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Question
HI i have a problem with vft because i been growing them for a year in the sun but i wanted to know why when i bought them they looked healthy and soft and fleshy and now they lock all dry hard and breakable why is this happening thanks!!!!!
Hello eltoad,
I would need more information about your growing conditions, like the zone you live in, to answer that question.
Since you have grown the plants for a year, did you just put them in the sun recently or has this occurred all year? Do the plants look burned or dried out?
If your zone has temperatures over 100 degrees, it might be drying the plants out. How much water are you keeping in their tray?
If your temperatures go over 100 degrees, you will need to protect the plants from the hottest part of the day. Venus Flytraps can tolerate heat up to 100 degrees, but will die off in hotter weather.
If the plants were bought with a humidity dome over them, they will look soft and floppy. After being grown in low humidity and high light, they will grow stronger, waxy looking leaves. If they are not dried up and shriveling or browning, they are fine.
Keep up the good work with your plants.
Christopher
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Answers by Expert:
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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