Venus Fly Trap

[MySweetChickens]

@dheltzel will it be ok since I already gave it 3 bugs (I didn't know it should only have one at a time) and what if they catch some while outside I wont feed it anything during dormancy and I read during dormancy water should be decreased is this true?

 

[dheltzel]

@dheltzel will it be ok since I already gave it 3 bugs (I didn't know it should only have one at a time) and what if they catch some while outside I wont feed it anything during dormancy and I read during dormancy water should be decreased is this true?

It won't die if you overfeed it, though the traps at the end of the leaves will often stop working, indicating it's not wanting more food. The traps are photosynthetic, being part of the leaf and when the plant is "full", they go green instead of read and mostly stop closing when touched. Assuming the whole point of having one is to watch it perform, keeping it a bit hungry will improve the show without hurting the plant at all.

When dormant, the roots all die, so they can go somewhat drier, but keep them moist and cool until you are ready to grow them again, then flood them and move them to a warm, sunny window. The leaves and roots dying is part of a natural cycle, like tulips, they will not bloom well if they don't go dormant, but will still survive if they don't go all the way dormant.

I always kept mine outside and let them fend for themselves with regard to feeding. Free Range VFT's, if you will. I only brought them in after frost killed the leaves, then I drained them and stacked them in a cool, dark place until spring. I was selling them (back in the 70's), and I seldom had many left at the end of the season.

 

[MySweetChickens]

thank you!!

 

[shortgrass]

thank you!!

X2

Thanks! Maybe I won't kill the next one!


Edit*...oh! It was going dormant; that's why the leaves turned brown, and my daughter overfed it for sure.... Good to know lol