Re: This should be an easy question..
dave evans (T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU)
Fri, 16 Jun 95 21:22 EDT
> From: flostran@SFU.CA(Andrew Flostrand)
> I have 4 VFTs in;
>
>
> Theses plants were not properly wintered, they were kept indoors and the
> light reduction was not extreme. They have been in the same soaked peat
> that they were re-potted to last year. My theory is that I've got
> compacted, non-ventalated compost which has led to fungus attacking the
> plants' roots. Would I be wise to transplant these into new peat? should I
> go half and half with peat and sand? Is there a chemical treatment I
> should be using here? And why am I not able to rid my plants of these
> aphids?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice!
>
Well I think you do know. The aphids won't leave because they are
happy to be getting back at these evil (from an aphids point of view)
insectivores... Ok back to reason. To get rid of my aphids I placed
my VFTs outside. They weren't wintered, although they sure will be this
year, and while as you can see it does not kill them it does weaken.
Basically I buried them in their new growing area of 100% Canadian gold.
They didn't mind at all, the aphids did however, and by the time the new
growth made it through 1/2 cm of peatmoss no more aphids.
I suggest you (1) repot into 2 parts peatmoss 1 part perlite/sand
(2) If you don't spray, cut off the leaves above the "bulb" they are
deformed anyway and this will not harm VFT. When you replant break
the larger rhizomes along the grain to propagate. (3) Spray.
VFT is a very hardy and seems actually to like being broken up,
it seems to rejuvenate them if they were not wintered. Infact you
can just grow them for years on end this way. While they don't get big
you do get many plants eh... fast. I don't know of a safe poison al-
though others on the list do.
Dave Evans