regardless of dormancy.

Oh and no plastic domes needed..  just repot and plop it back where it was.

Cheers
Steve

 

[jimscott]

There are differning schools of thought and those who have significant experience (VFT Guy in San Juanita or Pinguiculaman, etc...) know a lot of intangibles, having gone through the newbie phase successfully. Therefore, they can do just about anything at any time and do well with it. At this point, even I can take a Lowes' neglected refugee and re-pot it with no ill effects. (I just did that a few weeks ago) What i pointed out is the conservative, safe side approach.

 

[nature_boi]

thanks guys for all the replies!! its a big big help!!
I found two plastic pots and repotted my plants (seems like they survived)... my sundew drooped for a while, but i think that was from lack of water cause i didnt water it enough when i repotted....they're alive though...lol
gotten rid of the domes too...lol
again thanks guys for all the help!!
scott