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Couple of questions

DarkSoul

Mad Scientist
I purchased a couple of small flytraps from home depot yesterday, and want to be able to care for them, so here I am :)

Last week when I saw the plants they all looked amazingly healthy, with nice red lobes, and were very vibrant.
Yesterday they weren't in such great shape, dry soil, lobes all green, closed and sad looking, but I managed to find two that were in decent shape.

I brought them home and gave them some RO/DI water, and fed one of them a bug I found flying around my house. There was only one lobe open on each plant, and the other plants lobe wouldn't close when I tried to feed it.

Both plants have new shoots coming in, but whats the best way to keep them alive long enough to grow these new shoots, and how do I get them to thrive?

How often would one need to feed them? I always have flys getting into my place, I'm kinda hoping the plants, once in full health, will help get rid of random flys that make it in.

anyway they are in small pots now, and I have no idea where to buy sphagnum moss, Ive never been able to find the stuff around here anywhere.

Also Ive read they go dormant during the fall/winter... will this happen when they are kept indoors?

Thanks in advance.
 
hey dude, you can find peat moss everywhere... canadian tire, home depot etc. However, if you want long fiber sphagnum, its an adventure......try heading to sheridan nursaries. they might have some.

that sounds like typical home depot. :p I saw a tray of fully dry and dead vft;s at home depot the other day. :(

most of your questions are answered at "Barry Rice's CP faq" . Google it...u will find the link. There is pages and pages of help for VFT's.
 
I'd keep the pot, open tray method, at a window sill with a screen, for awhile. I would then supplement with artificial lighting. Where do you live? You may live south enough to keep it outside all year long. Don't worry about feeding it. Concentrate on bringing it back to health, from neglect.
 
Heres a couple of pics of the plants.
One thing that worries me, is one of the new shoots that was almost ready to open, died yesterday. It was fine in the morning, and I set it outside to get some sun, and the new leave died. it was all yellow and black as you can see in the pic of the long/tall plant.

It was rather hot and humid yesterday. One of the lobes has started to go red though, after being out in the sun all day.

I think today I will put them on a shelf under fluoroescent lighting.


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They obviously reacted to the sun... too much too fast. Hopefully the plant has enough life in it. At this point just get them in a good spot and conditions and let them get adjusted.
 
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