FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

those look great!!! could location have something to do with the coloration as well? I'm up here in MN, and my Fine Tooths came last year from TN, but haven't gotten that red coloration since. my plants are outside in full sun, and my Fine Tooths and Jaws, etc. don't have red coloration like that. my Etnas and Maroons do, but none of the others. just green :-/

Not sure, Earthy. I've never heard that location can affect coloration, but when you think about it, the sun's rays *do* become less direct at more northern latitudes, so I suppose it's a possibility. Mine never really developed this much color before either, and it's been another cool, rainy summer here for the most part, so I'm not really sure why it's happening for me now.

The only thing I've really changed is the growing medium. I used to use all peat/sand/perlite, but now the top several inches in all my pots is LFS instead (with peat/sand/perlite in the bottom). Not sure how that would affect coloration though unless my plants are just generally happier and healthier now. They've definitely gotten larger traps this year, and I haven't lost any to mold and fungus like I did last summer. And no more traps choking on perlite floating to the surface every time it rains anymore either.

Oh, one other thing... My plants never really developed much red color at all until I started using a mixture of bluish and reddish fluorescent lights over the winter. I have half 6500 and half 3000 color temperature bulbs, so maybe that reddish light over the winter has something to do with it too. Dunno, I just keep experimenting to try to find things that work!

I think it might have something to do with the medium. Most people find their plants look better when they switch from peat to sphagnum. I cannot confirm this; this is my first year growing CPs, and I only ever use LFS.

Gorgeous!

Thanks, Matt. Really means a lot coming from you! I sure am glad I didn't give up altogether after the disastrous growing season I had last summer.