Rescued VFT seems in good health, but soil is slimy

[Turtlekit]

I picked up this young venus flytrap from the garden store, in quite bad health, a while ago. It's just come out of its dormancy and has healthy new growth and seems to be doing quite well, but I am concerned because the dirt it came in appears slimy and is green. Does anyone know why the dirt is like that, and if I should repot the plant? Additionally, if I do need to repot the plant, how should I go about doing so? This is my first VFT, so I havent had experience repotting them before.

 

[Grey Moss]

That is slime mold or algae. Its can be common in wet conditions. I haven't found it to harm any of the plants it shows up on in my collection but if you want to get rid of it you can scoop and replace the top layer of peat or put down a dressing of something like sand. Are you located in the southern hemisphere?

 

[Turtlekit]

Thank you for responding! If it does not harm the plant any, then I think I'll just leave it. I do not live in the southern hemisphere but I live in Florida so it's still a pretty wet area!

 

[Smooter80]

Mineral build up in the media will encourage algae growth. Top watering several times to flush the media should help. Also letting the surface dry isn't a bad thing.

 

[Turtlekit]

Alright, thank you for the info! I have been watering mine with the tray system and without top watering, so I will top water it tomorrow morning in order to flush the media.

 

[Seymour]

I usually scrape the slimy crap off with a spoon. A top dressing of live sphagnum will help any cp. It provides antifungal properties and keeps plants humid. Live spgagnum is also a great indicator for moisture and light conditions. And it looks great too.

Sent from my S7 Edge via Tapatalk

 

[Turtlekit]

I usually scrape the slimy crap off with a spoon. A top dressing of live sphagnum will help any cp. It provides antifungal properties and keeps plants humid. Live spgagnum is also a great indicator for moisture and light conditions. And it looks great too.

Sent from my S7 Edge via Tapatalk

Alright, thanks! If I can get my hands on some sphagnum, then I will give it and the other plants a top dressing. Hopefully I will be able to make some orders soon, I plan to purchase some sundews and additional pots as well when I have the chance.