Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 16:53:39 +1000 From: Fernando Olmos <E05609@itsgw5pilot.its.rmit.edu.au> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3714$foo@default> Subject: REQ: Help with re-potting Venus Fly Trap
Hello. My name is Fernando and I found out about your
society via the Internet looking up information on how to
grow Venus Fly Traps.
I have successfully grown two venus fly traps, side by side,
for the last two and half years. Recently I have decided to
re-pot them into some peat-moss and it seems that the plants
did not favor this change of habit and are now perhaps
dying.
I write of course to find out more about your organization
and to get better advice on my problem.
Firstly, I would like to attempt to explain how my plants
are set out.
I have had the plants since February 1995 and later had them
re-planted into freshly bought peat-moss from the local
nursery in April 1996. The way I did this was to dig-out the
plants from their original little container into the
peat-moss and have this whole mass centered within the
middle of an ice-cream container surrounded by water. Do you
know what I mean? Please read on.
My idea was to build like a surrounding miniature "swamp".
The moss (and plants) were held together by having the
outside edges of the mass surrounded by a plastic type mesh
material often sold in nurseries to surround/proctect plants
from insects and bugs.
I have had my plants growing perfectly well in this
environment for over two and half years - including one of
the plants flowering last spring.
Three weeks ago, I transferred the plants into another batch
of peat moss (from the same bag I had bought last year),
re-watered the container and sprayed the plants with more
water to keep them moist. I later handed the entire
container to my father for safe keeping because I went on a
two week holiday.
When I came back (last week) I found most of the leaves had
died (gone black) and even though the moss was well wet (my
dad assured me he watered them every day to make sure the
surrounding water was kept at a constant level), the
flowering stem that had come out for this year was also
dying. Consequently, I cut the stem off because I feared
this was "eating" the energy of the plant(s). Now both
plants look sick and neither one of them has spawned a new
leaf in over a week, when it usually takes just a few days
for a new leaf to appear especially at this time of the
year.
My dad did admit to storing the plants at night near the
ducted-heating outlet to keep them warm during the night!!!
I told him this was crazy, but of course this may have been
what started to kill my plants. During the day he did take
them out to get the full benefit of the light of the sun.
Any advice on this please? I am even eager to take my
container to someone that knows more about these plants.
Perhaps you may recommend me to someone?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Fernando Olmos
--
,-._|\ Fernando J. Olmos (Analyst Programer)
/ \ Information Technology Services
\_,--.x/ Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
(Australia)
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"If it swells..| eMAIL: folmos@rmit.edu.au VOICE:
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..ride it!" | Internet:
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