Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 8/5/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello!  I recently received 2 venus flytraps from you. Initially they were growing well, but now I've noticed some changes to the leaves (see pictures), is this aphid attacks?  I have been using purified water and the plants are getting about 6-7 hours of direct sunlight.  I live on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky.

ANSWER: Hi Aneta,

Thank-you for sending a photo.  This always helps.

Aphid damage usually looks different than this.  You'll usually have twisted deformed leaves, and you can usually see the insects on the leaves.

This looks like early signs of hard water damage.  You mentioned purified water.  What is the exact water source?  Bottled?  Brita filtered?  Home water softener?  If bottled is it distilled water?  You should be using either distilled water, rainwater, or water purified by reverse osmosis.  These are the only methods that remove the minerals that are harmful to carnivorous plants.

Also, I know you've been having very hot weather in your part of the country.  Try to make sure that the pot is sheltered from direct sun.  (The leaves still need direct sun.)  Setting the plant pot down inside a bigger pot that shields the sides from direct sun works well.  

When watering, also make sure the plant has no more than 1/4 of the way up the pot water depth.  Keeping flytraps too deep in a water tray can cause root rot, and it seems to be especially acute during hot weather.

Let me know if any of these things may have been the problem.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I did use my tap water for the first week I got them before I got bottled water which says reverse osmosis/ozonation on it.  I have made sure the water level has been about 25-30% of the pots.  Also, I noticed that the water trays seemed to have gotten what looked like green algae, I did clean them and put fresh water in it.  Thanks about putting them in bigger pots, I have 4in pots that I can put them in.  I also have a picture of the base, the new leaves just don't look right.  Is this also secondary to the wrong water I used initially?

Answer
Hi Aneta,

At this point a transplant is a good idea.  Try switching over to distilled water.  The tapwater during the first week may have done some of this damage.  Venus flytraps are very sensitive to hard water, and I know your area of the country has very hard water.  Also try top-watering your plants frequently, especially when the weather is very hot.  If you can go larger than 4" for your pots, that's even better.  Be sure to use the recommended soil mix.  Potting soil will kill them.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com