FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

ive read that leaving your plants in standing water was the way to go and also read the opposite..can i get some clarification on this subject? thank you

Watering your flytrap by placing them in a tray of water isn't bad (alot of people use this method), it is when you constantly keep them in the tray of water for days is when it gets bad. Flytraps don't appreciate it when you keep their soil constantly wet, it can cause root rot and promote things like mold. Between waterings, you should allow the soil to dry until it feels just moist when you dig a little into the soil. If you would like to use the tray method, then leave the pot sitting in the tray full of water for only an hour or so. This gives the soil enough time to suck up as much water as it needs, without constantly keeping it wet. When you allow the soil to dry until it is just moist between waterings, then the flytrap will grow healthier and the chance of rot and mold will decrease

I had two fly traps last year and I was given the advice (from the seller) to keep them constantly stood in water, I lost both plants. Both had rotted.
I'm so glad I found this forum, I'm having another go this year and will not be keeping them stood in water, but will be watering from the bottom (I think I will waste less rain water watering with this method.) giving the soil time to dry out (not completely) in between waterings.

In my opinion it's not about whether they're in standing water or not, but whether the soil is being kept too wet.

A 12 inch tall pot kept in an inch of water is a world away from a 4 inch pot kept in the same amount of water. As you increase the depth of the pot you're less likely to experience root rot since the distance between the roots and the water logged soil is greater.

It also depends on your climate and whether you're growing inside. If your plant is growing outside, in a tall pot, and it's in the 90's and above, and it's getting 7+ hours of direct sun, than keeping it in a tray that always has "some" water will probably never be an issue for you because evaporation will cause the oxygenated water in the tray to be pulled into the soil more rapidly.

Moral of the story...If the top of your soil looks water logged and you didn't just top water it, you may want to let it dry some. If you're growing inside or in a climate that get's overcast for long periods you may want to let it dry some. If it's in a tall pot, outside in full sun, and despite you keeping it in a tray of water constantly, the soil looks just damp, you're probably fine.

In nature (in the Venus Flytrap's natural environment) the rhizome of the plant (the "bulb" just under the surface of the soil) is often in sandy soil that dries quickly, while the natural water table is fairly high, but not all the way to the surface of the soil. So the plant has a continuous supply of water from below (wicking up by capillary action from the high water table) but often fairly dry on the surface.

Venus Flytraps are healthier and happier, and there are fewer problems, when they are grown "moist, not wet all the time." Parker679 made an important point, in that pots with plenty of depth, 8-12 inches or more, can be left standing in water most or even all the time, whereas smaller, shorter pots are easily saturated with water if they are left standing in water, and the plants might as well be in a swamp. Venus Flytraps often grow near water, but not in water (there are some exceptions), in places such as sandy banks one or more feet above the water line, or as previously mentioned, sandy coastal "barrens" (pine, grass and scrub) where there may be little water visible on the surface, but where the water table (how far down you'd have to dig before the bottom of the hole filled with water) is fairly high.

Anyway, it's better to use taller, deeper pots for Venus Flytraps (several Flytraps can be planted together in a larger, deeper pot) but if they are planted in small pots, it's generally better to be careful not to allow the soil to be saturated with water all the time, and allow them to dry until just moist between waterings.

Mine are always in about an inch of water, except for winter of coarse.
The bulbs are definitely above the water.

A member recently pointed out that you can determine how dry your soil is by doing a "weight test". I have determined my pot's "dry" weight by picking it up before watering, since I don't have the luxury of digging into the soil or by visual means. My container's top half inch is kept dry and dressed with silica sand. I water only when the pot feels extra light, which occurs between 4-5 days. As parker already pointed out, your specific growing condition(indoor, outdoor, climatic factors) plays a major role between waterings.

The "weight test" is usually done with common houseplants. VFTs are not common houseplants however.

Are your plants indoors or out? My guess is you kept the water level too high.

Trays are good if you have high temperatures or a media that dries out quickly. Also if you want a short root system, always use a tray. I do both, some plants I keep wet and they have really short roots and they are fine.

tommyr wrote:The bulbs are definitely above the water.

They would be better to be well above the water level (by at least several inches, not just barely. But even the top inch of soil should be moist, but moist and airy is much better than saturated with unmoving water that can stagnate and encourage fungal and bacterial infection and rot.

While on the topic of water, how about misting? When my plants are in direct sunlight (where temperatures can reach 90-100F) I make the effort to mist as often as possible. Over the past year of caring for VFTs, I've found that the plants grow better with very high humidity.

Other than preventing the soil from turning to mud, are there any issues regarding misting I should be aware of?

If the plants are in direct Sun I would be worried about the droplets acting like a magnifying glass and the leaves burning.

tommyr wrote:If the plants are in direct Sun I would be worried about the droplets acting like a magnifying glass and the leaves burning.

I have done some tests where I skipped the entire acclimation process and threw newly acquired plants in direct sunlight all day but misted them frequently. Most did not show any signs of burning and it even worked on baby plants, too. I can't say if it really was the misting, but I believe that misting will relieve the plant from sunlight

tommyr wrote:If the plants are in direct Sun I would be worried about the droplets acting like a magnifying glass and the leaves burning.

Never heard of the the magnifying glass effect! I'll have to look that up. Much thanks

I have done some tests where I skipped the entire acclimation process and threw newly acquired plants in direct sunlight all day but misted them frequently. Most did not show any signs of burning and it even worked on baby plants, too. I can't say if it really was the misting, but I believe that misting will relieve the plant from sunlight

I can't imagine misting doing anything but cooling the plant off, while providing growth-inducing humidity under the 90F Sun.