Question
venus flytrap
Hey
1) I'm not too sure what species it is, I'm very new to carnivorous plants.
2) The problem I have is that there are new leaves growing out but once they are open for a day or two they then slowly start to close up again. I have read multiple forums and havent been able to find an answer. Is it perhaps the lighting?
3) I am growiwng it under 2 cfl which are 14w each and have a kelvin temp of 6500K, using rain water and the soil is peat that the plant was already in when I bought it.
4) I live in Pretoria, South Africa and have done the research to see that the climate here is almost identical to the climate in North Carolina.
I hope you can help!
Kind Regards
Geraldine
AnswerHi Geraldine,
Your plant doesn't look bad or abnormal for a young plant. It probably does need more light, however. Venus Flytraps need about the same amount of sun as vegetable plants, so growing them outdoors it best. (Afterall, your research said your climate is similar to their native habitat.) Just make sure it always has a little tray of water to sit in, and a sunny location. I like to use the rule that wherever you put a Venus Flytrap, you should be able to grow a tomato plant there. If you don't have enough sun for tomatoes, you don't have enough sun for Venus flytraps. For more information on growing flytraps visit our caresheet pages. http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=8 Also take a look at our DVD, "Grow Carnivorous Plants" volume #1. It can help you to avoid the mistakes common to so many new growers.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
