Carnivorous Plants/White Stuff

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Expert: - 8/11/2008


Question
My Venus Fly Trap was doing pretty good for the last few weeks, until i noticed
that there was some white stuff growing around the base of the plant. I scraped
some of it off but more just appear the next day. What is it?  Will it harm my
plant? How do i get rid of it and not have it come back?

Answer
Hello CJ,

What does this "white stuff" look like?

Since it reappears quickly, it sounds like it might be mold. If the white stuff is fibrous, like a tiny cotton ball, it is mold. Use sulfur or neem oil based fungicide as the bottle directs, to kill the mold.

If you are growing the plant in low light and/or in a terrarium or under a humidity dome, mold will be a constant problem. Removing the plant from any terrariums and domes slowly, over the course of two weeks by raising the cover a fraction of an inch every 3 days until it no longer holds in humidity, then removing it completely, will reduce the incidence of mold. Placing the plant in brighter conditions in full sunlight outside if possible will also help keep mold down. Just slowly adapt the plant to full sun by placing it in successively brighter windows and outside spots until it gets full sunlight after several weeks.

Ultraviolet light from full sunlight, open air, and lower humidity will all help keep mold levels down and increase your Venus Flytrap's health.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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