FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello, I'm new to the venus flytrap and did all my homework on them, determined that I would not have the same problems that other first timers have, but to no avail, I cannot get my plant to flourish. I have had my flytrap outdoors in the Texas sun for 2 months, and still every trap gets burned before it finishes developing. I kept saying the next one would adapt to the sun and be fine, but it is happening over and over again and I cant figure out what is wrong. I have the plant sitting in a dish that I water every day with distilled water. The water is very low level and not enough to drown the roots, it is also dry by the next day, so root rot does not appear to be an issue. The plant is also in shade during the hottest part of the day and gets 4 hours of sun. I would like to give it more sun, but it just will not adapt to it. What could be the problem? I though VFT's loved sun, but mine sure doesnt.

Could it be that your potting mix contains builtup salts or fertilisers? Or is your soil becoming overheated by the Texan sun?? If you are 100% sure that your soil is OK, I'd possibly look at double potting your plant to try and keep the root zone cooler and possibly keep it out of the hot afternoon sun until it recovers.

I agree with Linton's guesses and I don't have anything else to add other than to welcome you to the site

Thanks guys. I pretty much figured it was the heat, but everything I have read just recommends giving it the most sun possible. I dont think they have lived in Texas I guess, lol. There isn't a whole lot of information out there regarding the best growing conditions for VFT's in North Texas where the temperatures are pretty radical. We freeze in the winter, get tons of rain in the spring, then it gets exhaustingly humid followed by the blazing dry heat of late summer, so I'm trying to figure out the best method as I go. I guess since I live in an apartment that faces the west, that the late day sun is just too much for it outside. I am going to bring it indoors to a west facing sunny window that gets filtered a little by a screen and see if it does better. My only worry now is my cats messing with it.

What kind of pot are you using? If you don't have one already, I'd recommend something that's light in color (preferably white) and insulated. Insulated foam beverage cups make great pots and they're inexpensive. You can get a 20 pack of 16 ounce insulated foam beverage cups for $1 at the dollar store.

Or you can just paint your pot white

it wouldn't be insulated like a foam cup if you just painted it

IXXIAN wrote:it wouldn't be insulated like a foam cup if you just painted it

Nope. But it would be white.

i currently have it in the dark green plastic pot that it came in which was probably heating the soil up a bit too much. honestly, i would like to transplant to a light colored pot, but figured it has been through so much already that i didnt want to risk stressing it out more. i think it will do fine in the window its in now since the windowscreen is filtering out some of those intense rays of sunlight we get here. i think ill just wait until after dormancy to switch to another pot and try it outdoors again next year where it can get a good head start in the spring.

hempnut wrote:honestly, i would like to transplant to a light colored pot, but figured it has been through so much already that i didnt want to risk stressing it out more.

Transplanting flytraps, especially this time of year if done properly, doesn't really stress much at all. I've repotted some plants recently and they didn't even really break their growing stride.

Burned traps? never heard of it. My flytraps get 9-10 hours of hot direct sun and they dont seem to mind.

I live near Dallas, TX and the ONLY flytrap that I have been able to get to do well outside is the FTS Maroon Monster, and it still gets burned traps. I've tried styrofoam cups, FTS white plastic pots, large ceramic glazed pots (Light colors, like yellow and pea green), green plastic, african violet pots even a plastic half whiskey barrel.

I just don't think they can take the North Texas lack of humidity and very high heat. Not to mention the weird fluctuations in winter time. If you want to keep a flytrap outside here I suggest the Maroon Monster from the FTS, it will grow ok, but won't get the huge size. I've also tried various substrate mixes, with sand, with pearlite, with both, and just plain peat. I only water with distilled water.

I got a greenhouse for my birthday this year and just got it put together a week ago and already my traps look better in it. Although I am leaving the roof and door open so it doesn't go over 120 degrees inside.

Have you tried using a shade cloth?

I also live in Texas albeit down in the San Antonio area and we have much higher humidity levels than does Dallas. I have found that growing my flytraps in 100% LFSM as compared to a peat/sand/perlite mixture yields much better results especially in the unforgiving Texas summer heat. I suppose the LFSM retains water much better and keeps the plants hydrated more efficiently. When I used a peat mix it would always dry out incredibly fast even when in water. Just a suggestion.

Actually I have used a shade cloth, it helps a bit, but they still don't really flourish. Doing the greenhouse thing now, so we will see how that goes. I will put them back outside in the fall/spring and keep them in the greenhouse during the summer/winter, I guess, or should I just keep them in the green house year round?