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Number of leaves?

D

Drew

Guest
I read on some sites that a healthy Venus Flytrap should have 7 to 8 leaves. I just got my first one and it has 9 currently open leaves, and 3 leaves that are growing and havn't opened yet, making it 12 leaves total. Is this to many? Should I cut some off?

Also, I read that if when a flytrap catches an incect, but doesn't get it's leaf fully closed, bacteria gets inside and will kill it. My plant caught a moth, but a couple of the moth's legs got such outside the leaf when the leaves closed together, inabling for the little arm-things on the ouside to fully close together at one spot. Is it really bad if it doesn't get completly closed?

Also, the plant I got came with a clear plastic cup to act as a cover to keep the moister in. Do I really need that on, and if I do for how long each day?

Thanks
 
Keep the lid off. It traps too much heat inside and cooks your plant. Keeping your plant in a dish filled with water 2 inches or less from the top of the plant will do just fine.
 
#1. The more leaves the better. A non-deing VFT has 7-8 leaves, a happy VFT has as many as it can (most of mine have 20+)

#2. All other questions please see Health FAQ (don't worry about the bug, just take special note of "I. Food Rot" should you have a problem.

http://www.petflytrap.com/cgi-bin....;t=2071
 
Okay thanks. The FAQ answered a couple more questions I had.
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But I do have one more question though. Most sites I visited said to keep your venus flytrap outside and in full sun. Unfortunetly, my yard is had chipmonks who immediatly dig up anything I plant, weather it's in the ground or in a pot.
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Currently, I have been keeping my flytrap on my windowsill, which faces west and only gets light half of the day. I also have one of those greenhouse lights which acts as an artificial sun and helps plants grow. Should I:

A: leave it on the windowsill
B: leave it on the windowsill and put the greenhouse light on it for part of the day.
C: keep it outside and risk the chipmonks.
 
No dont cut any off, mine has lots...

mutant.jpg


I think there are 2 plants in there...now repotted into a 5 inch wide/ 6 inch deep pot.
 
Wow, thats huge!
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Whats with that weird looking trap on the bottom right?
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Good god!  NFC, that has got to be the most jam packed pot I've ever seen.  What the heck have you been feeding those things, lol.  And I am also going to have to say that that looks like way more then two crowns, more like 5!  When/Where/How did you get such an awsome pot of plants?  If you got self cloner that robust I am going to be SOOOOO jelious!... wait, I already am, lol
 
The plant originally started life as this...about 8 months ago...it just kinda grew out of control! There are well more than 50 traps in all, I need to find some flies
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venus.jpg
 
  • #10
Wow, it IS a clumping cultivar. Thats so cool. I wish I would luck out and get one some time, but I never do
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Still, congrats on getting such an awsome one
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  • #11
All VFT's clump, it's their nature to reproduce by rhizome division.

Nutrition and lighting plays a large role in this process. Outside my plants feed constantly, most traps are closed with prey. Sometimes the prey is partly outside the traps and they rot, sometimes they don't, but in any event there are so many of them it is not an issue. I generally just let them be, and remove any blackened traps.

I would recommend additional lighting for the Western exposure if you can manage it. These are light loving plants.
 
  • #13
I'm sure they are very happy to have more room.

Tamlin, while all VFTs will clump, some do so at a rather insain rate. It's been linked to sertan tissue culture plants and is a common mutation in tissue culture. Plants with the odd habbit get the title "Clumping Cultivar", even though it isn't just one clone. I'm sure their are plenty of people here who could show you a side by side image of one of their clumpers and one of their "typicals" so you can get an idea of the difference.
 
  • #14
I want a Clumping Cultivar!!!! Mine only get 8 leaves at a time and pretty much no more than that. I want one like newbie-flycatcher has! Oh well lol! My parents are buying me a Chinchilla for the end of school present. I still want one lol!
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PS: Nice Pics newbie-flycatcher! As you can tell I really enjoyed them!
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-Ryan
 
  • #15
Darcie,

You may give these forms the title "Clumping Cultivars", or call them anything you wish, but until they become formally registered with a published description, what you feel is a "clumping cultivar" is only your own opinion.

It would be more accurate to refer to these plants as "varieties" vs "cultivar" since the term "cultivar" is reserved for formally published material. "Dentate", "Red Pirranah" and "Aki Ryu" are examples of cultivars: they have been formally published in accordance with the Rules of International Botanical Nomenclature, and may be legitimately referred to. "Cup Trap" "Creeping Death" "Purple Jaws" "Suzies Giant" and even "Typical" are examples of unregistered varieties: they are whatever anyones opinion cares to make them. Even if they are beautiful, desirable and different, they should not be referred to as "cultivars".

I have had my plants clump like this long before there was TC: its what happens with well grown plants when they are not regularly divided, and has nothing to do with mutation, or cultivar status, for that matter.

If there are actual mutated forms, they have not been published or registered either with the ICPS Registration Authority, or anywhere else that I am aware of.

There are plenty of meaningless, unregistered names floating around pinned to this monotypic species creating nothing but confusion and arguments. There is no need to add more to the list.
 
  • #16
I think we should refer to clumping as a trait, not a variety. My reason? Well, I have a Dente from PFT that clumps like mad. I mean like MAD. I divided it when it went dormant last year, and now, it looks like it has 3 or 4 growth points AGAIN. nice.
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  • #17
I agree, it'd definately be a trait, or at least a feature. But I also agree with Tamlin. It's something that they do naturally if grown the right way. They all possess the trait, but in some it lies dormant more than in others. Be it from chemicals or nutrients. It would certainly be understood though (hopefully), that any VFT with "clumping" anywhere near it's name, would mean that it tends to do it more than the next. Who knows, maybe it's just that plants outlook towards life, survival of the fittest and all.

I just think that the extensions of the names for Dionaea really do need to be cleared up. All of the other genus's have the respect of people saying "nope, that's not the right name"...as far as Dionaea muscipula these days, they're more like a brand name only. Sad.
 
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