VFT dormancy

[powersensor]

Recently I start to have interesst in Venus Flytrap and started searching for information before getting the plant.

There is a website with lots of information on how to care for the plant
http://www.flytrapcare.com

However, I noticed that VFT requires dormancy period in order to survive long term. Malaysia and Singapore does not experience four season so getting plant to go dormant is a challenge.

The link below points to information on how to get VFT into dormancy if you are growing it in Malaysia or Singapore.
http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/...showtopic=5047

Anyone in this forum (especially those from south east asia) who managed to sustain their VFT for many years , feel free to comment and provide feedback.

[David]

I actually have an archived article from TS and jefferey on this in the old forum. However I've not gotten down to archiving it on archive.petpitcher.net yet. Perhaps I shall get TS to share here.

[jeff1u]

Well, just to share personal experience

In local, dormancy period is rephrased as the period of death for VFT.

I had tried cold dormancy treatment for my VFT, but very low successful rate due to some reasons which I learned
- I get so impatient and repot
- Frost bite
- and....... basically i killed alot of VFT by using that method

I had learned from local VFT grower gurus like what David had mentioned TS.
I learned we can use dry dormancy method.
What we do, we simply don't care much, put it under shade and leave it moist or not totally dry for months. When you see it grow new shoots, you can put it out again. A lot of locals VFT grower have successful story from this method.

One guru told me this, go and buy one typical to try it out myself.

well, currently, i have one under dry dormancy. Will keep updating the statues.

[TS]

OMG, you made me so "pai seh" lah Jeff, we all are still learning, I'm just "old" enough to have more experience cos I started growing them earlier, that's it. Don't use "guru" on me again, I don't deserve it.

Talking about dormancy, I used to place my pot in shady place and reduce the water. Lately I found this also worked, in fact reduce some work for me especially when I have more and more VFTs to take care of. (lazy )

Just leave the VFT where it was, reduce watering, it'll looked pretty eyesore during dormancy, but be patient and just ignore it for two months. Then break the dormancy by repotting the plant. Use new potting media. Place it back at the same spot, ter...ter... it grow back!

One thing I must mention here is I kept my VFTs quite dry, I grew them in 1 part perlite : 1 part peat, it retained water quite well, that's why I didn't place any tray underneath, but I water them every day. For some very hot days, whenever I found the media very dry, I'll place all my VFT pots in water to make sure the media is totally soaked with water.

For those who use sphagnum moss, remember to monitor the water sufficiency in the media during dormancy when watering is reduced, I do this by feeling the media with my fingers. Sphagnum moss can get dry pretty fast during hot days. You may still use water tray system but only water the plant when the top layer of the media is dry or let the water in the tray to dry out for a day before you water again. Keep it this way for two months, do the repotting as what I mentioned above.

For new VFT grower who may not know how it tells when the plant go dormant, below are some of the signs VFT go into dormancy:
1. The petiole become broader and the traps getting smaller.
2. The leaves and traps blacken but the growing point / core is still green.
3. It normally transformed into rosette form or ground hugging form when under dormancy, but for some forms the leaves still grow up right.
4. The growth slows own, at the same time the speed of closing of traps slows down too.

Hope this helps.

[arvin555]

Photo of my sleeping VFT:



Unfortunately, I think it slept too long that maybe it will not wake up anymore, I just checked and the leaves that are left are falling off, I hope that maybe some plantlets will sprout from the leaves, and continue the "line" But it doesn't look good.

What did I do wrong? Well I have always suspected that it has been sleeping, but it was sleeping for some time now, so I repotted and put under water tray. After maybe 3 months, I checked, nothing really no new growth, etc. and when I checked recently, there is "rotting" smell. Thus, I am not so confident.

Someone said, maybe I should have tried Ref. Dormancy... Maybe I should have, but too late now. I do have 1 plantlet from that plant that is still alive though. This was my first VFT so very dear to me!

TTFN
Arvin

[jeff1u]

Honestly I had Killed alot of VFTs and they costs me BOMB!
They grow BEAUTIFUL then later they dead.

I had gave up with VFT.
Due to I can't give FULL sun.
but I can see you have the right condition for VFT.

Dont give up.
You just have to try out with normal typical VFT until you get the method right. Like TS.

[TS]

Hi Arvin, if the leaves are falling off, I think the plant is probably rotted from the core. Try taking the fallen leaves, cut away the rotten part and do leaf propagation. But chances of getting plantlets from a fallen leaf is not high as these fallen leaves are normally weaker leaves compared to leaves we peel from a vigorous VFT, but no harm trying.
I suspected you've kept the plant too wet during dormancy, remove the water tray and water only when the sphagnum moss is dry (top layer).
I have tried cold dormancy before, it didn't work well. I have more confidence in dry dormancy as some of my plants survived many years now with this method.

[powersensor]

Hi All,

Just like to share with you on the VFT that I found selling at Giant Hypermarket (Bayan Lepas).

Two pots of VFT below are placed inside the hypermarket (air-cond environment)

They have dry and dying look.


The other two below are placed outdoor under 70% shade.




I asked the sales person at the outdoor stall regarding care tips for those plants and he said: "The VFT has to be placed under 70% shade all the time and watered sparingly (keep moist all the time only not soak).Using water tray has to be avoided or they will rot. Having blowing fan at those plants help to dry up excess water on the plant and avoid rot. Exposure to direct sun light must be avoided or it will burn the plant."

It seems like those VFT might be staying alive all these while under dry dormancy state.

Can any VFT sifu please advise on this? Is the above mentioned care tips appropriate for long term survival of the VFT? I am quite skeptical on the quality of those VFT.

[David]

As you can see for yourself the plants are not healthy and deprived of sunlight. This can be seen from the floppy leaves and it does look dehydrated.

The reason why the seller gave you those tips is because these typical VFT plant stocks in Malaysia are obtained from one supplier who imports the plants, grow them in the highlands and sell them to all nurseries throughout Malaysia. In their mind the plants come from the cool highlands, therefore it cannot receive direct sun as it is too hot.

The VFTs that are grown in Cameron Highlands do not need to be placed on a water tray as the environment is humid and it rains often in the highlands. Water in the media do not evaporate that quickly in conditons there.

The seller also have fans blowing at the plants because they want to mimic the conditions in the highlands. However, they fail to realised that in a town/city where the plants are placed now, humidity is very low. It is made worst when the fan blows on the plants. In the highlands were winds blow often it does not matter as the air is humid and the wind blows with the mist.

Show the seller these pictures below. They are grown under direct sun the whole day and placed in the garden.


Plant grown by TS


Plant grown by hongrui

VFTs must be given as much direct sunlight and as long as possible. The media must not be dried out.

[jeff1u]

If I have a place to sell plants I will choose to sell CP. to show those 'gurus' seller the FULL potential of VFT or Sarr can grow.

I was so disappointed I dont have a good growing for my VFT, but those reasons of growing them under shade is CRAP! No wonder they claimed VFT is difficult to take care and that is one reason they sell it at high price.

yes like what David had said
Growing VFT rules
- Give FULL Sun as much as possible
- Dont let the soil media to dry up, and not too wet too
- Dont try to feed it too
- Dont play with their traps
- Prepare their 'bed' when they enter dormancy. <- Important lesson to learn if you are serious in growing VFT