Question
My Dionaea
Greetings!
I live in Hungary (middle-Europe), and I'm succesfully growing several carnivorous plants. This year I noticed brown areas on the sides of my Flytrap's leaves (not that kind of black spots when the leaf is naturally drying). I've been informed at a local nursery that this may be some kind of inner fungus and I should sprinkle the plant with absorbing fungicide (alfa solo, amistar or quadris max). Have you ever got this problem with your Dionaea? What do you suggest me to do?
Anyway, I'm keeping my plants outdoors (except winters, those are too cold here), they get plenty of sunlight and I keep them in a pool of water all the time, except when the sun is drying out the pool.
Thank you for your reply and help!
Steven
AnswerHi Steven,
Thank-you for sending a photo. That always helps. I've seen this many times. It's not fungus. What you're seeing is older traps getting some leaf burn, because they were previously in low-light and probably excess humidity also. Did you buy your plant from a store where they had them packaged in little cups or cubes?
All you need to do is cut off leaves that are doing this. Keep your plant in full sun. New foliage that grows out will be stockier, darker and have richer colors. The inside of Venus Flytrap traps should be very red. This is often the point where a new flytrap owner gets scared, and moves their plant back to shady conditions. Don't do it. Give it time and you'll be rewarded with a strong, healthy plant.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
