FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi everybody! I’m in a small town/city called Saratoga Springs in NY. I venture to the carnivorous plant hobby by way of the arachnid keeping hobby but my original passion was reptiles and amphibians, though mostly snakes. I happened to discover dionaea muscipula cultivars and I was hooked. I convinced the wife to make a wager with me. The terms are, if I can keep a fly trap from the local garden center alive through the winter, I will be likely placing an order in the near future for some other carnivorous plants. I’m psyched about my possible order and have filled several carts from online vendors in anticipation....I’m getting ahead of myself! Anywho, I brought home the healthiest of the shoddy looking fly traps from the garden center last week and it is outside in full sun during the day but I bring it inside to avoid the neighbors’ flood light from disrupting my plant’s photo period. I also repotted it to a 6 inch plastic pot and discovered a division which I planted alongside the bigger one...I think they are both growing! I will have to get a picture up so you guys can scrutinize my setup. Hello again and cheers!

I just timed it and the plant had 5hrs30min of full sun and that is on a July day. Is this enough time? The spot I have it in is one of the hottest spots around our house...

Hi, welcome to the forum!

When I move a Fly Trap around or change its conditions, I judge the effect by looking at the new growth emerging. Older leaves can burn or turn Black when moved to a location of higher light.

I'm guessing your location should be fine. Look for strong healthy growth and a Red coloration in the trap's interior.

That being said, I'm more of a Drosera guy. So this is just my two cents worth. But I do have a number of Fly Traps.

Good growing,
Mike

Thank you for the welcoming! This plant is maybe 3 inches tall and all green. I do see new traps emerging but most have been there since I got the plant on the 11th. I took a picture the day after I got it so I can visually compare as it hopefully grows. Do you let your water trays dry out before refilling? Also, I have been looking at tha various types of CP’s and while I like dionaea and love sarracenia, I would like a drosera capensis to share a particularly sunny window sill with a Sarracenia purpurea purpurea someday. What do you find most appealing about drosera shadowtski?

For me, Drosera embodies the subtle side of carnivory.

Drosera vary in shape and size like a pirate's chest of jewels. Lit from behind they look like literal jewels.

They are slow, lazy, and deadly. And they grow well for me.

Good growing,
Mike

One more quick suggestion. Don't move the flytrap from outside to inside every night. That is stressfull to the plant. Also, the outside light will probably not be strong enough to disrupt the photoperiod. Flytraps look to temperature as well as photoperiod changes for cues to trigger their seasonal behavior.

Just another two cents worth.

Good growing,
Mike

Flowering would be the only thing I can see being affected. Normal growth and activity should be fine.

Perfect, I was wondering about that....what about during a massive thunder/rainstorm? Is there anything I should do or just leave the plant right out in the weather?

As long as your pots are not easy to knock over leave them. They get many storms in their natural habitat. If your soil has pearlite you might lose some but not that big a deal. Many cp's get the occasional flooding and don't mind.

Whiskeycharlie wrote:What about during a massive thunder/rainstorm? Is there anything I should do or just leave the plant right out in the weather?

In Wisconsin we can get crushing thunderstorms with strong winds (and sometimes hail). If you get that kind of summer weather, too, long-fiber sphagnum moss might be your best potting media, at least as a layer on top. As Nightbreed said, a heavy rain can splash the dark brown peat moss mix out of the pot.

Of course, if you're home you can always do the storm dance: as the rain hits, run outside like a crazy person and fold up the chairs and bring in the laundry on the line and lug your plant tray onto the porch.

I am just a little worried about this plant because I’m new to this and at the garden center I got it from, it was pretty much the only surviving dionaea...definitely the only one that could be described as healthy. I’m worried that means it was already struggling and maybe my care won’t be enough. Schmeg, I did the opposite and walked out in the first torrential downpour with my plant to bring it outside for good(until winter). LOL. I think the division got baked in the sun yesterday but the original looks good getting pelted with rain. Right next to my water jugs and funnels trying to collect some rainwater. Thanks for the advice everybody, I think my plant is thanking y’all for it.

Right now, I have my plant in peat moss and pool filter sand(silica). Probably a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio respectively. It has long fiber Sphagnum lining the bottom 1-2” or so of the 6” pot. Sitting in a tray of 1-2” of (rain or purified by distillation)water. No red coloration on the traps yet. Adding pic has been postponed until my children start behaving...lol. Somebody try to push their favorite plant on me. I have no intent on growing nepenthes because I hear sarracenia catch way more bugs. Maybe I need a nepenthes rajah and I’ll let my royal python share her dinner.....seriously, try to convert me to your favorite underappreciated CP! I know I’m missing something(s) here!