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Damaged Venus Flytrap

Acro

Acro

Yesterday I received a Venus Flytrap in the mail. It arrived a bit beat up. Besides proper light, and sitting in a water filled tray, is there anything I can do to help this plant? Should I attempt to feed it's only open trap? I haven't had a VFT in many years (and when I did, I didn't know how to properly care for it) and I just want it to do well. I've grown neps, sundews, pings, and bladderworts with success. I'm hoping to do the same with this flytrap.

I would also like to repot the VFT, should I do it now, or should I wait for it to settle in?

Here are some photos so you know what I'm working with. I removed the remaining bit of flower spike after photos were taken. Should I remove the browning leaf?

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If your fly trap is outside, it will probably feed itself if that trap is functioning. I've let dying leaves stay on the plant before and seems to have no ill effect. If you still have that flower stalk, you could place in some media and it will grow into a new plant. I hope that helps.
 
I would write the person you bought it from and ask about the conditions it was in, then try to match that. I wouldn't want to further stress it by changing the conditions drastically all of the sudden. Under similar conditions I would think it will pop back just fine, once it gets 4 or 5 traps total I would consider it plenty healthy to repot. I wouldn't worry about cutting off the browning leaf since there is still some green on it for it to photosynthesize, unless you're planning on putting it in a bag or something for some reason then just watch it for mold growth (I don't advise putting it in a bag though).
I wouldn't expect it to have a problem recovering.
Andrew
 
curtisconners said:
If your fly trap is outside, it will probably feed itself if that trap is functioning. I've let dying leaves stay on the plant before and seems to have no ill effect. If you still have that flower stalk, you could place in some media and it will grow into a new plant. I hope that helps.
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It will be grown indoors and I'd love to feed it! Since I have a variety of reptiles and fish I always have some live or dead feeders of different sorts.
Ahh, I forgot all about growing plantlets off of the stalk! I just tossed it and the other pieces out of the window yesterday! It's been humid over here . . . if I can find it, it might still be in good shape. That's a great thought!

adnedarn said:
I would write the person you bought it from and ask about the conditions it was in, then try to match that. I wouldn't want to further stress it by changing the conditions drastically all of the sudden. Under similar conditions I would think it will pop back just fine, once it gets 4 or 5 traps total I would consider it plenty healthy to repot. I wouldn't worry about cutting off the browning leaf since there is still some green on it for it to photosynthesize, unless you're planning on putting it in a bag or something for some reason then just watch it for mold growth (I don't advise putting it in a bag though).
I wouldn't expect it to have a problem recovering.
Andrew
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Great ideas! I will find out it's past growing conditions were. I'll wait to repot it once I know it's recovered a bit. And I'll leave the leaf, to help it gather light.

Thanks for the replies you two! I just really want this plant to do well! :D
 
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Same here, good luck with your plant.
 
Humidity so if it was kept really high you can bring it down and light so you know what intensity to start at. You don't want to burn it, but for best growth you'll want to give it as much as it can take and work up slowly from there. Water level isn't important, you know how to water a cp, and I don't think temp is too important either since the plant isn't in dormant growth.
Andrew
 
curtisconners said:
Same here, good luck with your plant.
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Thanks!

adnedarn said:
Humidity so if it was kept really high you can bring it down and light so you know what intensity to start at. You don't want to burn it, but for best growth you'll want to give it as much as it can take and work up slowly from there. Water level isn't important, you know how to water a cp, and I don't think temp is too important either since the plant isn't in dormant growth.
Andrew
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I've found out that the plant was kept outdoors in full sun, totally opposite of how I have it setup now (indoors, under lights). Any idea how to smooth the transition? It's like hardening off a plant, but backwards!
 
You want to keep it indoors? That's not ideal, vets like LIGHT! I guess if you want to, just put it under the most/closest you can.
 
  • #10
thats a really sorry specimen, and I personally wouldn't do business with a person that sends a plant in that shape. However these plants are super tough, and with proper conditions I will spring back nicely. You made the right move by snipping the stalk. I wouldn't put it in direct sun and heat outside just yet, however. I would wait a few weaks until you see new growth and then throw that sucker oudoors.
 
  • #11
I'm sure it looked better before it was shipped out. Things happen in the mail.
Growing it outdoors is not really an option for my situation, I'm going to do my best growing it as an indoor plant. Many others have done it with success and I hope to follow.
 
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  • #12
It will bounce back. VTF are very hardy.

I threw mine outside a few weeks back. They burned from the sun because I didnt temper them. Then temps were consistently in the 28-40 range, with high 20's at night and STRONG winds, I still decided to leave them out to see if they could take it, as I have a couple divisions inside as well. Most of the traps that are on them burned, froze, and died, but sure enough, I saw new growth the other day, even a flower stalk.
 
  • #13
Hey, there's hope for my vft's that I moronically left outside in a hard freeze. WOO!!!
 
  • #14
Last night I was able to find one piece (there were three) of the flower stalk that I threw out of the window. I fresh cut the bottom end and placed it in the substrate with the VFT. It's not the biggest piece, but hopefully it will give me some plantlets!

As for the single open trap, I tried feeding it a silverfish (nasty things) that I found, but it wouldn't feed. I even stroked the trigger hairs myself, but nothing. Hopefully I will have more hungry traps growing soon.

Thanks everyone, for all the thoughts and replies!
 
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  • #15
Here is an update:

I put some living moss over the substrate, it grows in my other CP pots. I made sure that it did not touch the base of the VFT. This was just for looks, it was not meant to help the VFT, nor should it harm it (but if it could, please let me know).

As for the plant, only one leaf is alive, but it is not doing well.
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Here you can clearly see the piece of flower stalk that I retrieved, it does not look its going to produce any plantlets.
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So is there anything I can do to help this plant? If it can still bounce back, when might I expect to see new growth?
 
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  • #16
When a VFT is not actively growing and is inside, l would not leave it constantly in standing water. I suggest letting the soil surface get almosy dry before watering again. Don't let the soil dry out thought.

Flower stalks can take a month or longer to show new growth so don't give up on it just yet. Leave it alone and no peeking.
 
  • #17
Been years since I last had a vft. Is it not possible to grow plantlets from leaf cuttings?
 
  • #18
The way I understand it, in tissue culture, yes. In less sterile methods, there has to be a piece of the rizome, these are called leaf pullings. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
  • #19
In the horticultural world they are correctly called leaf cuttings. Leaf pullings is a term for people who do not know better and children.:-D
 
  • #20
curtisconners said:
The way I understand it, in tissue culture, yes. In less sterile methods, there has to be a piece of the rizome, these are called leaf pullings. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Might have just been a typo, but in case not, just a minor FYI spelling correction -- "rhizome". One of those weird words with a sneaky silent "h". ;)

fredg said:
In the horticultural world they are correctly called leaf cuttings. Leaf pullings is a term for people who do not know better and children.:-D
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Behave, Fred. :nono: Or I'll tell Mrs. G. you're teasing the young'uns again. :slap:
 
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