FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey everyone. Got my BEAUTIFUL B52 in the mail today! Thanks so much, Matt! I have to say, it's got incredible color and I'm really impressed. When it comes to VFT's it's clear that you and Steve are the best. The trap size is really impressive, being such a small-diameter plant, it has traps wayyyy larger than my typical with a much larger diameter. I'd say they're about an inch, maybe more. I was also impressed with the QUANTITY of traps on the plant. Again, amazing job, FTS. Oh, and don't want to forget to mention how healthy the root system was. Can't say enough good about you guys.

Anyway, I wanted to pot them both up together so I can easily compare the relative sizes of the two plants, but I just want to be clear of a couple things.

Is it potted up alright? Here's a pic, I just want to make sure that it's not too shallow in the soil.






The leaves kind of curl back on the rhizome. Is that characteristic of this cultivar? It made potting sort of hard. Will the plant grow more straight outward or will it always curl. Either way, I love it! Thanks, guys!





Here's a couple others of the plant:

It looks like you got a great plant from great salespeople !
It looks potted up fine, but the only concern I have is that it is up against the edge, and with other plants, so as long as the roots have vertical space, your plant should be fine

I was concerned about that too, but it has about 6 inches of its own vertical root space. I stuck my finger in the soil to not disturb my other plant too badly and slowly placed the root sin there. They're straight down in the soil and not impeded by anything. That should be fine, right?

Yeah, it should be fine Nice new plant

Not bad better then my potting skills I think it will be okay for a year but It's maybe it's going to need more room soon. I don't see 6 inches?

The leaves curving downward is just an effect of their ground-hugging habit during fall and spring. The leaves really press tightly against the surface of the soil, so when they are uprooted, within hours or sometimes minutes (if soaking in water) they will curve downward and present a bit of a challenge to pot. I usually bury the rhizome at a good level (yours looks fine) and then gently pry the leaves upward a little with a toothpick, unburying them and bringing them more level with the soil surface.

There are two ways I deal with highly downward curved leaves: I sometimes place the plant on a little mound so that the rhizome is at the right level, and allow the downward-curving leaves to settle against the little slope of the hill, or I allow the plant to dry just a little out of direct sunlight (keeping a good eye on it), until the leaves are not so water-filled and brittle, so they have become just a little softer and more pliable, and then they are easier to plant and bring up to the growing medium surface.

The new leaves, the summer growth, won't curve downward like that but instead will grow more upright.

It appears to be potted well and ready for the growing season! As Daniel mentioned, it would be better potted more toward the center of the pot for temperature stabilization, but I'm guessing it will do well where it is.

chazzbo77 wrote:I was also impressed with the QUANTITY of traps on the plant.

Give it another 4 to 6 weeks. It should have quite a few more. By the end of the growing season, it should have lots of traps and very good coloration

frog wrote: I don't see 6 inches?

I thought you said 6" of vertical space? The pot is about 6" tall and that gives the plant about 6" of vertical space. Did you mean horizontal? Sorry for the confusion.

Nice plants!

Easy. Make a mound when the leaves curl downward.

jamez wrote:Easy. Make a mound when the leaves curl downward.

Thanks, but Steve already answered my question.

Oh sorry, didn't read that. I'm usually the only person to reccomend that.

jamez wrote:Oh sorry, didn't read that. I'm usually the only person to reccomend that.

Obviously your not the only one but if you had taken a few seconds to read the thread, you would have seen it already suggested.

You know trying to prove someone wrong doesn't make you look smarter, it actually makes you look stupid.
If YOU would read over you would've seen "I'm usually the only person to reccomend that". EMPHASIS on USUALLY.

Play nice guys and please keep on topic. If you have a dispute to settle, please do it privately.