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Feb 13, 2009 3:12:56 GMT
Post by devyferdianto on Feb 13, 2009 3:12:56 GMT
Hi, my son's vft. It suffers.... Could anyone help how to treat this condition? Is it in it's dormancy or there's something else happen? Almost all clamps were wrinkled (see red marked circle) before it turn to black and dead. What should I do? It's really hard to find the VFT to replace. We love the so much
(oops I have no idea how to attached an image here... could somebody help me?)
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Feb 13, 2009 3:35:59 GMT
Post by ICPS-bob on Feb 13, 2009 3:35:59 GMT
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Feb 13, 2009 13:12:55 GMT
Post by devyferdianto on Feb 13, 2009 13:12:55 GMT
thak you Bob
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Feb 13, 2009 13:18:34 GMT
Post by devyferdianto on Feb 13, 2009 13:18:34 GMT
here's the image, sorry not clear enough, I just uset my hand phone camera
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Feb 13, 2009 14:52:35 GMT
Post by frenchy87128 on Feb 13, 2009 14:52:35 GMT
devyferdianto can you give us some more information on your growing conditions? Is the plant outside? What season is it for you where you live? How much light does it receive? How much water does it sit in? What soil type is it potted in?
My first impression looking at the picture is that the trap COULD be suffering from aphids. I cant see any infestation from your picture but than again it's a bit hard to see clearly. Look closely and see if you have any aphids attacking the plant. Also if you live in the Northern Hemisphere the plant is currently suppose to be dormant so it may be trying to grow but doing so at a very expensive cost to itself.
Give us as much info as you can about the plant so we can narrow down the possibilities!
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Feb 13, 2009 17:57:44 GMT
Post by devyferdianto on Feb 13, 2009 17:57:44 GMT
hi Frenchy, thank you for your response. I put our vft outside with 60% lights. We live in Indonesia (tropical) which have only 2 seasons. I use rain water in the tray, fill it up to 1/3 pot level. As medium, I use sphagnum moss and coco peat.
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Feb 13, 2009 18:08:47 GMT
Post by frenchy87128 on Feb 13, 2009 18:08:47 GMT
Ok thanks for the info, that helps a little bit! Your potting medium is fine as well as your water source. Filling with water up 1/3 of the pot is fine though 1/4 is usually preferred. Can you give me some day time temperatures in full sun? I'm asking this because Dionaea wants and takes up all the sun it can! Since you are in Indonesia you are currently experiencing summer which means your flytrap should be growing. When it gets closer to late fall you should force your flytrap into dormancy otherwise it will not live longer then 2 years at most. Providing the needed dormancy will let the flytrap live for MANY decades and you will be able to split the plant if you wish many many times over during it's lifetime. Provide as much light as you can for it by giving it at least 6-8 hours of DIRECT sunlight. Sarracenia and Dionaea colors will not truly come out unless they get as much sun as possible. A good sign of direct sunlight will give good red coloration inside the traps 'mouth' and during mid summer many 'erect' leaves will sprout compared to droopy ground leaves. If you could get some more pictures up that would be really helpful to determine whether the problem is low light levels or aphid damage. The more info you can give the better If you have more questions feel free to post them here or email (yjrodenas@bsu.edu) Hope this helps!
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Feb 13, 2009 22:03:35 GMT
Post by ICPS-bob on Feb 13, 2009 22:03:35 GMT
Generally, VFTs do not like to be in soggy flooded soil. Standing in a shallow tray of water is OK. Your problem might be related to the coco peat. Depending on the source, some coco peat has been known to contain a lot of salt. It is recommended to wash the coco peat numerous times until the water is clear. I tried well-washed coco peat for several years as an experiment, but my VFTs did not grow well in it. Now I continue to use just sphagnum peat.
Since Indonesia straddles the equator, your temperate-climate plants will not experience normal winter dormancy and, over several years, will become weaker and eventually die. Many growers in tropical environments initiate dormancy by putting their plants in a cool environment with reduced photoperiod -- a refrigerator works fine. Introduce the plant slowly over a month, so the plant can adjust to dormancy. Perhaps first put your plant in a well shaded cool area for a couple of weeks, then put it in the refrigerator for say 5 minutes a day and gradually increase the time until you leave it in the refrigerator in a plastic baggie for a couple of months. After that, you can take it out and first put it in a cool shaded area and slowly give it more sun.
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Feb 13, 2009 22:22:01 GMT
Post by frenchy87128 on Feb 13, 2009 22:22:01 GMT
make sure not treat your medium that will go in the fridge with a fungicide, soaking LFS in with a dose of fungicide powder or spray does well. Keep the plant in the fridge about 3 months and check every week or so for any fungus infection that may be attacking the plant and re-apply fungicide as needed. You'll get amazing results the next spring!
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Feb 14, 2009 13:10:40 GMT
Post by devyferdianto on Feb 14, 2009 13:10:40 GMT
Thanks alot Frenchy and Bob! I'll start to give them new media and will use only sphagnum moss. I didn't know that coco peat contained salt. I think, pure sphagnum is the best. Frenchy any suggestion for fungicide? Do you think any fungicide will works?
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Feb 14, 2009 16:15:29 GMT
Post by frenchy87128 on Feb 14, 2009 16:15:29 GMT
I would go for a mixed medium in order to aerate the roots better. A 1-1 mix of sphagnum and silica sand works well, just be careful NOT to use play sand as it contains too high of minerals. You can also use perlite instead of sand as well but it breaks down over time and promotes algal growth but is still does a very good job aerating the roots.
As far as fungicide you can be very careful in your selection as many are too strong in metal contents and will kill the plant. I have used sulfur based fungicides and NEEM oil with no problem and good control. If you are treating a small outbreak Hydrogen peroxide is safe to use but can have limited results. Just keep an eye out and reapply as needed. Just be sure to use the manufacturers directions when using.
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Feb 14, 2009 19:02:34 GMT
Post by unstuckintime on Feb 14, 2009 19:02:34 GMT
The picture is mildly poor, but it looks to me like it is wilting, almost. I know a lot of first-time orchid growers over-water their plant, rotting the roots, and thus making it impossible for the plant to take up water. In effect, over watering it makes it dry out. Perhaps it is a combo of water level/media composition, but my vote is that the roots rotted at least partially, and that is why the plant is suffering.
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