Re: a few questions

From: dave evans (T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU)
Date: Wed Aug 26 1998 - 21:02:00 PDT


Date:    Thu, 27 Aug 98 00:02 EDT
From: dave evans                           <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg2811$foo@default>
Subject: Re: a few questions

Dear Jesse,

> I have a few questions regarding my new terrerium. Well, first of all,
> Ive been having some trouble lately with fungus. I am forced to spray
> my plants several times a week now. The fungus is sometimes a thin
> green fungus, but mostly a puffy white fungus that looks somewhat
> similar to spider webs. When I spray with fungicide, the fungus goes
> away, but is back in a few days. What can I do to make my fungus go
> away?!?

   You will have to replace the soil. It sounds like the fungus is
beyond well established and is probably present throughout the soil.

   Spider webs remind me of spider mites! Not a good thing to have
growing in with your plants. I lost a N.rajah to these creatures!
If you can see these very little beasts a different kind of spray
is in order.

> Ok, question #2. None of my sundews in the terrerium have dew. Well,
> D. spathulata and D. rotundifolia have a little bit, but NOT MUCH. The
> terrerium is 55 gallon. 22 inches (55 cm) tall. I have 4-40 watt grow
> lights on the top of the tank. I dont know if it could be too little
> light, too much light, or maybe something else. The following are the
> sundews that do not have any dew:

Do you have any sundews with dew? If so, you may want try and figure
out what it about their conditions that they like verses those in the
terrarium w/o dew. All the plants you mention are fairly different
with regard to how much light they enjoy so I would think that at
least some of them should be happy with your light levels. This leads
me to think that it is something else about your terrarium that they
don't like. Perhaps it is too sealed up? 100% humidity is good for
cuttings, but not most terrariums. It (hey!) promotes fungus and
weaker plants that can more easily fall victim to any other problems
they might face. I'm not sure why, but I think they don't develope
as strong a root system, what with their water needs being so low in
the super humidity. Also, things (like nutrients and hormones)
probably don't get distributed correctly as a result and this would
also weaken the plants.

Hope this helps,
Dave Evans



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:31:35 PST