Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 07:13:59 -0500 From: "Susan Farrington" <sfarrington@ridgway.mobot.org> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3059$foo@default> Subject: Re: poor VFT
Brian,
Two possibilities: one is that your VFT is not dead at all, and is just
going dormant. Most of the leaves DO turn black at this time of year,
leaving just a few tiny leaves at the base. Whenever a leave dies on a
VFT, it does turn black very rapidly, alarming new owners!
However, your description of the whole thing turning black and slimy
worries me... if it truly is completely dead, I would suspect that it has
been sitting in a saucer of water since you bought it, and it rotted.
VFT's like it moist, but their roots cannot be permanently
waterlogged: that saucer needs to dry up every few days. (Only the
saucer though... the soil in the pots should NOT dry up). They would
be especially prone to rot now that it's getting colder... almost all the
hardier cp's need to be kept a bit drier once cold weather sets in. (I
remove the saucers from mine one it cools off, and just water them
often enough to keep them moist).
So, let it dry a bit (but not bone dry), and see if you still have a viable
tuber in the soil mix. If you do, you may save it yet. Expect it to do
very little all winter, and keep it cool as you can (refrigerator, cool
garage or basement, etc). See the VFT FAQ sheets on the web for
more ideas. Good luck!
> My VFT, which I bought from Home Depot this summer, just died a
> horrible death. It was acutally looking pretty good, eating flies (it
> was outside, being watered in a little tray w/distilled water)...and
> putting out some new traps when everything turned black and slimey.
>
> Any ideas what might have caused it? In about one day it went from
> green to wilted, then to black!
>
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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