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Carnivorous Plants

New Venus Fly Trap

9 years ago

I bought a venus fly trap about two to three weeks ago. I didn't find out you're supposed to only use distilled water til today. I've been using tap water! Will my venus fly trap die? What does it mean when some of the leaves are red and some are just green? I've been feeding it spiders every few days.

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Comments (11)

tommyr_gw Zone 6
9 years ago
If you keep using tap water it WILL DIE. STOP or kill the plant. Google Venus flytrap care.
izzyizza
Original Author
9 years ago
I've started using filtered water, but will it die because I've BEEN using tap water??
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It looks like a baby seedling. I think one of your mature Venus Flytraps flowered and was pollinated, so it made seed, then a seed fell into the soil and sprouted. Baby plants have mini traps. Another possibility (and maybe more likely) is it's a baby plant that came up from an underground rhizome.
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Hey aashishkabob, Congrats on the new purchase of your new VFT. I read that your plant's traps aren't deep red like the ones' you've seen in books or pictures on-line. Venus' flytraps will only make reddish traps if they are grown under good lighting. Meaning, they will only make healthy, big red traps if you grow them in a sunny location. Good thing you clipped off that flower stalk, Unless you are truly experienced growing these magnificent plants, stay away from allowing it to flower. Venus' flytraps don't die after flowering. as long as they get good lighting, they will grow Healthy. I live in california, i grow my venus' flytraps outside all year round. Some plants i grow them in my windosill. If your plant is not going dormant, it's Ok. most likely it's confused since it has been growing in that plastic container. remove all the coverings around the plant. Any type of Dome, or plastic cover or plastic cup that covered your plant.. it's best to get rid of it. If it came in a small plastic pot, then it will grow fine there. If your plant chooses to keep on growing, don't force it to make it go dormant. just keep on growing it. You may give it a proper dormancy next fall. Dormancy isn't only about temperature, but also about Light. as winter arrives, days become shorter and colder. flytraps rely on sunlight in order for them to grow properly. If you don't have a proper place to grow your plants outside, You may grow your VFT in a sunny windowsill. If a sunny windosill is not available, You may grow your plant under flourecent lights. a 40 Watt lightbulb is sufficient. My plants usually get 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight during the growing season(february through october) Or if they are grown under lights, they will need about 16 hours of artificial lighting daily during the growing season. To water your plant is easily, Simply fill in a small type of shallow saucer with Purified water only, then after filling the saucer with water, slowly summerge your plant's pot into the water. this way, its soil will always be moisten at all times. Here's an example how i water my VFTs, i fill in purified water into the saucer, then i summerge its pot into the water to keep its soil always moisten during the growing season. Never allow its soil to dry out: Venus' flytraps Prefer Being watered with Purified water, reverse osmosis water, rain or clean water. No tap water. VFTs prefer medias/soils such as: *sphagnum Peatmoss mixed with perlite. *long fibered sphagnum moss *sphagnum Peat moss alone. No regular potting soil for these plants. as regular potting soil contains hidden fertilizers and are much mor suitable for regular house plants. venus' flytraps aren't compatible with fertilizers. their roots burn easily. Make sure to provide good lighting for your plant. Always keep its Soil moisten at all times. This is a picture of my flytraps that i grow outside. I allow them to flower every season. they get about 4 to 6 hours of full sunlight during the growing season.
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Hi - You came to the right place! 1. Your plant may not go dormant this winter. Don't worry about it. 2. Keep it very wet and use distilled water or rain water only. Do not use spring or tap water. The plants can't handle the minerals. 3. Very bright light is optimal. Just make sure it isn't going to get real hot where you put it. 4. Do not put it in a terrarium, make sure it has air flow around it. 5. You don't need to feed it. They can survive a long time without bugs and it is probably stressed right now and the trap would just die anyway. It will catch bugs on its own in the Spring. These plants grow in bogs, which means they stay very wet, have plenty of fresh air and full sun (trees can't grow in bogs). Since you're in Colorado, a south facing window would work fine... lots of sun! Have fun!
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It just mean that your plant is vegetatively reproducing, it can happen anytime during its growing period. When that happens, I usually leave it there. The tiny plants are so small, they can easily die when their roots are damage. I do separate them during mid summer.
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tommyr_gw Zone 6
9 years ago
Filtered water is also NOT GOOD. How is it filtered? Rain water or distilled water only.
izzyizza
Original Author
9 years ago
Sorry, I meant distilled. But will it die still because I have been using the wrong water for the last three weeks?? Or do you think it'll flush out the minerals if I keep watering it with the distilled water?
tommyr_gw Zone 6
9 years ago
Top water for a while and maybe the bad water will flush out.
sunnyvalley
9 years ago
Tap water is indeed very bad for the plant but no, having tap watered it in the past doesn't mean all is lost!

I bought a venus flytrap, read the instructions, said "Pft, that doesn't apply to me," watered it with tap water and slowly killed it over the course of a few months, down to the point where it had only one pathetic, dying stump of a leaf. I repotted and started caring for it properly, and it quickly started growing new healthy leaves. Your plant isn't nearly that damaged yet, so this will be an easy fix.

Here's what I did, and recommend you do:
Upend the pot and remove the plant. There's not much you can do to avoid triggering traps, so don't worry about it. Carefully brush off the rhizome and roots, cleaning off as much of the old soil as you can. Swish the roots around in a cup of (DISTILLED) water to rinse them off.
Make a new mixture of 50/50 perlite and peat moss, and absolutely nothing else. Never use any dirt or potting soil. (It's ok to reuse the pot it came in, just brush out all the old soil). Spritz/sprinkle the mixture with (DISTILLED) water while filling the pot to help get it moistened throughout. Replant your VF with the rhizomes just below the soil line and water (DISTILLED) thoroughly.

I can't stress enough that all water you use on your VF from now on must be pure distilled - not purified/spring/enriched/filtered water. (I once accidentally spilled a tiny amount of tap water into my gallon jug of distilled water, and that made my VF start dying again! It's that sensitive.)

As a final note, it sounds like you're feeding it too much, which I've read could also harm the plant, so I think you should stop for a while. Besides, you might be surprised at what it catches on its own!

Good luck!
izzyizza
Original Author
9 years ago
So helpful! Thanks so much!

You're right, I think I am feeding it too much, one of the traps turned black after I fed it a big spider! I had a surplus of spiders after my husband brought up a bike that had been in a shed over the winter and there were all these spiders in it. I figured they might as well be turned into food!

Besides the one trap turning black, it's looking good. Nothing else dying. I am worried it doesn't get enough light though, despite putting it out on our balcony. I think I should resign myself to the fact that our apartment just doesn't get enough light and I can't have plants that require lots of sunlight :-(
tommyr_gw Zone 6
9 years ago
Feeding a VFT is not necessary. Most of their energy is received by Sunlight. Bugs are like fertilizer. If the plant is outside where it belongs it'll get it's own insects easily.
sunnyvalley
9 years ago
If you're concerned it's not getting enough light, you could give it some artificial too. Real sunlight's always better of course, but we don't all have the perfect windows for it! I keep mine under a desk lamp with a regular CFL lightbulb (the old fashioned kind won't work) and it does okay with barely any help from the sun. :)
cooperdr_gw
9 years ago
I think there's some tap water that might be okay. I could be wrong but apparently it does vary somewhat from city to city.
tommyr_gw Zone 6
9 years ago
You would have to buy (around $15 online) a TDS meter to know for sure.

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