Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 18:01:34 +0200 From: "Daniel Jelkmann" <daniel@dj-software.de> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2053$foo@default> Subject: Re: dying VFT...
Dear Susan !
Thanks for your answer! I will try to put the VFT into the refrigerator
for a few months. I hope this helps...
Regards,
Daniel Jelkmann
> From what you write, it sounds like your plants are suffering due to
> a
> lack of winter dormancy. They can't really go dormant kept at
> household temperatures: they need to be at least 45 to 50 F (6 to 10
> C) during winter nights. A lack of winter dormancy will not kill a
> plant in a single year, but it will gradually reduce its vitality and
> eventually the plant dies. If you think your plant can hang on until
> winter, and you can then provide it a cool place to go dormant, then
> fine. Otherwise, you may want to induce dormancy prematurely by
> refrigerating it for a couple of months. This can run the risk of
> fungal infection, though, so watch it carefully and/or treat it with
> fungicide. Also, VFT's and Sarracenia both prefer to spend their
> summers outdoors if at all possible, in lots of sunshine. (However,
> it's VERY important to acclimate them to that full sun outside, which
> is so much brighter than anything they've had indoors. Start them in a
> little morning sun, and move them toward more sun over a week or two.)
> If you can't grow them outside at all, you need to give them the
> sunniest window you can manage, and do not grow them inside a
> terrarium (the sun will fry them if they are enclosed in glass). Try
> to keep the humidity up by sitting the Sarracenia in water, and keep
> the VFT's on a pebble tray filled with water (so that the plant is
> surrounded with lots of water, but is not sitting directly IN the
> water). Mist frequently. Good luck! Susan > I have got the VFT for
> approx. 2 years. When I bought the plant, it > had 4-6 green leaves
> with big traps. All the time the plant stand in > my room together
> with some other cp's like Sarracenia or Drosera. I > always used rain-
> or destilled (destillated?) water. The other plants > grew very well,
> but the VFT only produced a few new leaves and the > traps got
> smaller. In the last three months, there only were very > small traps
> and just 2 leaves. So the VFT has not lost all leaves at > once but in
> time. And also in winter, the plant had green leaves, so > dormancy
> did not come.. Does VFT perhaps need more sunlight than > Sarracenia
> or what? I do not want to kill my other VFTs, so please > help me. >
>
> Susan Farrington
> Missouri Botanical Garden
> P.O. Box 299
> St. Louis MO 63166-0299
> susan.farrington@mobot.org
> (314)577-9402
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