Question

Venus Fly Trap   QUESTION: Hi Sarracenia

I really hope you can help...

I've bought my Venus Fly Trap two months ago(winter)in Knysna, South Africa but the nursery didn't look after it well. When I got the plant the soil was dried out. All the leaves were dead except for 2 little leaves.

I gave it lots of water (filtered) although it was winter and I've immediately put it in sunshine for short periods. It started growing with a speed! It is looking very good now but it never was dormant. It's now the beginning of spring and it's busy flowering - The first bud has appeared.

It is still in the pot that I bought it in. I want to transfer it to a larger container as the roots are starting to protrude at the bottom but I've read that you shouldn't replant whilst it is flowering. It is still in the soil that I've bought it in. The supplier of the plant is Hungry Plants, www.hungruplants.com

What should I do, should I replant as the plant hasn't been dormant as yet and it's flowering now? It's the beginning of spring already.

Our temperatures are 10/20 grades celcuis at the moment.

Thank You
Lize


Wild Venus Flytrap   ANSWER: Hi Lize,

Thank-you for sending the photo.  That always helps.

Your plants looks exactly as it should for this time of year (taking into account your season).  What you should do is cut the flower off.  Wait until the plant is another year older before letting it bloom.  This will make the plant put more energy into leaf production.  Also, it needs more sun.  Gradually move the plant to full sun over a week or so.  You may experience some leaf burn, but don't worry about that.  The plant will get past that and begin to look normal as it grows new leaves.  I've included photo of a wild Venus flytrap I took last week while in North Carolina, USA.  They were definitely growing in full sun in their native habitats.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your speedy reply.

My flower stalk is approximately 3cm high. If I snip it off as close as possible to the base will it start growing if I stick the base of the flower stalk in the soil of the same pot? It seems such a pity to waste it.

Answer
Hi Lize,

Sometimes you can get plantlets to strike from the flower stalks, but just putting it in the soil won't do it.  You have to treat it like a leaf cutting which involves putting it in appropriate media in a propagating dome.  We have information in our volume #2 DVD on that process, and many books on carnivorous plants have information on how to do that.  We show sundew leaf cuttings, but the process is the same for flytraps.  (It's a bit beyond the scope of the Allexperts format.)

Also, it's perfectly ok to re-pot your plant now.  If you cut the flower off as recommended it will not put stress on the plant.  It will be far better off not to let it bloom this year.  Early Spring is also the very best time to transplant them.  Flytraps are not the least bit shy about blooming, so you will see it again next season.  For more information on growing Venus flytraps see our caresheet pages:  http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets/venusflytraps  Also consider our volume #1 DVD:  http://www.cobraplant.com/dvd/volume1  It can help you with all the basics, and help you avoid the pitfalls so common to new growers.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com