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suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:48 pm
by dmagnan
Why do some plants have leaves suspended in the air, while others the leaves just lie on the soil? Is it any indication of health or not getting enough light? I also notice that in some of the pictures on here the plants have short, wide leaves, does that indicate anything? Mine has long, flat leaves. Thanks,

Dave

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:04 pm
by Aging_Bourbon
It's genetic man, some have them and some don't.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:53 pm
by 95slvrZ28
Like Allen said, a lot of the growth characteristics of the plants is genetics. That said, if you're seeing long growth your plant may need more light. It's hard to tell for sure without pictures though because there are some clones that have tall thin leaves.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:18 pm
by moof
Yeah, genetics but also conditions and season. There are some cultivars that creat suspended leaves during summer, and ones that lie flat in winter

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 2:52 am
by PaikuhanX
I have a question that's somewhat related to the original post. Do leaves/traps continue to grow after the trap has opened? I ask this because I notice in some fly trap pictures the leaf grows very tall and then the trap finally folds over and opens up. Whereas in other cases, the traps open up pretty soon after the leaf first emerges from the ground. My traps seem to slow their growth after opening and concentrate on gaining the pink/red color inside.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:09 am
by Matt
PaikuhanX wrote:Do leaves/traps continue to grow after the trap has opened?
Yes, definitely. The traps seem to grow for at least a few days after the trap has opened.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 11:39 pm
by dmagnan
SO i just found this, I was wondering what your takes on this are?

http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2200.html

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 12:50 am
by Matt
dmagnan wrote:SO i just found this, I was wondering what your takes on this are?
What part of it exactly? Everything that Barry writes there is correct. Most plants will grow upright leaves early in the growing season (spring and early summer) and lower lying leaves that are wider later in the summer, the fall and the winter. However, not all plants grow in this way because not all plants have the same genetics. There are several clones that grow low lying leaves year round and there are several that have more upright growth most of the year.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 3:50 am
by dmagnan
I'm just worried that mine isn't getting enough sun, it was inside before, and I'm apprehensive about that. All the leaves lie flat, and a couple even hang over the edges of the pot, I've attached a picture. I'm going to try moving it outside and see if I see any difference. I should probably leave it there either way right? I'll only be able to give it 5 hours of direct sunlight, but that will probably be better than 10-12 of light filtered through double-pane windows at work.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 3:53 am
by dmagnan
By the way, thank you Matt for the red seed-grown flytrap, I planted it, and it lost some of the older leaves, but it's started to resume growth. I'm going to take the same course with the new plant, and move it outside.

Re: suspended leaves vs leaves that lie flat

Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 4:10 am
by Matt
I'd say that your plant is getting good light from looking at the photo you've attached. The traps are large, the leaves aren't too thin and it appears to be quite healthy. But I think moving the plant outside where it can get better light is a good move :)