Venus Fly turns black

[javierhujr]

I recently got a VFT for a week. After feeding it with 2 beatles, the mouth traping them turns black! Some little small black spots where notice other 2 mouths.

Could it be the beatles? or the VFT going through dormancy? or dying to conserve energy for two new leafs?

[piscesilim]

I guess the beatles are too big or too hard for VFT to digest.

[marvin1997]

Originally Posted by piscesilim

I guess the beatles are too big or too hard for VFT to digest.

Yup. The trap can't close properly and germs went inside and are killing the traps. But don't worry they will only kill the two traps and not the whole plant

[shamp]

Just leave the plant alone, you don't have to feed it it gets its nutrients from the peat/LFS. When it wants something it will secrete a nectar attracting insects, so basically, you are abusing/taking advantage of the plant.

[javierhujr]

Thanks folks! I am really a novice towards these plants.

I read about feeds that are bigger than the traps will cause them to die. However, I do have another theory and not quite sure about it though. It is great to have people sharing views and experience on this.

Well, I have been observing my VFT for the past week and yes, in the end the traps died. (Anyway... the beatles are between 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the traps). Apparently, 1 or 2 old traps without any feeds are experiencing partial blackening. At the same time, 2 premature leafs have doubled in size for the past week!

There are two hypothesis here...

1) Traps died due to improper feeds?
2) Traps died due to exhaustion or redirect of plant's energy?

The first is a well-shared and published view.
The rationale for the second view is from the idea that traps consume huge amount of energy to digest a feed. The plant probably has this dilemma of whether to direct its limited resource of energy to digest the feeds or provide growth to new leaves. If new growth is of more important, divesting energy from old traps might be a justified solution.

This is something that I learned from my other non-carnivorous plant. It is the similar theory that some books on CPs suggests trimming off the flowering stalk of vft to prevent exhaustion of the plant.

Opinion appreaciated

[marvin1997]

Originally Posted by shamp

Just leave the plant alone, you don't have to feed it it gets its nutrients from the peat/LFS. When it wants something it will secrete a nectar attracting insects, so basically, you are abusing/taking advantage of the plant.

Hey Shamp, Vfts don't get nutrients from their medium, if they have nutrients in their media they might die from root burn. They still get energy from the Sun but feeding them are like fertilizing normal plants

[shamp]

Haha that made me laugh out loud. That is so incorrect. EVRYTHING has nutrients in it. peat/sphagnum has very little nutrients but that still is nutrients. If it had no nutrients they would shrivel up and die, they need nutrients, but to much will kill them. I have been studying cps, and growing them before your were, born. Here's a tip learn before you post.