FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Is there any reliable way to tell how old my VFT is? I've had it about 2 weeks but I'm curious as to its actual age. Can I guesstimate based on its size or anything else about it? I do know it had a flower stalk on it when I got it (which I trimmed off) and it looks like it *might* be trying to divide into two; do either of those things indicate age?

There are so many variables between flytraps that its really difficult to know age unless you actually grow them from seed. Some people measure age by rhizome size or trap size. Both which vary from each different flytrap. I have a B52 from 2009 that has a 2.5" wide rhizome and a typical from 2005 that was the same size.

Flowerstalks do indicate a bit of their age, but there are to many variables to say.. Sorry.

Hmmm, ok. I'm mainly interested in knowing whether this fall/winter will be its first one, because I *thought* I saw something in one of the discussions on dormancy that suggested skipping dormancy in its first year would be easier on the plant than doing so later in its life. Is there any truth to that, by the way? I'm aware VFTs need dormancy, but as I'm just re-familiarizing myself with caring for one under normal conditions, I'd like to avoid dormancy this year if at all possible without harming it.

With experience as reference I can say dormancy is not really required for VFT's. I live in a tropical region right in the equator and we have no winter in our country. And for 4(almost 5 years now) my VFT has been growing pretty well without any dormancy at all. Coloration is normal(mix of green and red), traps are very active and getting larger. What I'm only doing is feeding the flytraps fish food once a week. Only thing I find strange on my flytrap is it never grow those long leaves. It's only growing short leaves with big trap that's always laying on the ground.

I only get these type of leaves



Not these

Muzika, the leaf growth could be down to genetics like the big mouth vft should only grow leaves like your ones but others grow upwards like the spider vft for example so my guess is the plants genetics

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk 2

Kathleen13 wrote:Hmmm, ok. I'm mainly interested in knowing whether this fall/winter will be its first one, because I *thought* I saw something in one of the discussions on dormancy that suggested skipping dormancy in its first year would be easier on the plant than doing so later in its life. Is there any truth to that, by the way? I'm aware VFTs need dormancy, but as I'm just re-familiarizing myself with caring for one under normal conditions, I'd like to avoid dormancy this year if at all possible without harming it.

This is usually the case when talking about seed grown plants. Some people advocate keeping them under lights through the first dormancy before putting them outside so that they will be larger and better able to withstand winter. I left my seedlings outside during winter and they all survived. So unless it gets really cold where you are it's probably not necessary.

A seedling approaching its first dormancy period will probably be no larger than a quarter, and that's pushing it. If you didn't start your own seeds this is probably not it's first dormancy. Though I'm sure there are people reading this saying "well, if it just came out of tissue culture since last winter than this could be its first dormancy." Well that's true, but plants out of TC grow much more rapidly than seed grown so there really wouldn't be a good reason so skip their first dormancy.