FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi i am reasonably new to this fly trap growing and just have one, it is apearing to be doing very well, lots of new traps have grown. It did shoot a flower but i cut it off at about 3/4 inch high.
My questions are, a couple of the smaller traps (the ones om assuming are the older ones that are on the soil) are going black, why does this happen? is it normal?
Also my trap has caught 3 flies in a 2 day period, i thought i read osmewhere that too much 'food' can be strssful for a fly trap and doesnt do it any good. Is this true and if so is there anything i can do about it?
Lastly, How will i know when it is time to repot? do they like to be pot bound or do they like lots of room? If some of the recent traps laid flat they would be bigger than the diameter or the plant pot it is in.
Thanks all for your help
Vicx.

vicx4 wrote:Hi i am reasonably new to this fly trap growing and just have one, it is apearing to be doing very well, lots of new traps have grown. It did shoot a flower but i cut it off at about 3/4 inch high.

Hello and welcome to the forum! You've come to the right place to ask questions and get help with growing your flytrap.

vicx4 wrote: My questions are, a couple of the smaller traps (the ones om assuming are the older ones that are on the soil) are going black, why does this happen? is it normal?

Just like any plant that grows leaves, the leaves eventually die. It is totally normal. With Venus Fly Traps, if you repeatedly tease the traps, they can turn black prematurely, but in time all leaves and traps will turn black and die. At that point, you can cut them off if you wish, or just leave them and they will rot into the soil. I usually cut them off because I don't like looking at them and they could potentially cause mold or fungus if the plant is kept too wet.

vicx4 wrote:Also my trap has caught 3 flies in a 2 day period, i thought i read osmewhere that too much 'food' can be strssful for a fly trap and doesnt do it any good. Is this true and if so is there anything i can do about it?

Don't worry about your plant naturally catching flies. I have also read that you could "overfeed" them, but if they are catching them naturally on their own, I'm sure its fine. Besides, that's what the traps are there for...to catch insects. I'm sure that they plant wouldn't put out more traps than it could handle. Catching insects will actually help the plant grow faster. Each insect is like a little fertilizer pill for the plant.

vicx4 wrote:Lastly, How will i know when it is time to repot? do they like to be pot bound or do they like lots of room? If some of the recent traps laid flat they would be bigger than the diameter or the plant pot it is in.

The best time to repot is in the spring right as the plant starts to exit dormancy, however, you can repot anytime you want. I have read that the only time to try to avoid is when the plant is flowering. I have repotted them at all different times of the year, and I hardly notice any difference in their growth pattern. Maybe they slow in growth for a week or so, but repotting doesn't seem to set them back much.

Venus fly traps are very tolerant of being root bound. However, in my experience and from what I have read, they enjoy having deep pots. This makes room for their roots to grow down and also, if you water from the bottom, the deep pots help keep the plants and their roots above the water level.

vicx4 wrote:Thanks all for your help

You're very welcome! I hope that you have found the site informative and I also hope that you hang around the forum, contribute when you can, and ask questions if you have any. I'd like to see some photos of your fly trap too, if you get a chance.