Dividing flowering Venus Fly Traps.

[Richard Hole]

Hi

I am in North Queensland, Australia and it is getting towards late Spring. I just bought a clump of Venus Fly Traps in a pot and I plan to divide them. However, when I bought them they had tall stems and some flowers fully open on some of the plants. I read that the flowers can weaken the plants. Would it be all right to divide them now if I cut the flowers off or would it be best to wait for a few months and possibly do it next Spring? I could put them in the crisper in the fridge over winter and divide them then. However, I thought now could be a good time to divide them as the plants may grow bigger before the winter as they would not be clumped together. Would that be so?

Your help is appreciated,
Regards Richard.

[TS]

Hi Richard, if you plan to divide them, you should do it now. Cut away the flower stalk to avoid plant being exhausted. You'll have a few pots of VFTs the next spring.
Don't throw away the flower stalk, cut it into 2 - 3 pieces and insert them in damp sphagnum moss, small plantlet will emerge from the stems. But you have to keep in humid.

[Richard Hole]

Hi

Thanks for the answer. Actually I cut the flowers off last night. Howerver, I placed them in a bottle of water as I had an idea last night that if I did this the flowers may last long enought to produce seeds if I kept it them in water. I did not use ordinary water. I recently bought a water purifier that ionizers the water and I used that water. The flowers were fully open when I put them in the water and some had died off. There were also some buds. Do you think it is possible that they could last long enough to produce seeds or should I do as you suggest and try to strike cuttings?

Your help is appreciated,
Regards Richard.

[TS]

I don't think the flower stalk will continue to produce seeds, it needs plenty of nutrient to do so or else it won't exhaust the plant, to death some times.
I'll rather do what I told you.

[Richard Hole]

Hi


Do they have a high strike rate? Bear in mind that I will have the flower stems sitting in water for maybe 3 days or more until I get to planting them. If the have a high strike rate I may put one per pot. Otherwise, I may plant a few in one pot. Another way could be to strike them in water. I have read that Nepenthes cuttings can be struck this way. I am not sure if that could work for Venus Fly Traps?

Each stalk is about 6 inches long. I assume that you are suggesting that I can cut each one into 3 pieces and after potting, I should cover the pots in plastic or put in a terrarium and expose to bright light but not sunlight. Is that a good idea?


Your help is appreciated
Regards Richard.

[TS]

Originally Posted by Richard Hole

Hi
Do they have a high strike rate? Bear in mind that I will have the flower stems sitting in water for maybe 3 days or more until I get to planting them. If the have a high strike rate I may put one per pot. Otherwise, I may plant a few in one pot. Another way could be to strike them in water. I have read that Nepenthes cuttings can be struck this way. I am not sure if that could work for Venus Fly Traps?

I suggest you root them all in a pot, they could take quite some time to root and grow, by the time they are big enough to repot, that's just the right time because the growing media starts to decompose.

Each stalk is about 6 inches long. I assume that you are suggesting that I can cut each one into 3 pieces and after potting, I should cover the pots in plastic or put in a terrarium and expose to bright light but not sunlight. Is that a good idea?

Yes, that's a good idea.

[Richard Hole]

Hi


What fraction of the flower stalk should be above the ground? Should I possibly put half above the ground and half below?


Also, would it be a good idea to soak the cuttings in a 10% bleach solution for about 10 minutes to sterilize them? I read this suggestion for Nepenthes and other cuttings. After they are soaked in the bleach solution they could then be soaked in water for a couple of minutes.

Perhaps there are other chemicals that are better and safer to use then bleach. Do you know of any that are affordable or mix well with water?

Your help is appreciated
Regards Richard.

[TS]

Yes, just half in the media, half above will do.
Bleaching is not necessary for VFTs or even neps cutting. At least for me, never have done that.

[Richard Hole]

Hi

I divided one pot of Venus Fly Traps and put them under shade cloth with 70% shade. The plants do not look too good and some of the traps wilted. Perhaps I should have cut the older leafs off. Would that have been better? The plants were growing in full sun before. Do I have enough shade now?

We are in the tropics at 757 meters altitude near Cairns in Australia and it is late spring. Summer begins next month. Is now still a good a time to divide them or would it be best to wait to the start of Spring next year.

Your help is appreciated,
Regards Richard

[Vincent]

Divide late winter, to early early spring for any CP =)