Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~

Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~#296479

By Takoti -  Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:32 pm
Posts:  1
Joined:  Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:17 pm

- Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:32 pm #296479

Aaa hello, everyone! I bought a VFT not all too long ago from a local "Lowes" store, it's been doing great, and has some nice growth! They were actually cared for fairly decently at the store I got them from.

Today whilst on a grocery run with my family, I came across a shopping cart in the back of a grocery store filled with VFT's- they were in pretty bad condition. Priced at $1.99 a piece because the store couldn't care for them properly, it seems. I bought one, and the cashier asked me if I knew how to properly care for them. After explaining I have one at home, she then gave me 2 more to take with me for free... I now have 4 Venus flytraps?

Now, onto questions haha ~

First off, there are many stalks on my plant that had dead "heads" that seemed to have fallen off? This could have been caused by mishandling by the workers, but not too sure. I believe I read that the stalks still help photosynthesize for the plant- does this mean I should avoid cutting them off?

The ones I got today had many black- fully dead stalks and heads that simply pulled off without even a tug on them, after removing those they seem to look healthier as is, but they still seem to be in bad shape- Does anyone have any advice on how to make sure they are able to live, or return to health? I've never had to rehabilitate any traps, as mine was in semi-decent condition when purchased.

The 3 I got today are larger than the one I owned before; with the largest traps being around the size of my thumb. Seeing as it was a grocery store, I'm afraid they could have been watering them with tap water- is there any way to tell, or take extra precautions if they had been? I use distilled water when watering my traps, as the rainfall isn't consistent where I live.

These might seem like beginner questions, in which they probably are as I've only had my first VFT for a couple months now, but I'm hoping to get whatever advice I can, seeing as I love having these absolutely stunning plants, and want them to live the fullest life they can under my care!

Thank you for your time, and any help I can be offered! <3

Re: Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~#296482

By thatonechick371 -  Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:13 pm
Posts:  116
Joined:  Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:15 pm

- Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:13 pm #296482

I would repot it asap. Rinse the dirt off the roots with distilled water really well just incase there are minerals and crap from bad water. Theres a youtube video, i forgot what its called but im sure you coukd find it if you searched for saving a fly trap lol basically, they had to take off all the leaves leaving just the rhizome and it actually came back. It took a while, however. But yeah, id get it into some good peat moss, give it a rinse and a good watering and introduce it to sunlight slowly.

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Re: Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~#296483

By thatonechick371 -  Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:15 pm
Posts:  116
Joined:  Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:15 pm

- Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:15 pm #296483

Also, I am not an expert at all. I do read a lot and watch a lot of videos. Someone please correct me if im wrong. That is simply what i personally would do.

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Re: Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~#296489

By riveraXVX -  Sat Jun 24, 2017 10:20 pm
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am

- Sat Jun 24, 2017 10:20 pm #296489

I second the recommendations from thatonechick371 repotting sooner than later, to make sure you know the medium it is in/freshening it up. I would soak the roots in distilled water while replanting just kind of gentle work them in and out of water to get most of the old medium out and to help rinse.

if you were not ready to repot yet, I would top water as opposed to tray watering them (depending on which you do as it is) with distilled water, rain water, or reverse osmosis water (less than 50PPM is the goal for whichever water any of the above will work though!)

even after repotting I'd water via top watering just to help flush it but generally you should be good! we picked up 3 talk to the worker/got them for $2/ea flytraps from Lowes a little over a month ago and they were the same, lots of leaves but mostly black/dead/fallen off traps and all but 1 trap on any plant was completely non-functioning. I left it alone, repotted in the new zealand LFSM acclimated it to full sun outdoors here in NC over the course of about a week, and have just been giving them full on sun and keeping them watered properly since. I am just about to be at the one month mark and all 3 are shooting up new growth, one with a few open traps already and have started feeding. they still aren't much to look at yet, but we're getting there!!

also pretty much 90% of the leaves on all three of those, have been slowly dying off as it leeches nutrients from them and now I can see why as new leaves and traps are shooting up constantly!! its crazy the trap that got its first open trap after one feeding how many other are shooting up now 1-2 weeks later!

Re: Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~#296530

By boarderlib -  Sun Jun 25, 2017 1:24 pm
Posts:  1641
Joined:  Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:13 pm

- Sun Jun 25, 2017 1:24 pm #296530

thatonechick371 wrote:Also, I am not an expert at all. I do read a lot and watch a lot of videos. Someone please correct me if im wrong. That is simply what i personally would do.

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I wouldn't have guessed that based on your advice. Exactly what I would've recommended. I would've been more long winded about it though. Lol

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Re: Rescued VFT's + New Owner ~#296536

By thatonechick371 -  Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:12 pm
Posts:  116
Joined:  Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:15 pm

- Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:12 pm #296536

boarderlib wrote:
thatonechick371 wrote:Also, I am not an expert at all. I do read a lot and watch a lot of videos. Someone please correct me if im wrong. That is simply what i personally would do.

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I wouldn't have guessed that based on your advice. Exactly what I would've recommended. I would've been more long winded about it though. Lol

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Aww thanks. Lol

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