Venus Flytrap Trimming and Pruning
Minimizing overcrowding: remember that new leaves are always growing to replace the dead ones, and they need room. Besides that, dead leaves usually take weeks and sometimes months to wither and decompose successfully in an internal setting. This will lead to unsightly overcrowding as the new leaves compete for space with dead leaves and branches.
•Pruning
Before your Venus flytrap trap withers and dies, it usually would have closed less than a dozen times. This plant is constantly growing, and that’s why you will continually encounter new leaves as the old ones die. When the leaves wither, they end up turning into dark black color.
The withering process takes days, and it is for that reason why you should consider pruning your plant if you don’t want to deal with dead decomposing leaves. Besides that, pruning helps to trigger new growth.
•Trimming
Venus flytraps usually end up with dead leaves. If you see this, then you should consider pruning your plant. The pruning and trimming of a Venus flytrap is not entirely essential for its survival, but these care techniques are critical for the plant to thrive as well as the esthetic appeal. Dead leaves should be removed with thin, sharp, and sterilized scissors. Cut them from the base but protect the bulb and the surrounding healthy leaves.
This is still a plant, and so energy is generated through photosynthesis. But once you see the leaves turning dark, the plant won’t digest or capture prey. However, the plant is still capable of handling the process of photosynthesis.
Since the withering process takes days once the leaves start to darken, you should trim your plant. It is important to leave the parts of the leaf that are still green and healthy since they can still carry out photosynthesis.
Besides that, you should trim withering flowers as well, especially in spring. It should be noted that flower stalks, unlike leaves, are heavier on the plant, and when they are dead, they lead to a significant loss of energy.
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But how frequently should you consider trimming the plant?
When trimming, it’s essential to consider the healthy leaf versus the black leaf ratio. Besides that, monitor your plant and always keep an eye on the dead leaf cycle or balance. Generally, for every dead leaf, a new branch will always spur from the bulb. This means that if you suddenly notice a significant increase in the number of black leaves, then your plant could be sick.
Naturally, black leaves occur as a standard growth cycle procedure and during dormancy. But poor growing conditions could also trigger it. Certain conditions that could trigger the generation of black leaves include:
- The wrong type of soil: remember that Venus Fly Trap doesn’t need nutrient-rich soil and instead thrives in lean soil. Applying fertilizer could weaken your plant, and it would end up with black leaves and die if planted in standard soil.
- Poor lighting: this plant needs lots of sunlight, natural or artificial. Poor sources of light would kill the traps, and the plant would end up weakening and dying.
- Too large prey: the prey needs to be less than 1/3 of the trap. Larger prey makes the process of digestion difficult.
- Bad source of water: only use the recommended sources of water. Understand that your plant’s leaves are more likely to quickly turn black and die if you water them with tap water.
Pruning/Trimming Tips
- Avoid removing dead leaves manually: don’t be tempted to manually remove the dead leaves since you will end up damaging delicate parts of the plant. Use sharp and thin scissors to prune the unwanted areas out.
- Set up a maintenance schedule: having a trimming schedule is vital in minimizing stress. For instance, it should depend on the season, but you could also schedule it after a couple of months.
- Don’t touch the bulb: when removing dead black leaves, don’t touch the bulbs around them.
- Avoid triggering the traps: this plant uses a lot of energy to spring its traps. When pruning your plant, avoid triggering the traps because the plant will end up using energy that would have been for good use somewhere else.
Benefits of Pruning and Trimming Venus Fly Trap
When you prune your plant, you are removing dead leaves and branches that utilize energy without any growth benefits. The key benefits of these care and maintenance processes include:
- Growth: the removal of dead leaves and stems helps to trigger new growth and development. Generally, a well-
- Improving esthetics: you will not always have a picture-perfect plant, but there’s nothing as beautiful as a well-trimmed plant. This is part of the grooming process, and it leads to an esthetically pleasing plant.
- Minimizing overcrowding: remember that new leaves are always growing to replace the dead ones, and they need room. Besides that, dead leaves usually take weeks and sometimes months to wither and decompose successfully in an internal setting. This will lead to unsightly overcrowding as the new leaves compete for space with dead leaves and branches.
- Preventing molds and pests: pests and diseases are more likely to thrive in plants with dead leaves. Trimming helps to minimize the chances of the development of pests and diseases.
