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Flowering

T

The Saint

Guest
Hello,
I have heard from many different sources that it's good and bad to let you flytrap flower.
Mine is growing very well and this is the second time it is flowering, at the moment it's just starting too and I am wondering if I should let it do just that?
What is the general consensus on this?
Thanks for your time.
 
It takes a lot of the plants energy and resources to produce seed. I don't see the harm in allowing them to flower should you want to see the flowers... although not a whole lot to look at with Dionaea. I would deffinately remove the flowers soon after though so the plant doesn't waste energy producing seed that would go to waste.

Tony
 
And if I let it seed, is that a way to make more plants, or is the best way still to split them up?
 
I wouldn't let it flower if it is about to go into dormacy soon, it may take too much out of the plant and kill it in the long run.
 
snip it. don't let the plant waste it's energy.
 
Dividing and leaf cuttings are the best way to replicate your plants. If you let it go to seed, no matter what kind of VFT it is, you will only get common fly trap seed, if the seed produced is even viable. There is no guarantee it wil be any good if it is from a cultivar. I would snip it unless you really have your heart set on seeing the flower, I let mine flower because it makes my fiance happy, but then I cut it off for her. She likes to dry them.
 
I think u should cut it to make the plant extra strong and nicer looking.
 
If it was spring then it might be worth it. If you did want to plant seeds it might be just easier to buy a packet though.
 
I would go with leaf cuttings or buying seeds if you wanted more plants. I am curious aside from getting seeds is there anything else that could be good for the plant?
 
  • #10
So if i have a royal red flytrap lets say, and i let it flower,produce seeds and then plant them, then when they sprout they will be exactly like the wild flytraps? Because i really want a wild flytrap variety- what are the wild flytrap varieties called? Common flytraps? Cause i don't know why but i belive that they would be stronger than the mutated one.
 
  • #11
Well it would be hard to say exactly how the plants would turn out. I would expect they would in general have more color than the typical variety. Also as a general rule in plant breeding.. selfing a plant usually results in offspring being less vigorous than the parent plant.

Tony
 
  • #12
selfing? So plants raised from seed are weaker than there parents?
 
  • #13
oops Selfing is when you self pollinate a plant. Yes as a general rule the resulting offspring are weaker than the parent plant. There are always occasional exceptions though. But this is why it's best to try and cross pollinate plants whenever possible.

Tony
 
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