Question
Hello!

I spoke with Jacob a few days ago. I really appreciate the time he spent with me!

I suddenly became the proud (?) owner of over 200 Venus Fly Trap tissue culture plantlets from Costa Rica! My intention was to build a natural stand of VFTs and other CPs (carnivorous Plants) in what will soon become my retirement land. All my life I have loved VFTs and at times I have made considerable efforts to acquire and grow them, back when they were much more difficult to obtain. And, just a few years ago, I got to see them in their native environment in the company of a previous grower who has since moved away and is not even within communication accessibilty any more.

What I thought were going to be small seedling bulbs are in actuality a set of 8 plastic containers with VFT plantlets about 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch long, all smothered in a clear gel! Calling Jacob was a good move during this initial shock period: he advised me that these were called "Third Stage Tissue Cultures", and that I was in for a complicated but not impossible task to complete.

Now, the LAST thing I would ever do is allow any VFTs to die or be mishandled, so I am "All Eyes & Ears" for KNOWLEDGE as to HOW to RESCUE these little Dionaea Babes and make BIG, Proud PLANTS out of them!

Can you help me?

I was "told" that I first need to wash off all the agar gel from the plantlets. This looks like something I can do by using a set of tweezers and bottled reverse-osmosis water.

I have prepared peat pots with a 50%/50% mix of natural sphagnum peat moss and natural perlite. I had intended to plant 1 to 2 plantlets each in a peat pots, lightly top-watering each one, and then let the pots steep in a container that will allow bottom-watering at a level of 1/3 to 1/2 the height of the pots.

Good so far?

I will cover the containers of a number of pots each with a plastic cover that will maintain humidity, but I was "told" to that this will invite mold and fungus unless I keep an airflow moving at all times...?? Is this where 揘EEM?OIL (spelling?) fungicide comes into play? How much, when? Is there anything else that I can or should use?

Now, lighting.... I will keep all the plants indoors about 6 inches from 4-foot fluorescent shop lights 24 hrs/day for about 2 weeks, after which I will bring them near a window with indirect sunlight for about a week, gradually allowing increasing amounts of actual direct sunlight to "lick" at the plantlets (at this time, hopefully, starting to take on SHAPE and SIZE!).

How am I doing?

Now, I'm lost. I don't know if the former routine is correct and/or safe, I am ready for any and all recommendations, which will be appreciated. Then I抣l be able to BREATHE EASILY again!

Thanx!

RON D.


Answer
Hi Ron,

So far, so good up to the potting up.  I would recommend against using peat pots, however, in favor of plastic pots.  Peat pots work well for plants that are going to be potting directly in the ground, but not for an application like this.  The 50/50 peat/perlite soil is perfect.  Also, keep the water just a 1/4-1/3 of the way up the pots.  The big concept here is to keep the soil wet, but not waterlogged.  Flytraps prefer a lower water table than either Sarracenia or sundews.

The covering will be needed at first because of them being in a very humid environment from the tissue culture, but consider this a transition step.  After a couple of weeks you should begin propping up the cover some to begin lowering the humidity.  Do this a little at a time over about a week or two until the plants can tolerate normal room humidity.  Do spray with the Neem, or use a sulfur based fungicide.  Just follow the directions on the package for concentration if it's not premixed.

Lighting.  You need to have the plants within 2 to 3 inches of the fluorescent tubes.  6 inches is too far away.  Venus flytraps are full sun plants, and need very bright light.  It's almost impossible to burn them with fluorescent lights.  Also, keep the light on a timer for a 15 hour day.  Plants never experience 24 hours of light in nature, and it can have some negative effects on them.

By the time your plants are hardened off, and seem to be growing well, move them to a sunny window.  Don't even fool around with indirect sun.  Windows don't have the same intensity as being outdoors since glass blocks 80% of UV light.  It's possible you may see a little leaf burn if you have exceptionally sunny windows, but it will be of little consequence in the long run.

At the onset of late spring or early summer it will be time to consider moving them outside.  A little shading at first would be in order when they are put outside to minimize leaf burn.  After a week or so they will be fine.  If they do experience some leaf burn, don't worry too much about it.  New leaves will grow and look bright and healthy.

I didn't totally understand where your property is.  Is it in North or South Carolina?

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com