74 replies to this topic

[Starman]

Alexis, on 1st March 2009 - 22:16 PM, said:

Outside in pots or the ground? What are they potted in?

Outside in pots, in peat and sand.

[ada]

I once had problems with a bad batch of peat,it caused the roots to rot but not the main bulb/rhizome.Using fresh peat cured it and i didn't loose any plants,although it did set them back quite severely.
I have also used mixes with grit sand and silver sand.No problems at all with silver sand,but grit sand i found to hold on to the water and make the compost too wet and cold.I think in Britian our weather is different to europe,our winters are cold and damp,were as europe i would say is colder but a drier cold.
The cold /damp we get can be harmful to some plants/clones,so i keep mine drier than i used to now.
But i think we all loose a plant at sometime or other.
ada.

[Alexis]

Yep, I agree.

Starman - you might have had problems if they were outside AND in pots. If I was keeping potted VFTs outside I'd keep them very sheltered and use fleece and bubblewrap since they don't have the advantage of being in the ground.

[flycatchers]

Still losing loads of plants to root rot!!
This started in August last year and has not let up. With loads of plants displaying a light brown rot at the heart of the bulb. And despite repotting any affected ones and removing all the rot or binning the plant if nothing left- they just keep on rotting!
Wonder whether it was a fatal mistake to let so many of my plants to flower and produce seed last year for the first time? Or is the change from sharp/silver sand to grit sand a cause? Might give up on VFTs if this continues- too much stress!

bill

[vraev]

SOrry to hear this happening Bill.   Have u ever tried using a more drastically open media?? something like 70% perlite and 30% peat?? I have grown VFTs under light in bog-like live sphagnum that is completely submurged in water...and the plant loved it.

[mantrid]

vraev, on 15th August 2009 - 21:00 PM, said:

SOrry to hear this happening Bill.   Have u ever tried using a more drastically open media?? something like 70% perlite and 30% peat?? I have grown VFTs under light in bog-like live sphagnum that is completely submurged in water...and the plant loved it.

Also Sphagnum has an antisetic property so will also bekeeping disease at bay. I use it for leaf cuttings and have seldom lost any.

[LJ]

Well I guess replanting into live moss could be an option, when I get a sick vft or one thats got rot issues must admit I always put them into live moss and under lights to help with the recovery (well if I manage to have enough of a plant left after removing the rot anyway)!

You havent used westland peat by any chance have you? I know a few people have had problems with this? Maybe a fresh batch of peat along with more perlite would help, never been a fan of sand or grit myself. Or try live sphagnum. Keep drier too. Maybe flowering and setting seed could make an existing problem worse due to the enery expended but by itself should cause no issues at all but i'm sure you alreayd know that, if you think its made it worse dont allow to flower until you think they're at full health.

Its worth a shot! a few changes or combinations of the above might just do the trick....

Heather

[Phil Green]

I agree with the above Bill. The change shouldn't be the problem - although after seeing the size of Mike's VFT's I've switched to a very airy peat & perlite mix.

But the peat you used could be your problem - was it a new batch ? When I was down at Chris Crow's earlier he had trays of VFT's that looked like s#*t due to being potted in a bad batch of peat.

Hope things eventually settle down for you.

[garyhove]

Bill

My heart goes out to you! in the last month or so every dionaea I touch is now justing rotting off too.....I am not sure if it is the Westland peat I am using (recent cephs, heli's have been fine) or its been the weather.

One minute its hot and I mean hot and then its cooler, the weather changes every day I am sure my plants do not know what is going on!

It has affect any more my leaf pullings most of them rotting off.  I am trying to keep everything on the drier side but the leaves all just root off and then the bulb.....some of the first ones to be affected are kind of recovering but plants are just dying around me! I have never had any die on me so far until now!

[Stefano]

I'm guess I am not the only one losing VFT's   I will try that sphagnum thing though :)

[Trev]

I've had years like that, where no matter what I do everything turns to mush, this year I'm glad to say I have less rot in the plants than I've had for many years.

I wonder sometimes about the peat we all buy, how much of it is really pure sphagnum peat moss, has anyone every contacted the manufacturers and checked?

A few things I've done that I feel have helped are: I now only use Shamrock peat moss. I've added a lot more ventilation to my greenhouse. I use capillary matting and don't leave my plants in standing water. I've switched my water source and now only use rain water.

[flycatchers]

Hi
Thanks for all the helpful replies. I will give the Sphagnum idea a try. I have always used Shamrock Irish moss peat since 1986 without problems. I did use a couple of batches of Murphy granulated peat a few years also when Shamrock vanished from the shelves for a while. But these current plants were not potted in the Murphy mix.

I would say the mixture in the last year or so looks more slimy than it used to and when on the drier side goes really solid. Have got myself some fresh peat and a fresh supply of silver/sharp sand. Only used the grit sand since late 2007 and still suspect it somewhat.

And to add to my woes I am fast running out of rain water!! Hurry up and rain PLEASE!!  

bill

[LJ]

Good luck Bill, hope it sorts the problems out. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Think I'd be giving the pots and trays a good clean too with disinfectant (to cover all the bases just incase), though i am quite paranoid now after all the cephs issues

[wallsg7]

Hi all,ive been reading this thread with some interest as i have just had a very bad year with my dionaea.Last winter i repotted all my dionaaea plants and sarracenia in a fresh mix of irish moss peat and silica sand/grit.Expecting strong growth- i have recieved very poor growth and even losses of plants.Dionaea grow traps that blacken and die before they catch prey.Some plants have died completely.Others are struggling on.No deaths with the sarras but they are not themselves this year.Having read your replies im assuming ive bought a batch of dodgy peat.Probably more sedge grass than peat or contamintated with something else.Its very annoying to say the least as i now have to repot my entire collection all over again this winter.Something i didnt think id be doing again for a few years.Suffice to say i wont be using irish moss peat this time!!

[LJ]

Sorry to hear you're having trouble too Gary, I'm going to re-potting a lot of mine too, well thats if i can find a fresh batch of peat thats decent!! There's just nowhere to buy it around my way at the moment!!

Wnhat peat have you been using? Are you sure its not the sand? Did you wash it? I've only tried using sand once and the plants looked awful after so went back to perlite, I didnt wash it though so perhaps thats why....

[wallsg7]

Been using the same sand and grit for a couple of years now with excellent resullts.Was only when i repotted with a large bag of irish moss peat that everything went pear shaped.

[sandy pandy]

I am having the same trouble as above.  Ive used westland irish moss peat for a few years, had no problems with it, up till now!!.     The last big bag ive opened is much darker (almost black) and seems quite damp compared to the others. It has big lumps of twigs and stuff in it, not nice at all.  Ive lost a few plants (VFT,s) since potting them in that rubbish.   Also the weather has been pretty bad , they had a good start in April and May, but thats about it.  Its been a dreadful summer.     Hi Heather, ive been searching for some good quality peat but cant find a supplier that will deliver either.  Ive sent a few emails , but heard nothing back.   Sandra

[petesredtraps]

ive been searching for some good quality peat but cant find a supplier that will deliver either.  Ive sent a few emails , but heard nothing back.   Sandra
[/quote]
Sandra, have you considered Moorland Gold? I've got to replant the Bogbarrel next year and that's what I'm prepared to try.

[LJ]

Gary there's quite a few different brands of irsh moss peat, its mainly the westland stuff thats getting bad reviews at the moment though. I know shamrock had some dodgy batches a while back but by all accounts seems fine now. I would love to start using moorland gold but the price is just so high especially since they're quite small bags!! Not so bad for a small collection but with the amount I get through I bet it will get quite pricey, though if I cant find anything decent soon I might have to ty it - atleast I've only heard good things about moorland.....

[mobile]

I'm using Shamrock peat at the moment and it's good... in fact so much so that I went back to same garden centre and bought a couple more bags.