[jerrytheplater]

I took all of my VFT to my friends greenhouse today for winter dormancy. Prior to this they have been in my unheated garage at night out of the harder frosts. We have had a mild fall so far and the plants have done really well.

I cleaned off the dead traps and took a few photo's. As I did this I discovered some seedling VFT!! This is a first for me. I sowed the seeds in late August I think-I didn't write it down:icon_cry: They are just beginning to germinate. They look like moss plantlets before they get their first traps. Over all, they are about 1/8-3/16" in diameter right now. I don't know if they will survive winter dormancy or not. I'll find out. I do know it will take 3-4 years before the plants will be big enough to sell in the little 2" square pots, not that I plan on selling any!!

In the following photo's you can notice the traps are much smaller and closer to the soil surface. There are also fewer traps than in the summer.

In the center of this photo you will see a very small green VFT seedling. Most of the leaves look like a grass or moss, but there are two small traps:

Same pot, less zoom:

I pulled a dieing pitcher off of my Sarracenia purpurea today and after I pulled it out, I noticed a VFT seedling that germinated right next to the pitcher. It came along with the leaf.

Here's one with my car key for scale:

 

[CL]

That baby VFT is tight!

 

[sewingalot]

It looks like the Little Shop of Horrors plant!

 

[hydrophyte]

Those are cute plants. The tiny little seedling has traps on it? I wonder if they work(?).

 

[F22]

yes, they work, the plant that size needs flightless fruit flies about 3 times a week, one bug per feeding should be fine...


F

 

[jerrytheplater]

yes, they work, the plant that size needs flightless fruit flies about 3 times a week, one bug per feeding should be fine...


F

F22

I wonder if they will survive the winter without feeding them, any thoughts? The pots with the bulk of the seedlings are now in their winter quarters. They will be in a cold area in full sun at a very slightly heated commercial greenhouse. They only heat enough to keep the pipes from freezing. As the season progresses, they open up more bays and begin heating.

I kept the seedling on the pitcher leaf at home. I am still pondering what I am going to do with it.

 

[F22]

I think they can lay dormant for the winter...

 

[mumushummus]

mine's has turned yellow and died in the winter time i think too much stagnant water and low light kill it

 

[VadimShevchuk]

I have a 5 gallon glass tank and i was intrested in keeping venus fly traps in it. Do i need something special for soil?

 

[F22]

use coconut fiber, bead-a-beast. holds moisture... do not over water

 

[jerrytheplater]

I use 100% Sphagnum Peat Moss to pot my Venus Fly Traps. Some mix in 50% by volume Silica Sand with the Peat Moss. They need the acid conditions of a bog. I keep them in a saucer of rain or distilled water about 1/4" deep at all times. Beware of the minerals in your water. They don't tolerate much in the way of minerals in the water. They should never dry out. Never fertilize them. Keep them in full sun when temperatures are above freezing.

Do not keep them in a terrarium as they do need a winter cold dormancy and they really need full sun when growing. You can keep them bare root in the refrigerator in a plastic bag of moist peat moss till the weather warms up outdoors in the spring.

I have never used Coconut Fiber for my VFT, but I do use it in the potting mix I use for my cactus. Great stuff as it is easy to wet when dry, unlike peat moss. Peat Moss works for VFT as they never dry out.

Here's what my Carnivorous Plants looked like this past summer. They were on our picnic table on the deck.:

 

[legomaniac89]

Looking good Jerry! If you ever get a baby plant from that Red Dragon, I'd definitely be interested. I can't bring myself to spend $15 on one small plant at CC

 

[F22]

jerry, those are beautiful plants... wanna sell some stuff next season?

 

[dr.tran]

Im very envious of your collection. Just beautiful. I never been able to keep these too long.

 

[jerrytheplater]

Im very envious of your collection. Just beautiful. I never been able to keep these too long.

VFT: Full sun, keep constantly moist, water with rain water or DI (less than 50 ppm TDS water at worst), Pot in sphagnum moss (some use Coir, never tried it yet), never fertilize, allow winter dormancy in refrigerator or cold non freezing spot. Enjoy!!

 

[jerrytheplater]

Well, I bought all of my CP and cactus home from the greenhouse today. I'll take some photo's of them tomorrow after work, as is and after cleaning them up. (I need to start a thread with my cactus) The CP really need cutting back to remove the dead traps. Some need repotting. I do have flower buds on the Sarracenia purpurea. I have them outdoors now as they've been in full sun at the greenhouse.

The seedling VFT I showed photo's of has died. I do have some other seedlings that have survived.

 

[jerrytheplater]

Here are the photo's:

First a photo I found on my computer from May 2008 when my boys fed a VFT with a live yellow jacket. It ate its way through the trap, but did not escape death as dinner.

One of my pots of VFT right out of the greenhouse. If you look closely, you will see tiny seedlings which survived the cool winter at the greenhouse. The temperatures did drop to around 28 F for a time or two during the coldest days of winter in there. They were in full sun under real glass, not plastic film or polycarbonate sheeting. This would keep them warmer too during the day.