FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

uh..
how do i say this
so i left 3 pots of venus flytraps outside on a rooftop garden and left it there was untouched for almost a month. and yesterday (its 1:02am rn) i went to check up on my vfts.
i found 2 plants dead, another one which possibly is suffering from root rot, and a pot full of algae. so i concluded to not leave vfts out in the rain. now i have 1vft left alive.
any tips ( or pictures) on where/how to plant vfts outside without it literally drowning in rain water?
(i cant sleep and i need to stop worrying about it)
any suggestions?
i need to put up and gather info from you guys so i can finally keep a single plant alive.
(i cant get pictures rn im gonna go sleep)

Just a side note:
i’ve read alot of notes about giving vfts bright sunlight but i get mixed answers like:
“give it indirect sunlight. best to put it outside”
or
“give it direct sunlight. best to give it shelter”
so im very confused rn

I'd just grow them in full, direct sunlight.

As for the rain issue, maybe a more porous media would work? Also, if you're using trays, I would ditch them.

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Intheswamp wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 6:53 pm @Wutihbe, you did not see your plants for an entire month? Were the dead ones sitting in water as the one with possible root rot was sitting?

the dead ones were in a separate pot.
i just did not repot them properly and they got
uprooted or something by the rain

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 6:53 pm The pots that they grow in need drain holes. You can use a short tray or saucer under the pot but the depth of tray or saucer. A 6-inch/15cm tall pot would probably call for something like a 1-inch/2.5cm tray or saucer beneath it. A small pot would need a much shorter saucer and likewise a much taller pot could probably handle a more deep saucer.

What size pots are you using and what does your growing medium consist of?

i’d say the pots im using are around 10+ cm with around a 2-3cm saucer?
and the growing medium is just pure sphagnum moss

also all the pots had drain holes

optique wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 5:25 pm I grow mine outside in full sun. My pot is full of half peat half perlite. I have a water trey under the pot, if it rains the trey runs over so the water can only be so deep.

i really just left my vft in a pot and a saucer and placed them on a sunny area on the rooftop garden.

actually to avoid confusion just send a picture of how you plant your vfts. that might help

alright here is the picture of the alive vft

here is the rhizome of the vft.

optique wrote: ↑Tue May 17, 2022 8:58 am

Wutihbe wrote:actually to avoid confusion just send a picture of how you plant your vfts. that might help

so basically you leave it outside but you monitor it.
cool im gonna check on my vft everytime i leave my house

optique wrote: ↑Tue May 17, 2022 8:58 am

also nice vfts. they look epic.

If you're leaving your plants to fend for themselves for a month then you need a much bigger container and ideally an automated watering system of some kind. The greater (and deeper) the soil mass, the longer the plant can go without needing your attention. You should be looking at half whiskey barrel sized containers at least. You can further reduce maintenance by ensuring the plant sits in a tall saucer to act as a water reservoir. Or just make sure the lowest drainage hole is a few inches above the bottom of the pot so water can collect there.

Personally, I grow my plants in ~1-5 gallon containers sitting in ~4" tall saucers to collect water in full sun without any cover. I wish I had more sun honestly.

I think the best case scenario would be to build an ebb and flow watering table so the plants get reliable, thorough moisture every day but are not sitting in stagnant water.