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Too Hot?

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Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 1:25 pm #451916
Hello, Growers!

I need help with my last two Venus flytraps,. I started this year with four, and I'm down to two, even losty beloved Cleopatra which turned three this year.

I live in South Florida, zone 11a, and I had my plants outside planted them in plastic pots in a medium of peat moss, perlite, and sand. It all started well, but si also added a thin layer of LFSM on the potsnñ to protect the traps from our rain (keep the peat and perlite out of the traps). But unfortunately I think the LFSM held too much water and ended up rotting them. Ever since I removed the LFSM.

But now, summer is coming and it's incredibly hot here. We are in the mid 80's and it can easily go up to mid 90's at noon, and it will get even worse in July and August.

How hot it's too hot for Venus Flytraps? Should I try moving them inside and get a grow light instead?
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Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 3:17 pm #451928
I doubt it's the case, but can a por be TOO BIG? Because last year I had Cleopatra in a small por and she weathered the storm well (though it wasn't as hot) this year I tried bigger pots.

Only other thing that's different is the medium, but I bought one on Amazon specific for flytraps, and I rinsed it with distilled water.

Re: Too Hot?

By bigred
Posts:  208
Joined:  Sun May 22, 2011 1:13 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 3:37 pm #451933
I'm in Orlando. On my porch I get some early sun until noon, and then I get like an hour or two before sunset. Mine are grown in 100% pure spaghnum (can find at home depot). I always water from the top (usually daily). Just a little bit (like 3-4 cap full of water cap top per plant). I usually collect rainwater and store in a gatorade bottle as to not need to keep buying distilled water. I've even had plenty of times watering with my water which I believe was 90 TDS when I had no distilled. My plants are also below the pot rim (and bigger plants), so the sun is blocked from the ground to heat it up. Not sure if that will matter much. I think the worst thing you can do is bottom tray water them. If that is what you are doing try only from top. I don't keep mine all that wet.

I've grown with lights indoors in a fish tank with success also, but FL is perfect for them. I leave them out in the winter for easy dormancy. Zero issues.
Jack Hoo liked this

Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 3:48 pm #451935
andynorth wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:30 pm Which medium did you get from Amazon? There are a couple that have proven to be very bad for CP's.
I bought this one
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Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 4:04 pm #451936
bigred wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:37 pm I'm in Orlando. On my porch I get some early sun until noon, and then I get like an hour or two before sunset. Mine are grown in 100% pure spaghnum (can find at home depot). I always water from the top (usually daily). Just a little bit (like 3-4 cap full of water cap top per plant). I usually collect rainwater and store in a gatorade bottle as to not need to keep buying distilled water. I've even had plenty of times watering with my water which I believe was 90 TDS when I had no distilled. My plants are also below the pot rim (and bigger plants), so the sun is blocked from the ground to heat it up. Not sure if that will matter much. I think the worst thing you can do is bottom tray water them. If that is what you are doing try only from top. I don't keep mine all that wet.

I've grown with lights indoors in a fish tank with success also, but FL is perfect for them. I leave them out in the winter for easy dormancy. Zero issues.
First of all, sorry for the dislike. Clicked it by accident when trying to respond.

I do water them from the bottom with distilled water, as that's what I have read in all care guides to be the best to prevent root rot, but I am using a mix of peat and perlite, maybe it's different if you use LFSM (more experienced growers, please chime in).
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Re: Too Hot?

By ChefDean
Location: 
Posts:  9813
Joined:  Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:44 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 4:08 pm #451937
Jack Hoo wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 4:04 pmsorry for the dislike. Clicked it by accident when trying to respond.
Then click on it again to remove it.

Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 4:18 pm #451938
I tried, system said I can't like/dislike so often. Will try again
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Re: Too Hot?

By andynorth
Location: 
Posts:  1658
Joined:  Fri May 12, 2023 9:08 pm
-  Wed May 29, 2024 5:28 pm #451943
Jack Hoo wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:48 pm
andynorth wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:30 pm Which medium did you get from Amazon? There are a couple that have proven to be very bad for CP's.
I bought this one
That may very well be your culprit. Several users, including myself have lost or had plants seriously decline after using this product. Change your medium and I bet that solves your issue.
wcrosman liked this

Re: Too Hot?

By cpgrower126
Location: 
Posts:  161
Joined:  Thu Apr 04, 2024 3:51 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 5:35 pm #451944
Just head to Lowe’s and pick up BetterGrow LFSM or Gubler’s LFSM. I have had flytraps in this media that have done perfectly fine.
andynorth liked this

Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 5:42 pm #451946
andynorth wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 5:28 pm
Jack Hoo wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:48 pm
andynorth wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:30 pm Which medium did you get from Amazon? There are a couple that have proven to be very bad for CP's.
I bought this one
That may very well be your culprit. Several users, including myself have lost or had plants seriously decline after using this product. Change your medium and I bet that solves your issue.
No way, could it really be? I bought the one that had the highest rating thinking it was the best.

Is there any other you recommend? If so I will change that as soon as I get home.

Btw, is the premier sphagnum moss sold in home depot ok for vft's?
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Re: Too Hot?

By wcrosman
Location: 
Posts:  520
Joined:  Thu Apr 14, 2022 2:03 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 7:07 pm #451953
Jack Hoo wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:48 pm
andynorth wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:30 pm Which medium did you get from Amazon? There are a couple that have proven to be very bad for CP's.
I bought this one
Thats the bad stuff. Just about killed my sundews before I figured it out.
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Re: Too Hot?

By andynorth
Location: 
Posts:  1658
Joined:  Fri May 12, 2023 9:08 pm
-  Wed May 29, 2024 7:13 pm #451954
Jack Hoo wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 5:42 pm
andynorth wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 5:28 pm
Jack Hoo wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 3:48 pm

I bought this one
That may very well be your culprit. Several users, including myself have lost or had plants seriously decline after using this product. Change your medium and I bet that solves your issue.
No way, could it really be? I bought the one that had the highest rating thinking it was the best.

Is there any other you recommend? If so I will change that as soon as I get home.

Btw, is the premier sphagnum moss sold in home depot ok for vft's?
If you wait a few days I am sure there are others that will chime in and say the same thing about that mix (one just did). Many people mix up their own. I understand this is at times not possible due to storage concerns but if you have the room, buy peat, LFSM, sand and/or perlite. Different people use different formulas. There are several guides available to do this. I use straight LFSM for my VFT's. I was using 50:50 peat and lfsm for my other CP's then switched and added sand so it's about 40:40:20. I stopped using perlite due to it turning green and molding on me since I live in a high humidity environment. I stopped buying premixed soil after learning my lesson with the Perfect Plants mix.
I have never used the moss from Home Depot. I use Better Gro either Orchid or plain LFSM and have always had good luck with it. The plain version is available on Amazon and the plain and Orchid versions are available at Lowes. Whichever route you go be sure to rinse and re rinse ALL of your media. Once it is mixed and rinsed, take a PPM reading by top watering until water comes out the bottom using a TDS meter. Ideally you want it under 50 but some have said 100 and under is suitable. Hope this helps.

Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Wed May 29, 2024 8:08 pm #451959
It certainly does. Thanks a lot! This is the first year I buy this mix (and LAST!)before that I also mixed my own (did about 60:40 peat and perlite), but I thought that a product that was supposedly tailored for carnivore plants specifically would yield better results. Going to leave them a heavy negative review on Amazon and will change the medium in my plants ASAP.

Re: Too Hot?

By Jack Hoo
Posts:  32
Joined:  Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:34 am
-  Thu May 30, 2024 12:37 pm #451979
Thanks to all that chimed in. Now I know that the Perfect Plants mix is basically poison for our beloved plants (shame on them).

I repotted all the plants I had (and my sister's too) in LFSM because that's what I had at hand. It's the BetterGro, I got it from Lowe's, and I rinsed it on distilled water. Now it's just praying these guys can bounce back.

Even the smallest one which I thought was dead still has some green and white in the Rhymezone, so there is some hope. Do you think he can recover?
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