Questions

[kentosaurs]

Hi everyone got a few not really important questions but i just wanna ask.......

1.Considering the recent dengue breakout i would like to reduce the water trays i actually have in my balcony...Although i only have a few i was thinking if some CPs would not need the water tray as much as others...Neps are of course the last to need a water tray...VFT i heard just need a thin or low leveled tray and doesn't like to be very wet like sarras soo you guys think that VFT will do as good as when i grow them with a water tray?

2.And also for droseras most need a peat and sandy mix but since i don't have sand can i use something to replace it such as perlite?? Or is there something in sand which sundews like?

3.I have some nep seeds turning a little grey does that mean they are dead? This seem to happen 90% on 1 pot while the other 2 is considered fine......

4.My D.Paradoxa is not doing that well it doesn't seem to grow any bigger everytime it grows a new leaf/trap others die down leaving only around 3-5 active traps at a time and i guess its in a sandy mix and also i put it in a tray and slowly algae starts to grow soo does that mean too much water or is there something else bothering the plant?

5.Another Q also about neps but not the seeds instead the seedlings...Well my first bath of seedlings so far biggest are around 1.5-2cm and mostly around 1cm and i got them germinated on last november which means its almost 4 months already...And yet still so small they are growing at a constant rate but that "rate" is sooo damm slow anyways probally i'm just inpatient but i've seen some people with they're seedlings getting stuck and never grew after so long.

Well thats all :smi le:

Ken

[arvin555]

My unexpert opinions:

1. No I would not dream of taking off the water trays or even lowering the water level to just a few mm on my VFTs and Sarracenia. The "Inches" rule is a bit wrong because it really depends on how high your pot is. My Sarras water level is nearly at the half level of the pots. 1/4 level is probably the average.
If you don't like mosquito larvae, then just replace full the water every other day.

2. Yes you can use Perlite. Please take note that my Capensis and Spatulatas are now in a mix of LFS, cocopeat and some pumice stones. Pumice stones can also be used instead of perlite, I like pumice because they sink, perlite floats. The idea here is to keep the potting mix from compacting tightly on the roots of your plants, so I don't think river sand is that important. Though I do have and use them too for VFT and Sarracenia

No idea on Nep seeds, I am still yet to see germination on mine

TTFN
Arvin

[kentosaurs]

Hi

You put water levels so high??? Most on my CPs are 1" or sometimes after rain 2"

Ken

[paphioboy]

Personally, I grow all CPs without the water tray method.. My place is moist enough, so I hang most CPs, even sarras.. They seem to do well..

[kentosaurs]

Hi Paphio

Well i dare not grow it without water trays but for VFT now i'm thinking about it......Just need a hearing from more people to be sure...

And also guys added one more question

Ken

[cbkhoon]

i suggest u all to get betta fish (fighting fish) and put in ur water tray, i have 2 betta in my water tray with net partition to prevent them fight. I dun have any mosquito problem now.

[plantlover]

My sarras and VFTs don't have water trays except for the smaller ones. My nep seeds haven't germinated. I grow all my CPs(including drosera) in 100% LFS.(except my dead or half dead ceph which got attacked by a stupid mealybug!!)

[edwardyeeks]

I have tried out not using water tray technic for my sarras and drosera and VFTs. I found out that the water tray is actually a method to save time and effort. From my point of view, it is not neccesary to have a water tray completely if you always water your plant, but it is MORE convenient.
I think your paradoxa needs more light. Mine didn't grow much until I gave it more sunlight. Now it is large, almost twice the size of a fifty cents. I grow my drosera in peat and perlite in an undrained container while some drosera I grow in LFS. If you use peat and perlite mix, I suggest you use an undrained container or keep in high levels if water tray.
My nep seeds also has no progress, have to be patient

Cheers

[edwardyeeks]

Btw, a terrarium reduces the need of watering. You can grow your VFT without water tray, I think pure LFS is suitable for your VFT if you wanna water it yourself, Kenneth. Good luck, though.

Cheers

[kentosaurs]

Hi guys

So i see that some of you grow them without trays with some success.....I water my plants only once every 2 days but sometimes i do spray frequently so since you said if i water frequently it should be fine then maybe i don't need a water tray for VFT but i'll continue it for my sarra..For the seeds from JK mine has only 20+ germination and they are growing so slowly...Now only the size of 1cm around that..For the paradoxa i don't know what mix it is in....Looks like sand all the way with a net at the bottom to prevent the loss of sand.....So should i repot it?And okays i will give it more sunlight.And yeah i do agree that a terrarium plants need to be watered less i only water them once every 3-4 days lol..

Ken