Twisting Traps

[dave2150]

I got my 1st Vft one year ago, and occasionly it sent up a leaf with a trap which has sticking out of the leaf (its normally tucked in the leaf). I thought it was just my Vft doing something strange, until i recieved a S.West Giant and a Royal Red on saturday. The S.w.Giant has normal leaves, but it too was sending up a leaf with a trap sticking out of the leaf insead of being tucked up in the leaf, so i know it is not doing this because of the growing conditions i'm giving it. Anyone else have this problem ? Any way to stop it happening, or is it just a natural thing ?

 

[larry]

My common vft was doing that, but after having grown a few new traps, its growing normally again.

 

[Oli G]

My common vft leaves and traps are doing loop-the-loops, some of them 540 degrees :cheesy:

The curliness seems to have increased since repotting the vft a week ago.

 

[dave2150]

540° turns in the trap ? Thats madness! Mine are doing 90° turns, thats all thankgod

 

[Oli G]

540 degrees in the leaves, with the trap upside-down on the end.

The bulk of the leaf tends to be upside-down (which can't help the plants light absorption) and resting on the soil

 

[dave2150]

If this happens to every leaf on your plant then there is something very wrong with it.

 

[Oli G]

It has only happened to the mature leaves that were on the plant (about 4 or so) before I repotted it, they are still healthy and green and the traps are nice and red, but they just seem to be twisting around.

The new and already developing leaves have come out straight, so the curling may be the plants reaction to the repotting...

Either way I think it is an induced trait, rather than one which will stay long-term with the plant.

 

[Alvin Meister]

Dave, my South West Giant also sent up two traps which were tucked underneath and have swung round to open at 90 degrees. Now it's decided to grow more upright leaves but with traps that don't look anything spectacular in size. I'm not going to feed it to see if it will open some giant traps later on.