The Venus Fly Trap is a carnivore plant that eats insects using its ‘trap’ to capture them. There are instances in which a venus fly trap begins to wilt or droop, and it is up to us to save them.
There are many reasons why your venus fly trap is drooping. These includes:
- Lack of Light
- Using the wrong type of soil
- Using the wrong type of water
- Unwanted Stress
- Water Frequency
- Pests
- Diseases
- Seasons
- Species
It can be very upsetting to watch your Venus Fly Trap droop, and hopefully, you are wondering why. This article gives an in-depth discussion as to why your Venus Fly Trap is drooping and how you can fix it. You’ll also learn how to tell the difference between a dead trap and a dormant trap.
Reasons Why Your Venus Fly Trap is Drooping
There are many reasons your Venus Fly Trap could be drooping. This section goes over topics ranging from lack of light to different species to help you determine what you need to do to prevent your plant from drooping.
Lack of Light Is the Main Reason Your Trap Droops
When your plant becomes droopy, it could be due to a lack of light. Venus Fly Traps are outside plants. They require 12+ hours of direct sunlight a day. Suppose you have an indoor plant; try using a fluorescent light and put it on the brightest windowsill. The light also keeps them warm, so they stay energetic.
Using the Wrong Type of Soil
Wild Venus Fly Traps grow in nutrient-poor soil, which means that your trap would likely want the same. The Traps like acidic soil because they gather all of their nutrients from eating flies and spiders. Soils low in nutrients tend to include:
- A mix of peat and sand
- Peat moss and perlite
- Peat moss and sphagnum moss
Ensure the soil is damp because Venus Fly Traps are found around swampy areas. Remember not to fertilize them because this can cause an overload of nutrients!
Using the Wrong Type of Water
The Venus Fly Trap requires water that is low in mineral salts. An oversaturation of mineral salts leads to the death of your plant because they cause root rot. This is because they cannot process minerals or nutrients through their roots. Try to water your plant with distilled water or rainwater to ensure they get the nutrients they require.
Unwanted Stress Can Cause Droopiness
There are a few things that cause unwanted stress on your plants, such as:
- Moving your plant
- Repotting your pant
- Playing with the traps on the plant
Small actions such as moving your plant can cause unwanted stress. They may wilt a little after coming home from the store because they are being put in a new environment. If you check all of the other care boxes, then give them time, and they should perk up. If moving them to another location in the house, try a step-by-step process.
Repotting your plant can also cause stress on the roots and cause your plant to droop. Try to avoid doing this.
Playing with the traps can cause your plant to expend energy that is needed for growth.
Watch for How Frequently You Water Your Plant
Both overwatering and underwatering your plant can cause them to droop and die. The Venus Fly Traps soil always needs to have moisture but do not drench it. Too much moisture can cause fungal infections. You will want to keep them in a pot with holes on a deep saucer so that they will always have water. Make sure not to let the soil dry out completely because that can harm your flytrap.
Pests that Cause Your Trap To Droop
Pests can invade your house and, in turn, harm your venus fly trap. There are two pests that you need to particularly look out for:
- Aphids: Although not a deadly pest, they sure do cause a bit of annoyance. They cause your trap leaves to distort, especially around the crown area. Placing your plant in water, horticultural oils, and insecticidal soaps all aid you in getting rid of these pests.
- Fungus gnats: The gnats themselves are more annoying than anything, but it’s the larvae that cause the most harm. They cause damage to the stems, leaves, and roots. Using Bacillus thuringiensis rids your plant of the infestation. To prevent infestation, make sure you are properly watering your plant.
Diseases Can Harm Your Venus Fly Trap
Luckily, the Venus Fly Trap is not as susceptible to some diseases that harm other carnivorous plants. To prevent diseases from spreading, clean up the dead leaves around your plant. Too much moisture can cause fungal growth, which increases the chance of infection. This makes your plants sick and can potentially kill them.
Try to refrain from feeding your plant because they can sustain themselves. This is because if you feed them too big of an insect, the trap will not digest the bug. The trap will eventually rot and cause the plant to turn black.
Do not use fertilizers on your Venus Fly Trap because this can burn the roots and cause them to die. These plants thrive in low nutrient environments because they get their nutrients from the bugs.
The Venus Fly Trap Has a Dormant Season
The Venus Fly Trap has a dormant season from Late October to Mid February. During this time, the plant’s traps wilt and/or fall off. Some traps even turn black, but no need to worry! Come springtime, your plant will begin to regrow and show its true potential. Later on, we will discuss how to tell the difference between a dormant plant and a dead one.
Some Species Naturally Droop
There is a species of Venus Fly Trap that droops naturally. So, be aware of what species you have. Your plant should still look full, green, and healthy despite it ‘resting its head’.
What to do if Your Venus Fly Trap is Drooping
As stated earlier, the Venus Fly Trap needs 12+ hours of direct sunlight a day. If forced to keep your plant indoors, try using fluorescent light to compensate. If kept outside, they will go through the seasons and become dormant naturally, so you do not have to induce dormancy. So, it is best to keep your plant outside.
Proper watering includes keeping the moss or soil in which the plant resides moist. Please do not overdo it and cause too much moisture build-up leading to fungal infections and droopiness.
Refrain from playing with your venus fly traps, repotting them, and be careful when moving them to different locations. All of these things can cause unwanted stress so take causation when performing these actions.
What is the Difference Between Dormant and Dying
Really the only difference between a dead trap and a dormant one is their roots. If you pull up their roots and see hard white rhizomes, then you have a healthy plant! If it is black and mushy, then it is dead. Be aware that unpotting your plant can cause unwanted stress. Sometimes it is best to wait until spring. If you plant blooms in spring, then it is not dead!
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are plenty of reasons your Venus Fly Trap could be drooping. The most common being lack of light, or it is simply going into the dormant season. Do your research before purchasing this plant because it can be complex to take care of. Ensure it has enough soil moisture, light, nutrients, etc., so it will not droop!
