Question
flytraps
I live in NE Illinois and have two flytraps one is a red dragon and the other was described as a green large trap. As far as I can tell they seem healthy. They get plenty of water (distilled or rain water) direct sun light (6+hrs per day} and were repotted in 1 part peat moss 1 part perlite. Their always growing new traps. This is the second season I've had them. The first season the traps were always open but this year the traps are mostly closed. Sometime they start to open but don't open all the way. Sometimes half of the trap is open and the other half of the same trap is closed and some never seem to open. Is their something I'm doing or not doing? Please let me know. I hope the attached photos will help. We just had a strong rain so they are a bit dirty but well watered. Thank you, Jeff
AnswerHello Jeff-- The Venus Flytrap in your attached photo looks fine and healthy. It is normal for the older leaves, especially those from the previous season (before dormancy) to stop working and either remain closed or "sprung" open.
Venus Flytrap traps are able to open and close because of growth. They open when the cells on the inside of the trap wall grow faster and longer than the cells on the outside surface of the trap. When the trigger hairs inside the trap are tripped, the cells on the outside surface suddenly and astonishingly grow a lot in just a brief instant, causing the outside to be wider than the inside and therefore closing the trap.
After a number of such "growth tricks," the traps have grown the maximum amount they are able, and are no longer able to close, or in some cases, to open again. So it's no problem and it is perfectly natural.
What to look for and observe are the new leaves emerging from the center of the growing rosette. Their traps should grow, open, and close when triggered (hopefully by insects). If that does not happen, then there is probably something else going on. If that is the case, please send me another question, hopefully with an attached photo, and I'll try to help again.
Just for your information, the most common cause of traps becoming non-responsive, other than reaching their limit of growth, is poisoning by water that contains too many mineral salts. But since you use distilled or rain water, that should not be a problem unless the sphagnum moss or perlite you used was Miracle-Gro brand: almost all Miracle-Gro products including their sphagnum peat moss and perlite contain added plant fertilizer that will damage or kill Venus Flytraps and many other carnivorous plants. Miracle-Gro products should be avoided, or at least looked at with suspicion. :-)
For LOTS more information and an active community of Venus Flytrap growers from all over the world, you may wish to consider joining an online forum such as one of the following--
FlytrapCare.com Forum
http://FlytrapCare.com/phpBB3/
CPUK Forum
http://cpukforum.com/
Best wishes,
Steve
