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VFT Struggling - Any Idea Where I've Gone Wrong?

  • Thread starter xanaxolotl
  • Start date
Hi guys. I was gifted a Venus fly-trap early last year. For most of its life, it lived outdoors (Melbourne, Australia) but I moved a few months back into an apartment without a balcony or outdoor space. The plant seemed to do fine – better, even, with furious new growth and lush traps – but, having flowered about a month ago, now seems to be struggling (see picture). I’m not an experienced grower so I’m not sure where I’ve gone wrong; perhaps I’m overwatering the plant, or it’s getting too much sun? Aussie summer sun can be real harsh but until now it seems to have flourished under its intense gaze. I’d be grateful for any advice, before the poor blighter kicks the bucket!

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It's crowded, could use a trim and a repot either into a larger pot or multiples if it's fully divided, and honestly looks rather green so I would ask if you found a place with all day sun or if you have it under artificial lighting (which to substitute would need to be really strong), but this is not the "struggling VFT" I was expecting. Flowering does take some energy out of a plant, can kill an unhealthy plant (which is where the myth that flowering is bad for them came up) but appropriate lighting and soil should permit recovery. They can tolerate very, very harsh conditions (over 100 F and 5% humidity here in summer) and require full sun for best health.
One thing I do notice is you did not mention if it's had a proper dormancy. If it's looking bad, and in a way I can't see from the photos, that might be why, but if it's already flowered then not much one can do about that right now since it would not be the appropriate time for dormancy.
 
so I would ask if you found a place with all day sun or if you have it under artificial lighting (which to substitute would need to be really strong), but this is not the "struggling VFT" I was expecting.

Thanks, hcarlton, much appreciated. I've got him positioned in my apartment window - full sun for most of the day. I thought he was struggling because I've never seen so many black traps/leaves outside of the dormancy period he went into last year, but if this looks fairly normal then I'm relieved. Perhaps I'll look into repotting him into something larger.
 
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