What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Trimming last year's pitchers

Question: Should I trim those stubs of last year's pitchers off? They're plainly visible in the picture if you look near the bottom. If it doesn't matter, I'd prefer to trim them because they're kind of unsightly, but as a still-relative-newbie having only been doing this for about 1.5 years now, I'm not sure if it's OK.

 
It's ok, but there's really no point. But if you need to, go ahead. Only thing is is that the base of Sarracenia pitchers are kind of tough to cut off.
 
I have sheers that could trim the main gun off a tank. ;)

Thanks for the reply.
 
it would be a purely cosmetic decision...

their green and healthy so i wouldnt do it personally...
 
I trim all mine off (except the Purpeas) when they go dormant.
 
I let the bases go brown and pull them off in the following Winter when they get wet and flimsy. Trying to cut them close usually results in a sloppy cut that either leaves some frayed leaf on or inadvertently hits living tissue. If you let the leaf base die back first, it comes off nice and clean with just a tug. I like my plants to look neat, too, so I usually trim the leaves down to the narrowest point where it's pretty much just the spine of the leaf and not the blade/phyllodia part. They seem less noticeable that way - on most of my pots that's beneath the level that Sphagnum is growing at, so sometimes it's totally invisible.
~Joe
 
I trim them down to open up that "v-shape" it makes where it attaches to the rhizome. Mealy bugs like to hide in there!
 
Back
Top