Venus flytrap

[horticulturist]

I have Venus Flytrap (no pictures) that looks just like a common/typical one but the inside of the traps are green instead of pinkish. Is that just when a plant is young or is it a different species? Any ideas?

 

[wickedthistle]

Hi horticulturist,

Welcome to the forums! Your plant could be an all-green variety, but more likely it receives less light than some of the other plants that other people grow. Could you give us a description of what direction window you have, if it's outside, or under growlights?

Mine are inside, northern window, indirect light all day. They don't get a pinkish color unless they get direct light during the summer months.

 

[uglypho]

Hhhhmmmm... It could be a typical that has been deprived of sunlight.

 

[horticulturist]

The light comes from a skylight. It gets 2-4 hours of indirect sunlight a day. It also gets 2-3 bugs a month.

 

[pond boy]

Definately insufficient light vfts preffer high light levels.

 

[horticulturist]

Okay, so I need to give it more light. But I found two more things: 1. the leaves are twice as wide as the traps. I see pictures where the leaves are really small like a toothpick. 2. the traps only barely open no matter how long I leave it. I only feed it small knats because I can't find any flys. Is that a problem? Can you help me find out what to do?

 

[BobZ]

To repeat: Give it more light. Wide petioles and small traps often result from insufficient light. Perhaps the plant is trying to produce more surface area for photosynthesis.

 

[Darcie]

It also sounds dorment. It should wake up when you increase the light.

 

[horticulturist]

I have another problem. The traps will not close no matter what. The leaves are also turning brown in places, and a hole rotted in one trap and the spider it had in it for 15 days fell out through the hole. Is that normal, because it is just sending a flower stalk up? It hasn't bloomed yet but it just has green buds.

 

[droseradude]

that is because it is dormant.

 

[PlantAKiss]

I am moving this topic over to the Flytrap forum. This isn't really about ID'ing a plant. And you might get more help there than here.

***POOF***

PAK

 

[vft guy in SJ]

Cut the flower stalk at the base of the plant immediately. It sounds as if your plant is not growing in optimum conditions and flowering is extremely stressfull for VFTs. If it sends up another flower stalk, clip that one too. If its possible where you live, find a spot outside that receives at least 8 hours of sunlight per day and move it there.

For more info on cultivating VFTs, check out the FAQ pages located here: http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

Good luck with your plant
Steve

 

[Electric Carnivores]

I would say its typical form if you gave it more light im sure it would start showing Pinkish red color to the inside of the traps good luck!

(( :: EC :)

 

[fre8train]

so they send up a flower stalk when they are still dorment

 

[vft guy in SJ]

Quote[/b] (fre8train @ Feb. 24 2004,18:50)]so they send up a flower stalk when they are still dorment

No, but often its the first thing they do when they "wake up".


Steve

 

[horticulturist]

It skipped dormancy this year because I didn't know, and this is it's first year alive that I know of. And for the leaves that are turning brown, would it be OK to gently pull them off and use them for propagation? And something else, this is off-topic but where can I get a copy of the Savage Garden? I don't have it and have never read it.

 

[Darcie]

Amazon.com sells it... You may have skipped dormencey, but your plant oviously didn't lol. Uh, I wouldn't remove any live tissue, but you can remove the dead parts.