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Ask questions about how to grow and care for Venus Flytraps

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By Fieldofscreams
Posts:  1315
Joined:  Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:14 am
#325675
No

Plant doesn't care how it is watered, it doesn't know if the water is coming the from top or bottom, its a plant.
By tommyr
Location: 
Posts:  1748
Joined:  Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:38 am
#325676
Once mine go in the zip lock bags they get no additional water, the pots stay moist until late winter when I take them out.
By AceMan47
Posts:  25
Joined:  Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:38 pm
#325769
I have to bring my plants inside. It is currently 24 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now. They are in a south window in a 65-degree room. The growth has slowed dramatically and the traps are much smaller and closer to the ground. The other plant is going dormant I think but it's just now killing off the big traps. Is the temperature enough? It's right next to the window so it probably more like 59 or 60. I'll bring the plants back outside when the weather gets near tropical again in the summer. I live in Northern Illinois. I tested the traps on both plants to see if they closed and they did. Fast on the one that hasn't entered dormancy quite yet and slower on the one with the small traps. I figured this was a signal if they were dormant or not.
By Kewoo
Posts:  2
Joined:  Mon Dec 03, 2018 8:22 pm
#326028
Hello, first time writing in here.
In short: a week ago I got my first VFT as a present, and of course I read the most I could about them, including half of this forum. However, lacking some practical knowledge I would like to ask questions since it is my first plant.
So, since it was in the shop for who knows how long, I gave it some distilled water and put it in the toilet (for now) since it is not heated and temperature currently is about 15 °C during the day, and maybe 8-10 during the night. Also, there is some light but not much since it is east oriented, and my city doesn't have much sunlight in these months anyway. Also, I wanted to see how the traps work, and do they work so i touched one with a toothpick, and it closed, albeit a bit slower than what I saw on videos. Also, few days later, I counted the traps and another one closed, so I suppose it caught something.

So, could anyone please answer me these questions:
1. Is it a problem if the plant is digesting while I try to put her in dormancy?
2. I have a spot in which temperature is 4-5 C at night, and 10 C max during these winter days, it is also near a northern-side faced window, which would be better, toilet or this place? If I move it, can I do it without any adjustments or should I do it gradually?

https://ibb.co/G0cJpjY

Here's a picture of the plant, does it look healthy?
Thank you all very much.
By SundewWolf
Posts:  2219
Joined:  Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:38 pm
#326035
If the temp really is 5-15*C it should be good for dormancy...almost perfect maybe. The coldest I let mine get in the garage is 0*C (33*F) and beyond that the heating cable turns on to keep it above freezing but still below 10*C (50*F).

There shouldn't be any problems with some "residual" digestion during dormancy, just cut that trap off if it starts turning black and decomposing.

The colder it is the less light they will need. If they are fully dormant they shouldn't need any additional light. Mine have been completely in the dark sitting in the garage for the past 2-3 weeks and will be like that until March.

Looks fine for a dormant plant IMO.
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By Dionaea Masukippa
Location: 
Posts:  56
Joined:  Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:47 pm
#326998
I'm not sure if he's dormant or needs more sun. old growth has died back, new growth has slowed, no longer making traps at the ends of the short fat leaves.
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By Odysseus
Posts:  1
Joined:  Sun Dec 30, 2018 9:53 am
#327310
Dionaea masukippa, not sure what your lighting situation is but that looks like a plant in very low light but you can be certain it is going into dormancy if you see new growth slowing.

Provide the conditions it needs with cooler temperatures, shorter light photo periods and then keep that for a few months and then wake it up.

I think your plant is fine, just maybe a little starved for light and ready to be dormant as it should have been for over a month or so.
By AceMan47
Posts:  25
Joined:  Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:38 pm
#328295
Hi, I’m order to simulate dormancy for my vft, I put it in my garage that is 51 degrees Fahrenheit. I took it from my house which was 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Will that sudden change shock my plant?
By tommyr
Location: 
Posts:  1748
Joined:  Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:38 am
#328296
AceMan47 wrote:Hi, I’m order to simulate dormancy for my vft, I put it in my garage that is 51 degrees Fahrenheit. I took it from my house which was 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Will that sudden change shock my plant?
No.
tommyr liked this
By RhysKi
Posts:  66
Joined:  Thu Sep 14, 2017 12:53 pm
#329243
Hi all,

Quick question: my VFT's are all about 8 months old; I raised them from seeds. However, some are showing signs of Dionaea masukippa's plants in that old growth is definitely dying away and new growth has either slowed or stopped. However, since they are so young I did not lower their temperature or their lighting. Yet, they are also near a large sliding window/door and we recently had that huge cold wave in e/ne USA. Would they be trying to go into dormancy themselves simply because it got slightly colder out/near them, or could it be a different problem?

They were growing with new growth up until it started getting really cold this winter, but I wouldn't think they would try to go into dormancy themselves based on instinct or that slight of change, would they?
User avatar
By Cross
Posts:  1849
Joined:  Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:25 pm
#329265
RhysKi wrote:Hi all,

Quick question: my VFT's are all about 8 months old; I raised them from seeds. However, some are showing signs of Dionaea masukippa's plants in that old growth is definitely dying away and new growth has either slowed or stopped. However, since they are so young I did not lower their temperature or their lighting. Yet, they are also near a large sliding window/door and we recently had that huge cold wave in e/ne USA. Would they be trying to go into dormancy themselves simply because it got slightly colder out/near them, or could it be a different problem?

They were growing with new growth up until it started getting really cold this winter, but I wouldn't think they would try to go into dormancy themselves based on instinct or that slight of change, would they?
You have a picture?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
By RhysKi
Posts:  66
Joined:  Thu Sep 14, 2017 12:53 pm
#329266
Cross wrote:
RhysKi wrote:Hi all,

Quick question: my VFT's are all about 8 months old; I raised them from seeds. However, some are showing signs of Dionaea masukippa's plants in that old growth is definitely dying away and new growth has either slowed or stopped. However, since they are so young I did not lower their temperature or their lighting. Yet, they are also near a large sliding window/door and we recently had that huge cold wave in e/ne USA. Would they be trying to go into dormancy themselves simply because it got slightly colder out/near them, or could it be a different problem?

They were growing with new growth up until it started getting really cold this winter, but I wouldn't think they would try to go into dormancy themselves based on instinct or that slight of change, would they?
You have a picture?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Unfortunately, no. They are so small at this point that my camera doesn't really pick up on them, and the image would be fairly distant. I will try to get a pic of a few clustered together, but it's been difficult. They also ate quite a few aphids earlier in late summer/fall (which I took care of promptly) so perhaps those traps ate so much that they are dying off and the energy was too much spent to create healthy new growth?
User avatar
By Cross
Posts:  1849
Joined:  Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:25 pm
#329267
I haven't grown from seed, but I've got some tiny divisions. They probably didn't need the food yet. How's the soil? How cold is that area that they're in? I doubt they're going into dormancy right now, that seems to be more of a light issue. The cold could be affecting them. The traps shouldn't be dying off yet, I wouldn't think.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
By RhysKi
Posts:  66
Joined:  Thu Sep 14, 2017 12:53 pm
#329279
Cross wrote:I haven't grown from seed, but I've got some tiny divisions. They probably didn't need the food yet. How's the soil? How cold is that area that they're in? I doubt they're going into dormancy right now, that seems to be more of a light issue. The cold could be affecting them. The traps shouldn't be dying off yet, I wouldn't think.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
They are planted in a large, wide tray with glass walls, insulated around the outside where the soil is with cardboard, and a ventilated / half-open top. The medium is 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) deep of 60/40 peat moss and black silica sand with a loose gravel bottom layer. They are "injected" (I simply use a needle-less syringe / eye dropper tool to squeeze water near each plant) about once a week and occasionally top watered with a spray bottle every now and then in between injections. The soil is typically moist and very rarely completely dries out before I water again, but just enough. Temperatures are kept at about 76 - 78 degrees F (approx. 24 - 26 C) when the lights are on, and about 74 - 76 degrees F (approx. 23 - 24 C) at night when the lights are off. They receive 16 hours a day of artificial light from 2 long T8 Full Spectrum FloraMax fluorescent lights that are about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the plants as well as at least a few hours a day of sunlight (as long as it is not terribly cloudy) through the glass door they stand beside. For outdoor temp zone reference, I live in Indiana, USA. Not sure if all that info helps, but I will also attach some pictures soon.

Youre probably right about them feeding, but I could only deal with the pest issue so quickly; and, to be honest, never saw them burst with growth as much as they did then. Thats what makes me contemplate that as a possible culprit as well...
User avatar
By salty
Posts:  198
Joined:  Mon May 17, 2010 11:30 am
#329289
The one thing that stands out that you posted was that they rarely completely dry out. Don’t ever let them dry out. That could be the issue.
They could be picking up cues to go into dormancy by the cooler temps next to the glass and the amount of natural light coming through the slider.
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