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Ask questions about how to grow and care for Venus Flytraps

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By jenis
Posts:  43
Joined:  Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
#31710
I forgot to ask there other day. Should I wait to repot untill the spring?
I haven't found a cute pot yet, but I don't want him to be unhappy over the winter. Some of the roots are comming out the bottom. I'll add photos.
Thanks :)

Image

Image
By dionaea muscipula
Posts:  1956
Joined:  Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:13 am
#31712
hi Jenis! just get some scissors and get it out of that cylinder of death, and those are not roots your plant is OK you dont need to repot ;)
By Veronis
Posts:  2202
Joined:  Fri May 29, 2009 8:41 pm
#31713
That's a nice little plant. :) Looks very healthy. Actually, it looks like you have 2 or 3 flytraps in there. I think I see more than one growth point.

No, don't repot now. Repot in Spring into a new medium (if you get a new pot, plastic or the like only - ceramic leeches minerals into the soil that can harm your plant - frankly the pot it came in is perfect).

Those aren't roots coming out of the bottom - it's long-fibered sphagnum (which is currently its soil medium). When you repot you can use 50/50 peat/perlite or something similar.

Take off that plastic thing. Most common misconception about flytraps is that they need humidity - people grow them fine outdoors in Arizona and New Mexico, where humidity is often under 20%.

Put the plastic pot in a real water tray (I've attached an example) about 1" deep.

Use distilled, RO, or rain water to water it - and only water the tray when the tray dries up completely (but don't let the soil dry out). Overwatering is bad (leads to root rot), especially since it's living in long-fibered sphagnum which retains water like crazy.

What kind of light does it get?

It also needs to go dormant for winter. Do you have a plan for dormancy yet?
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By jenis
Posts:  43
Joined:  Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
#31714
Thank yas! I'll toss that to the recycle bin right away! It just pops right open.
It gets a lot of sun, not direct, but it's very bright all day, prolly till around 5 pm-ish.
There isn't really much I can do for dormancy. I have no basement or garage.. or outdoor space of my own. The best I can do is have it close to a cool window. We don't use the kitchen heater tough so I hope it'll be alright.
I thought he looked nice :) Sobey's usually marks their plants down 50% a few weeks after they get them. If there are any later on I'll have to get more.
Yours is beautifull!
By lemonlily
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#31724
Your plants are really healthy! If you think you need more room, you can repot it in peat moss. Otherwise, the soil doesn't seem to be a problem.

If you don't know why I said that, it's because sometimes plants die because of the soil. Or improper care from the shop. Aha! My first died for some odd reason... But anyways.
By dionaea muscipula
Posts:  1956
Joined:  Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:13 am
#31736
jenis wrote:It gets a lot of sun, not direct,
Not good, VFT should get 6+ hrs of directs sun
By jenis
Posts:  43
Joined:  Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
#31762
Thanks for all the help! You guys and gals are great!
I wish I had a better place to put it. Our bedroom doesn't get hardly any light because my boyfriend works night shift and that's the only window pointing in a different direction then the kitchen and living. Apartment living has it's good things and it's bad things.
Is there an easy way to figure out what way it's facing? I don't have a compass!
I forgot to ask, Veronis, a plastic pot is best? There were a couple of cute matalic looking ones at the superstore, but I never by plastic so I didn't give them a second look. Guess I will next time i'm over :P
Is anyone else having trouble finding pots with holes in the bottom!?
By Veronis
Posts:  2202
Joined:  Fri May 29, 2009 8:41 pm
#31785
Plant Nurseries have good plastic pots, as do Lowe's and Home Depot. Even Wal Mart has plastic pots.

Sun rises in the East.

Metallic pots aren't recommended for CP's for the same reasons ceramic ones aren't.

Stick with plastic. We all use em - some of us even use styrofoam drink cups. ;)
By jenis
Posts:  43
Joined:  Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
#31803
Thanks!
looks like my kitchen window is to the north or north-west :(
The pots i'm talking about are plastic, the paint on the outside is metallic/shinny like. I may just get a regular ugly plastic one and set it down in a pretty one.
Thanks agian for all the help!
By lemonlily
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#31812
If you want to make yourself a big "pot" you can eat icecream from the bucket, clean it out, drill holes in it, and plant your plant there!
By jenis
Posts:  43
Joined:  Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
#31823
Thanks for the idea!

Another question, I put in on a plate of water. It was already pretty damp but it soaked up almost all of if in a matter of hours. It may be too wet now. Should I let it dry out for a few days before filling the tray agian?
By lemonlily
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#31871
Let it dry for a few days, actually. Right now, your plant will be starting to go dormant. The soil does not need to be very wet. And too much water can cause mushrooms to grow on the soil! The mold kind of mushroom.
By jenis
Posts:  43
Joined:  Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
#31901
Okies, thanks :)
By lemonlily
Posts:  3168
Joined:  Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:54 pm
#31971
You're welcome!

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