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Ask questions about how to grow and care for Venus Flytraps

Moderator: Matt

By Venus_Girl
Posts:  15
Joined:  Sun Apr 23, 2017 12:37 am
#312820
Okay so I bought my VFT Arch Angel last March from you guys.

It did great over the summer. In the fall I brought it inside and kept it under a grow light but didn’t really do a full dormancy because I don’t have a light timer etc. So I just had to make due because I was so busy with grad school. As the days got shorter I gave it less light time. And we keep the house at 60 so it was about that temp. And I watered it much less and it seemed to respond accordingly - didn’t need water as much, grew slower, etc. But stayed healthy.

Now, It is growing much more quickly, and I’m lengthening the amount of time each day it gets light (next fall I’ll plan for a full dormancy in the basement with low temps and light timer) So it’s coming out of the semi-dormancy it was in - needing water much more often, growing rapidly etc.

However, I do have some questions..

1) I see a lot of very strange leaves it didn’t grow last summer. Weirdly shaped. What are these? They’re broad and kind of.. I dunno you’ll see them in the pictures.

2) And also it has a stalk. I was not expecting this at all because I bought the like.. seedling version from the store - like the teeny tiny plant that wasn’t supposed to produce a stalk for 2-3 years IIRC? I’m not sure whether to go ahead and cut it or what. I don’t want to weaken my plant and it didn’t get a full dormancy properly, but it seems healthy…

3) Also, I need advice on repotting. It’s still in this tiny thing it came from and it’s probably ready to stretch its roots after a year in there.. but I don’t really want to try to figure out the ratios on my own - is there a proper already mixed set of growing matter that I can just get from here?

Best!
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By FlyTrap Hunter
Posts:  761
Joined:  Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:05 am
#312868
Venus_Girl wrote:Okay so I bought my VFT Arch Angel last March from you guys.

It did great over the summer. In the fall I brought it inside and kept it under a grow light but didn’t really do a full dormancy because I don’t have a light timer etc. So I just had to make due because I was so busy with grad school. As the days got shorter I gave it less light time. And we keep the house at 60 so it was about that temp. And I watered it much less and it seemed to respond accordingly - didn’t need water as much, grew slower, etc. But stayed healthy.

Now, It is growing much more quickly, and I’m lengthening the amount of time each day it gets light (next fall I’ll plan for a full dormancy in the basement with low temps and light timer) So it’s coming out of the semi-dormancy it was in - needing water much more often, growing rapidly etc.

However, I do have some questions..

1) I see a lot of very strange leaves it didn’t grow last summer. Weirdly shaped. What are these? They’re broad and kind of.. I dunno you’ll see them in the pictures.

2) And also it has a stalk. I was not expecting this at all because I bought the like.. seedling version from the store - like the teeny tiny plant that wasn’t supposed to produce a stalk for 2-3 years IIRC? I’m not sure whether to go ahead and cut it or what. I don’t want to weaken my plant and it didn’t get a full dormancy properly, but it seems healthy…

3) Also, I need advice on repotting. It’s still in this tiny thing it came from and it’s probably ready to stretch its roots after a year in there.. but I don’t really want to try to figure out the ratios on my own - is there a proper already mixed set of growing matter that I can just get from here?

Best!
I would ask Matt, the Fly Trap store owner/grower. I would think some kind of chemical did that, possibly a bug. It's been mutated somehow or you have a Fern growing in there.

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By riveraXVX
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am
#312871
that is pretty wild looking, can you tell from looking at the plant if all the deformities are coming from the same rosette? are some of the tips of those crazy leaves traps? i'm not experienced enough with all the bugs or mites or whatnot might cause such growth sorry! pretty crazy looking though. I've seen people say sometimes the first leaves/traps coming out of dormancy might be deformed or weird but that is pretty extreme!
By FlyTrap Hunter
Posts:  761
Joined:  Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:05 am
#312923
Matt wrote:Looks like some sort of physical damage caused to the leaves when they were small. It could be a pest that did it or something else, like a cat or human.
Thanks Matt.
To answer your other question, new Zealand long fiber sphagnum moss is the best way to go because it is ready to go and Fly Traps love it, unless you find some soil mix on the internet. Matt and Leah have the nzlfsm or lfsm. They may have a soil mix also but check out the store under other items. It's in the link with the little FTC cups.
After a closer look, it seems the new growth is healthy looking. I would repot it into new medium and toss out the old. Rinse the roots with rain water or distilled water and repot it. Cut off the flower stem because we already know the plant is struggling.
Send us updates so we care grow with you.Image

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By Venus_Girl
Posts:  15
Joined:  Sun Apr 23, 2017 12:37 am
#313252
It's a growing light as recommended here. It's kept about 2-3 inches from the plant except I had to move it for the pictures. I keep it on (as best I can to match the sunrise and sunset.

The new traps are coming out and do look healthy and I do have a kitten that took an inordinate amount of interest in it some months ago though now she is leaving it alone as she was scolded for going near it!

I ordered some new moss to plant in.

Is it already too late to cut stalk? Looks like it's about to flower. I've heard of planting the stalk and I ordered enough moss to do it - should I try it?

What should I do with the deformed traps? Should I leave them or try to cut them off?
By FlyTrap Hunter
Posts:  761
Joined:  Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:05 am
#313257
Venus_Girl wrote:https://www.amazon.com/Growneer-Gallons ... 2Bpot&th=1

I'm intrigued by this. It's black but it's cloth so the roots can breathe and it's affordable and looks decent sized.

https://www.amazon.com/Depth-Round-Cyli ... 2Bpot&th=1

Also by this which has various sizes. The link is an 8 " one.
I would get regular pots. I think those will be more of a problem. All you need is a 16 oz plastic or foam cup and put a whole in the bottom. I use 8 oz cups to save moss and money. red Solo cups hold up ok

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By xr280xr
Posts:  2807
Joined:  Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:29 pm
#313258
Ah yes...cats and flies must have a common ancestor because they can't stay away either :p. You can cut the flower stalk pretty much any time. I always stick my cut stalks in the soil moss, it's always worth a try. Your stalk might be long enough that you can cut it into a couple 1.5" sections for multiple tries. You could always try the fabric pots, but it might take some experimentation to figure out how to make them work. I've had a fig tree in one for a few years and it's done surpisingly well, but I think it's a pretty drought-tolerant plant unlike a VFT.
By PitBulMom
Posts:  113
Joined:  Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:59 am
#313261
I agree with Fly Trap Hunter, all you need is a couple of LARGE (16 or 20oz,) styrofoam coffee cups. As he said, Red Solo's work too.
I notice that there are 2 stalks, cut them and maybe lay them next to the plants when you repot. You may end up having a pleasant surprise! Also, since there are 2 stalks, you may have more than one plant to repot! I have a hunch there may be a couple of divisions in there! :D

This is just me, but I would leave those deformed leaves, they help the plant process the sunlight, cut them when they die off.

We will check back to see how the repotting goes! ;)

Happy Growing!
By Venus_Girl
Posts:  15
Joined:  Sun Apr 23, 2017 12:37 am
#313612
Okay.. I ordered a small package of the moss from here and a 6X6" plastic orchid pot with holes (ideal to sit in the watering tray I already have).

The stalk has doubled in height, but I haven't cut it yet because the new potting material has not arrived (but has shipped) should be here by mid-week, so I don't have anything to put it in and I don't think it'll fit in this pot with its 'parent' since it's so large. The second small stalk died off very early and before it got any larger.

I am thinking to put the plant and the new stalk in the new growing medium (throwing out the old) and return the stalk to this same VFT cup and the larger plant to its new orchid pot.

Thoughts about this plan?

Also.. how do I go about extracting it from the pot without hurting it? I know the traps are small and delicate and I don't want to disrupt it or the roots when trying to get all the old growing material out.

What's the difference between planting a stalk and planting seeds?
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