It has often happened with the first CP's that the VFT dies after a
year caused by a lack of a cold period. I have visited a dutch
nursery where the owner had a trick that I hadn't heard of.
For the conservation-discussion on this list a few days ago: yes this
is the asshole that was hiring some local boys to help him dig out a
hugh amount of VFT's, take them to Holland and sell them in such
small baskets that they were surely all dying soon in the hand of
beginners. Since there are a lot of glass-houses in the west of
holland there are excellent firms now which mass-produce the VFT's
for him.
What he did is the following: he kept the young plants in the fridge
for 2-3 months as far as I can remember: in plastic bags with
sphagnum. After that they were growing very well as expected.
However, he did this twice a year; the winter period after which he
planted early in the year (glass-house) and once again a shorter
resting period at the beginning of the summer so that the plantlets
could benefit from the bright sun. The results accorfding to him
where more growth than compared to one resting period.
I've seen him at work when he prepared the plants for the fridge. He
just pulled off the traps and that was all.
I think this may not be a good idea for VFT's that are actively
growing, but he said it wasn't any problem.
menno sasker.
Leendert Hamoen
Department of Genetics
University of Groningen
Kerklaan 30
9751 NN Haren
The Netherlands
Tel. 050 632202