Dead Genlisea violacea

[flycatchers]

Hi

I recently got a small Genlisea violacea which I potted up in peat/sand mix and put it in my heated tank. I kept the compost wet but not soaking, but alas it has completely rotted and died :cry:

This is my first attempt at this species and wonder why I might have gone wrong? I had though of growing it in my Neps house but that drops to 45/50f at night and all the books say it likes 60/65f. Should it be grown on the water tray system or not? Any advice welcome...

cheers

bill

[Jimmie Hansen]

I have heard that you should grow them as terrestrial utricularias.

I have never growed that plant but I do grow utricularias and use the water tray system

[bwdoz]

I don't know if this is accepted wisdom Bill, but I've kept mine with some terrestrial Utrics at a winter minimum of around 10C, in a fairly deep water tray kept more or less filled all year. I have only had it around 18 months though.

I must say that all the top growth on mine died within three days of first potting it up, but I left it in the water and a few months on it reappeared from the roots. A year later it's sporting a flower scape. Are you sure yours is a goner?

Cheers,

Bruce

[Bob H]

I have mine in a small terrarium, unheated but over a radiator, on an East facing window. The water is kept at at least the half way up the pot point and the temp never dips below 15C.

It flowers frequently.

I keep other Genlisea as I would terrestrial Utrics, even have some hispidula and violacea x lobata in the greenhouse at 7C minimum.

[Jonathan]

I grow them flooded on unheated windowsills.

One plant (on a windowsill behind a curtain...) turned up its roots and died recently but the plants on other windows (where there are radiators below) continue to thrive.

Minimum temps must still be significantly lower than 60/65 though.

[Guest Sheila]

I keep mine in a heated propogator at this time of the year, standing in water up to the level of the surface of the peat at 12C minimum. They flower every year under my conditions. As bwdoz says they do come back from the roots sometimes. One of mine suddenly started to collapse and die last year but it returned just a few weeks later without any special treatment. Don't be too hasty to throw the pot out and try keeping it a bit wetter that may help.

[BonnieJohnson]

I grow mine in a shallow tray and flood them occasionaly then let the soil dry to just barely moist. They're growing great..

[jimscott]

I had G. violacea in swamplike conditions at the wondow sill and surprisingly it put up a flower stalk. But before it bloomed, the colony rotted away. Perhaps I was hasty in tossing it?

[chloroplast]

I recently got a small Genlisea violacea which I potted up in peat/sand mix and put it in my heated tank. I kept the compost wet but not soaking, but alas it has completely rotted and died

This is my first attempt at this species and wonder why I might have gone wrong?

You may want to try planting it in pure LFS next time--this medium is less prone to causing plant rot.

My G.violacea, hispidula and lobata are all in undrained containers filled with LFS. I let the water level fluctuate from the container being half filled to it completely filled. The plants are at the periphery of 80W cool-white fluorescent lighting (so they receive more shady conditions than my other CPs). Temperatures are between 65-75F, and humidity 50-60%. I feed them a few teaspoons of daphnia once per month.

Since receiving the G.violacea two months ago, it has grown appreciably and produced a flower stalk, so it must be satisfied with the conditions. The other plants are doing nicely as well.

Hope some of this helps.