I just got one recently as well. Don't worry about the traps, they'll open up when it's happy.

Just be sure of the following: Water with only distilled water (not tap water, not bottled water even, which contains minerals). I made this mistake (using bottled spring water) for a few weeks and it doesn't look too happy. Also, don't water from the top -- put the pot in a dish and water from the bottom (let it sit in the water all the time). And don't ever fertilize.



That said, I've had mine a few weeks and it's growing like crazy -- but the lower leaves/traps just turn black, and pretty quickly. I'm not sure how normal that is for traps to die off so quickly. The poor bugger hasn't eaten yet, either. Alas, not too many flies around here yet.





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First Year Pepper Grower : Habanero, Red Chile, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Hot Banana, Hot Cherry, Tabasco, Thai, Giant Serrano, Peter, NM Big Jim, Arbol

quote:

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Originally posted by Nako:
I definately would avoid putting it in a dish of water all the time....

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Really? I guess I got bad info, and spread it around... Sorry, kazalio!

Thanks, Phoebe! I'll try it and see if they last longer. How often do you think I should water them?

Also - Do you think it's okay if they don't eat for a few weeks? I'm just not getting any flies now that I got this plant -- of course!

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First Year Pepper Grower : Habanero, Red Chile, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Hot Banana, Hot Cherry, Tabasco, Thai, Giant Serrano, Peter, NM Big Jim, Arbol

I sure will, Phoebe, and thanks again! Good luck w/ the book - let us know when it's out! And congrats on your 1000th post.

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First Year Pepper Grower : Habanero, Red Chile, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Hot Banana, Hot Cherry, Tabasco, Thai, Giant Serrano, Peter, NM Big Jim, Arbol

I just had to post this picture I took. I call it "Soooooo Close!"



I wacked the fly gently with a fly swatter -- it could only walk. It must've crawled all over the VFT for like an hour and never got eaten! I tried to first drop him into the largest trap, but it closed w/o the fly in it. I don't think he'd fit into this one, but the pic is awesome, huh?

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First Year Pepper Grower : Habanero, Red Chile, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Hot Banana, Hot Cherry, Tabasco, Thai, Giant Serrano, Peter, NM Big Jim, Arbol

Wow - that pic was taken yesterday, and I assumed the fly got away. But he didn't - he was in the dish, still alive and kicking! So I plopped him in there, and the VFT finally got a meal.

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First Year Pepper Grower : Habanero, Red Chile, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Hot Banana, Hot Cherry, Tabasco, Thai, Giant Serrano, Peter, NM Big Jim, Arbol

I've been reading lots of posts about Venus Fly Traps and wanted to add my story. When I lived in England I bought my first - even though another customer advised against it showing me his bandaged hand and arm!
Anyway, in autumn it died, or so I thought. I threw it out.
Years later I bought another one. I was away from home in autumn and my daughter-in-law looked after my plants. She desperately tried to keep the VFT alive, but failed. I felt sorry for her and left the dead black thing another week before throwing it out. And it lived!
I had it for years and years. It sat in an ashtray and every morning I watered it (tap water) until it stood in about a 1/4 inch of water. This would be used up by morning. During the day it's active, at night it sleeps, so don't water in the evening.
When a fly is too big and sticks out of the trap, cut off the trap but leave the rest of the leaf.
I never provided flies, I left it to fend for itself. As far as I can remember it only caught and ate about 3 or 4 flies every year.
The traps close at night and open up very early in the morning.
Don't despair in autumn, it turns black and limp but comes back to life soon enough. I never did anything to it in autumn, just left it in its place. Never changed the soil. When the new leaves appear, don't remove the black ones until they've come loose, don't tear them from the plant.
And after more than 10 years I just had to see it flower, and I secretly hoped my plant would have superpowers and survive. It didn't. It had a beautiful set of flowers and then it died for good. So, always cut out the flower stem when it reaches about 3 inches height.
I have immediately bought new ones, 2 this time. Which is what I would recommend if you've never taken care of one. Use one to experiment with and don't do too much to the other. See which treatment works best!
Children love the VFT, don't let them touch the traps all the time. Closing and opening costs the plant a lot of energy.
Good luck!

my venus fly tray looks like its dead but i'm not sure if it will recover

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ross

It seems that VFTs can grow in standing water or not, and that if you ask 2 different growers you'll get at least 4 different answers. I just separated mine, bought as "1 mature plant" 3 years ago, and found it is now 8 very happy plants. It's never been out of standing water (distilled a/o rain, it's outside in the summers), though the water level fluctuates wildly and I clean it out every month or so, due to algea growth. A lot must depend on ambient air temp and humidity and how much sun it gets. I've found what mine likes, I hope you all find what's right for yours!

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may God bless the WHOLE world!

it is probobly fine they should open up in about 10 hours mine has a cricket in it and it hasn't digested it in about 6 days not kidding!!

What was the question?