Why do my venus fly trap leaves rot a few days after starting to digest a fly?

Question

Only the trap with the fly in it goes black - all the others are healthy

The card clearly states that it is a bog plant and should be kept damp - so it is not over watering as its not even the base of the plant that is going black - it is the part of the leaf that has the flies inside

Answer 1

Probably the reason that your trap turned black is that it caught a fly that was too big for it to digest. The general rule of thumb is prey should be no bigger than 1/4 the size of the trap. After a trap has caught an average of 3 to 5 meals, it will die back naturally. Check out the link I've provided. On this site you will find care sheets for the Venus Flytrap as well as other interesting carnivorous plants. On the yahoo groups link, there are great people that will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about VFTs or other CPs.

Answer 2

Harry is right! Venus Fly Traps are native to my state, and can survive UNDERWATER for periods of time if nescessary! They are originally found in bogs here in the Carolina's. So you almost cannot overwater one... but the dead leaves are part of the cycle of the fly trap. Keep the dead stems cut off as close to the base of your flytrap as possible without disturbing the root system, and don't feed your plant flys yourself! Let it catch them on it's own (if you're not) as they may only catch 3 or 4 flys in a lifetime on their own! They survive very well on the nutrients from the water they sit in. ( you DO have yours resting in a saucer of distilled water, don't you?) Just give it plenty of bright but not hot sun, and plenty of distilled water to sit in and drink from, and let it catch flys on it's own. Mine is so big I finally divided it, and two of the traps had grown so big they caught each other! They won't let go, either! Good luck and happy gardening! :)

Answer 3

are you certain you placed the fly a techniques sufficient down? there are tiny hairs that are brought about even as touched and reason the seize to close. generally i have considered the for style of $5-7. it incredibly is weird and wonderful that they bought it for lower than a dollar. i'm no longer too certain. i could only go away it there for a couple of minutes make certain the fly isn't too vast and do not close the seize consisting of your fingers, that motives the plant to lose ability or something

Answer 4

Dead leaves and heads are a part of this plant's life cycle, and do not necessarily mean that the plant is unhealthy.

Always keep dead leaves and heads cut off to prevent fungal infections.

Answer 5

Try bicarbonate of soda.

Answer 6

too attract more flies from the smell

Answer 7

indigestion

Answer 8

overwatering