FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum -- just posted in the Intro board.

I'm seeking information on the topic of repotting in general, but also in reference to my 2-year-old outside VFT.

1) Why would a grower want to repot a VFT?[\b]
What I mean is - what is the driving reason for doing so? Is it necessary to refresh the media every now and then? Or is repotting only needed if the plant outgrows it's container? Or is it necessary to reduce risk of root rot? Or some other reason?

2) When should repotting be done, and how often?[\b]
I've read elsewhere on this site that early spring (I.e., now-ish) is best, but repotting can be done whenever the plant isn't flowering.

3) How does one repot a VFT?[\b]
Obviously you want to avoid triggering the traps if you can. Other than that, what I would do is scoop the plant out and rinse off as much of the old media as possible using distilled water, then replant, and water in. That pretty much it? Any tips on not triggering the traps?

My own VFT[\b]
Nomz, my VFT (below) is sending up three flowering stalks right now and has evidently split into several new plants. The stalks are currently in the very early stage of growth.

The Big question is: should I repot Nomz?

Welcome to the forum!

I read your intro post and what a lucky spot to be in! but it sounds like you are doing everything right so far, and the outdoor conditions are obviously perfect so keep it up!

1) the purpose of repotting is to give your plants more room to grow if they are crowding their pot, and while out of their pot you can spilt them into multiple plants if they are large. Also media can break down over time, which the vft roots don't care for very much.

2) im newer, so I don't know exactly when. but I know you should not do it while it is flowering, the plant is under a lot of stress already.

3) do a search for potting vfts, or look around here for awhile. also http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-soil has a lot of helpful info


Trimming the stalks depends on what you want to do. If you don't want any seeds or you think your plant isn't healthy enough to flower (this takes a lot of energy from making traps) then go ahead and cut them. But if you do want seed then you can go ahead and just cut 1 stalk and try to get a strike off of it, or leave all of them and hand pollinate them when the flowers open with a paintbrush (lone flower self-pollination attempts have a very low chance of working).

I recommend cutting the stalks and repotting, terra cotta can leach minerals into the media that can kill vfts. Also it seems like you have a division on the side there that is ready to split. but seeing how it has been in there for 2 years I think you might be safe waiting for them to seed (if that's what you want to do)

Also can you put a quarter or ruler in the photo for scale?

It's ideal to repot right at the end of dormancy when plants are just showing signs of new growth. It's the least stressful on the plant at that point in time at the end of dormancy. VFTs generally don't mind repotting though so you can do it whenever you need to.