How to care for a Venus with no traps..

How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429129

By MarksMutts -  Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:51 pm
Posts:  6
Joined:  Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:37 pm

- Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:51 pm #429129

My plant has a bad habit of killing its traps after meals.
What started out as a HomeDepot save in September turned out a really cool plant for awhile. I'm afraid now I may lose her with no traps available for feeding. I've tried mealworms and crickets as food. I'm giving her as much light as I can, keeping the room relatively warm during the winter. She gets a good mist and water on regular as needed. She has recommended Carnivorous Plant Potting Soil Mix and was great for a good while.
Once the traps go black, I trim them away. Waiting but the new traps now are not growing fast enough. Worried that winter may be not helping.
Any help or suggestions would be great! Would hate to lose this one...

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429137

By AhmtBgraa -  Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:37 pm
Posts:  43
Joined:  Fri May 06, 2022 2:40 pm

- Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:37 pm #429137

@MarksMutts, I apologize in advance for my bad english. I had to get help from translation apps to make sure I understood things correctly. That's why I can misunderstand some issues and give the wrong answers. Leaves without traps are often caused by insufficient light. When the Venus Flytrap does not get enough light, it aims to get more light and produce energy by producing trapless and wide leaves. So my first piece of advice would be to grow it with an artificial light. When I look at the photos, he also looks a little tired. I think the first reason for this is that you overfeed it.The Venus Flytrap can only achieve a healthy diet when viewed under the right conditions. If he is tired or does not provide the right care conditions, eating something will only cause him to expend extra energy. I should also mention that these plants enter a period of rest in winter, which is called "dormancy". Therefore, it is not very healthy to grow these plants in the winter. A plant that does not rest in winter often falls tired and often goes into an unhealthy, sedentary and lethargic fashion. After all this, it usually ends with the death of the plant. If you don't know about drowsiness, I'd like to leave two links to help you.I assume you know general maintenance information (light, soil and water). But if you don't know about them, this forum has a lot of information. With a little research, you can easily learn the basics. Dormancy;

-venus-flytrap-dormancy-t3142.html

-what-is-dormancy-t36504.html

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429138

By optique -  Mon Jan 23, 2023 10:44 pm
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1543
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Mon Jan 23, 2023 10:44 pm #429138

Fly Traps are plants and do not need to feed by traps at all. The traps are just a way to get fertilizer. They on the other hand need strong lighting equivalent to 6 hours of direct sun a day. I grow mine in the back yard in full sun.

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429139

By Intheswamp -  Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:18 pm
Location:  South Alabama, USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  1710
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:18 pm #429139

But optique, your picture was taken in the summer, wasn't it? It is winter now and the OP is expressing concerns about it being so, which make me think that he/she lives in a cold climate.

Like optique said, the plants don't have to be fed. They can produce food via photosynthesis just as other plants do. The bugs they catch act as fertilizer to them. Feeding too large of a bug or other food, feeding too often, or feeding to too many traps at one time can be counter productive. If you do feed them, the food should not be over 1/3 the size of the trap. Once every week or two is enough. And, feed only one or two traps of plants the size of yours.

During the winter, adult flytraps can go into a dormant or a semi-dormant state as AhmtBgraa mentioned. They definitely don't require feeding during that period and water should be held to a point of only keeping the soil moist...reduced light and cooler temperatures help with the dormancy. But, it is noted that the first year the flytrap can "skip" the dormancy. During this first winter the plant, if not dormant, should be under very good lighting and kept moderately moist...not soggy. Flytraps don't like their growing medium to be soggy like a lot of other carnivorous plants do. Keep it moist and they'll be happy. If you intend to grow them inside you do need good lighting. They grow best if outside, but in warm temperatures. Light, light, and more light...and moist, not soggy, growing medium...and they should do well. This summer, when it's warm and sunny outside put them out in the sun...but until then, they need bright light...windowsill light isn't enough, either. Otherwise, let them experience a semi-dormancy and rest up until spring.

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429151

By steve booth -  Tue Jan 24, 2023 11:55 am
Posts:  1106
Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am

- Tue Jan 24, 2023 11:55 am #429151

Hi Marks Mutts

Your plant is suffering from a lack of light and feeding under sub-optimal conditions. AhmtBgraa's answer is comprehensive and exactly right, follow what he says and you can save it.
It's too late to try dormancy now but the good news is that there is enough new growth coming through for it to survive given more light.
Cheers
Steve

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429173

By MarksMutts -  Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:18 pm
Posts:  6
Joined:  Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:37 pm

- Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:18 pm #429173

The picture was taken yesterday. I live in Southern California.

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:18 pm But optique, your picture was taken in the summer, wasn't it? It is winter now and the OP is expressing concerns about it being so, which make me think that he/she lives in a cold climate.

Like optique said, the plants don't have to be fed. They can produce food via photosynthesis just as other plants do. The bugs they catch act as fertilizer to them. Feeding too large of a bug or other food, feeding too often, or feeding to too many traps at one time can be counter productive. If you do feed them, the food should not be over 1/3 the size of the trap. Once every week or two is enough. And, feed only one or two traps of plants the size of yours.

During the winter, adult flytraps can go into a dormant or a semi-dormant state as AhmtBgraa mentioned. They definitely don't require feeding during that period and water should be held to a point of only keeping the soil moist...reduced light and cooler temperatures help with the dormancy. But, it is noted that the first year the flytrap can "skip" the dormancy. During this first winter the plant, if not dormant, should be under very good lighting and kept moderately moist...not soggy. Flytraps don't like their growing medium to be soggy like a lot of other carnivorous plants do. Keep it moist and they'll be happy. If you intend to grow them inside you do need good lighting. They grow best if outside, but in warm temperatures. Light, light, and more light...and moist, not soggy, growing medium...and they should do well. This summer, when it's warm and sunny outside put them out in the sun...but until then, they need bright light...windowsill light isn't enough, either. Otherwise, let them experience a semi-dormancy and rest up until spring.

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429174

By MarksMutts -  Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:22 pm
Posts:  6
Joined:  Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:37 pm

- Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:22 pm #429174

Thank you everyone for the quick answers!

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429175

By MarksMutts -  Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:29 pm
Posts:  6
Joined:  Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:37 pm

- Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:29 pm #429175

@AhmtBgraa, any recommendations on a light?

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429177

By AhmtBgraa -  Wed Jan 25, 2023 1:09 am
Posts:  43
Joined:  Fri May 06, 2022 2:40 pm

- Wed Jan 25, 2023 1:09 am #429177

@MarksMutts, In fact, the subject of light is very comprehensive and completely up to you. Depending on your financial means, growing area and the importance you give to your plants, it is better for you to choose. I also don't know the state of the American market. So I'm going to leave a link below to help you. If you're wondering what I'm using as artificial light, I'm using the Mars Hydro TS1000. The fact that it is dimmable is one of the biggest features that stand out. If you think about buying this led lamp, remember that I will not hesitate to help you. For comprehensive information about artificial light;

-artificial-lighting.html

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429570

By optique -  Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:55 pm
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1543
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:55 pm #429570

Intheswamp wrote:But optique, your picture was taken in the summer, wasn't it?

Yeah this is now.

But what i was thinking is his plant is so light starved it can not seal correctly so the traps die. I feel it should not be fed at all until it is healthy and the winter time photo really cant show what that looks like.

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Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429588

By Intheswamp -  Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:54 pm
Location:  South Alabama, USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  1710
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:54 pm #429588

Your flytrap looks good, has it grown outside throughout the winter? Looking at data for you location it seems you have nice weather to grow flytraps outdoors with the occasional freeze happening. Do you get a warming effect from the ocean/gulf stream? It looks like we have a harder winter down here in south Alabama than what you get at your higher latitude.

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429596

By optique -  Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:26 pm
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1543
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:26 pm #429596

Yeah i leave them outside. I have a large mountain ranges to my West and North that shield me and provide low TDS tap water.

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#429637

By Intheswamp -  Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:36 pm
Location:  South Alabama, USA - N31°43'59" USDA 8a/b
Posts:  1710
Joined:  Wed May 04, 2022 2:28 pm

- Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:36 pm #429637

Sounds like you've got a great location! Me, I'm down here in the foothills of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Just enough hills not to be able to easily see a tornado coming from a piece off.

Oh, and we sit on a large limestone aquifer...great tasting water but 350ppm range.

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#430757

By MarksMutts -  Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:27 pm
Posts:  6
Joined:  Mon Jan 23, 2023 6:37 pm

- Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:27 pm #430757

Bit of an update for everyone, she's doing fine!

Re: How to care for a Venus with no traps..#430787

By optique -  Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:50 am
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1543
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:50 am #430787

I keep my flytraps outside so i cant confirm but everything i read says letting a light starved flytrap flower is deadly.

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