FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

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Discussions about growing with minimal or no organic growing medium.

Moderator: Matt

By goldslinger
Location: 
Posts:  772
Joined:  Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:31 am
#89636
Thanks, Matt!

Well this Morning they were still alive; so they are at least hydrated, but the real test will be if they are still alive in 3 or 4 weeks. The perlite is moist right up to the top which is good, I guess. I'm gonna get algae as I can't cover it very good as I have the plants too low in the pots and I don't want to dink with them again real soon as they've been through enough already.

You all have the first pics of the plants. I will take another in a Month if They are still alive. I have the Maxsea at 1/4 strength of the recommended (by California Carnivores) 1/2 strength, so I guess 1/8th strength, not the 1/10 that I posted earlier. I hope it is not too strong for the plants being continually bathed in it.

I admit, I put alot of variables in this; kinda delved right in. Hopefully, the 225ppm dissolved solids are the right dissolved solids. 95ppm is the fertilizer, the rest is ph adjust chemical. I had to use Sodium Bicarbonate to raise it, but then I decided to go ahead and add the fertilizer, so I had to lower the PH after that with the acid.

There is also the question of is the plastic leaching anything with the lower ph; not knowing what kind of plastic it is.

Gary

Gary
Last edited by goldslinger on Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
By Leaf Talon
Location: 
Posts:  14
Joined:  Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:56 am
#89651
Nice-looking setup, Goldslinger! Your use of the net pots and perlite will eliminate the problem that I had. If the Maxsea does not burn the roots, I bet they will be growing down into your reservoir in a few weeks.

I am confused about you pH adjustment. I have not used sodium bicarb but was under the impression that it was a pH up product. I know that acid is a pH down product. Generally one adds ferts to a nutrient solution before adjusting pH because usually the ferts act to lower pH partway. Then as the plants use the nutrients, the pH creeps back up.

What is the starting pH of your water?

Leaf Talon
By goldslinger
Location: 
Posts:  772
Joined:  Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:31 am
#89706
Leaf,

I see I made a typo. I meant to say that I had to adjust the PH up with the Sodium Bicarbonate as I was using VERY PURE DI water, and with the bubbler, it added carbon dioxide to the water as carbonic acid. The starting PH with the water alone was 4.1

I was going to use just straight water so that's why I adjusted it up to 5.5, but then decided at the last minute to add the fertilizer, which raised it too high, so added drops of the acid to bring it back to 5.5, but next time will add everything before I adjust the PH.

I guess One is supposed to change the water weekly.

Gary
By goldslinger
Location: 
Posts:  772
Joined:  Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:31 am
#90893
Hey, All

Well, they are still alive. I changed the solution and here is the before pic below:

Image

and here is the updated pics: Note the plants are in the same spot, but oriented differently.

Image

They both are sending up new traps, especially the one on the Left; you can see a new trap getting ready to open.
I know they look a little 'burned' but I'm dismissing this so far as they were kinda doing that before I transplanted them. One leaf is turning black like I expected it to as it was a little vitreous to begin with when I put it in.
The PH buffered at 5.8 after adding the Maxsea fertilizer, so I left it there. I read Sodium Bi-carbonate adds Sodium, so not good. Since I didn't add anything, that takes out 1 variable if I get failure long term. I know the light is good, aeration is good, the media is good, the PH is good (I believe), so if I get a decline in plant health, I will blame the concentration of the nutrient, and proceed by halving it.

Anyway, I added another deep well system to try out different species of CP'S, ( Pings, etc.).

Image

I used the same pencil box, left a probe hole that is capped, and left a strip of the bottom tub on the left unpainted to see the water level.

I will update in another 2 Weeks.

Gary
goldslinger liked this
By bombsboy
Location: 
Posts:  584
Joined:  Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:57 am
#90989
is this self built? what are you running through it?
How did you make it?
Last edited by bombsboy on Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By goldslinger
Location: 
Posts:  772
Joined:  Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:31 am
#98309
Hey, All.

Update; the one pictured on the right died, and the other one was declining after about 6 weeks, so I potted it up.

I owe this to the small reservoir which resulted in wild ph variations, unless I was right on top of it every Day, My lack of experience, and probably too high concentration of nutrients. I think One should start with just a trace of nutrients, and experiment from there.

I think if I would have kept up with it with more diligence, they would be alright Today, however, I didn't experience much root or leaf growth that was more than just planted out, but again, don't take much creedence from My experience with it as I delved in with both feet without much research and experience with hydroponics.

I think the most important thing to remember is that the plants DID survive for a long time; so it is very possible. I'm just pulled too many directions right now to give it the attention it deserved. If I do it again, I will have a much larger reservoir with more plants and, oh yea, I will read some books!

Gary
By ReefPlant
Posts:  392
Joined:  Sun May 03, 2009 3:58 am
#98338
Looking awesome! I have always wondered how the plants would respond to this sort of setup! I'm definitely going to stay tuned in to find out what happens!
Awesome project goldslinger! Good Luck!
By NelsonR
Posts:  157
Joined:  Tue May 24, 2011 3:29 am
#108602
Hi, why dont you use MS on this (with out sugar), and I know many plants like a 5.5-6.0 PH, but this plants habitat PH is below 4.0.

And about the nutrients you used, are they a one, two or three part solution?

If they are a two or a three part solution, use lower concentration of the one that provides nitrogen.

I think they can resist over 300 ppm, besides in TC they have about 2000 ppm concentration.
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