You might have noticed your Venus fly trap drooping, and you might have questions like, “Why is my Venus Fly Trap drooping?” This post will help answer your questions.
The Venus fly trap attracts insects with its fragrance and bright leaves, but it may begin to droop when it is not well taken care of.
You might assume that’s a death sentence for your plant, but it could be a problem that is easily fixed. In this post, we’ll go over what might be causing your Venus Fly trap to droop and will provide some steps to revive the plant if possible.
The reasons why a Venus fly trap may droop can be multifold. There could be a lack of light, the soil may be the wrong type, it could be overwatered, or there may even be pests and diseases in the ground killing it.
But if your plant is significantly wilted or drying up, or even turning black in the winter, then you may have a naturally dying plant.
To answer your question ‘Why is my Venus Fly trap drooping?’, we’ll be discussing seven reasons and how to solve the problem.
Why Is My Venus Fly Trap Drooping – 7 Reasons
1. The wrong type of soil
While considering the question ‘Why is my Venus Fly trap drooping?’, we have concluded that one of the main reasons is the use of Incorrect soil.
Venus Fly Traps naturally grow in nutrient-poor soil, which they compensate for by consuming insects. The use of wrong soil plays a huge role in the death of Venus fly traps, it may be the main reason why your Venus Fly trap is drooping.
Venus Fly Traps need acidic soil with little fertilizer to thrive. Avoid using clay-like potting soil, as it is too heavy for Venus Fly Traps. Consult a local nursery or search online for the best ingredients to use when potting your Venus Fly Trap.
Venus fly traps prefer a relatively humid environment with a high nitrogen-to-phosphorus and low potassium-to-calcium content. More than this, they are found in habitats most accessible to humans — marshlands near rivers and streams.
The best soil mix is peat moss and sand, with 50% peat moss and 50% sand. Alternatively, a peat-based potting medium composed of 30 percent orchid bark, 30 percent coir, 20 percent compost, and 10 percent sphagnum moss is also suitable.
When opting for peat moss, ensure it doesn’t contain fertilizers. Also, look out for twigs in the moss or sphagnum fibers too long. You can also purchase perlite with peat moss to aid aeration and drainage.
2. The wrong type of water
To ensure your Venus fly trap stays alive, you have to take proper care of it. It is dependent on a dry and humid environment for survival, so you need to make sure it has just the right amount of moisture.
If you water it with water that is low in dissolved mineral salts, it will stay green and healthy for a long time.
If the water used on the Venus Fly Traps isn’t high quality, you may accidentally damage your plant. That’s because mineral salts will build up in the soil, kill the roots, and cause leaf wilting. To avoid destroying your plants with lousy water, make sure to use distilled or purified water.
Allowing your Venus Fly Trap to live in too hard water or have high levels of minerals can be fatal. Tap and bottled water contain excessive amounts of minerals, which could cause the plant’s nutrients to become depleted and potentially kill it. Use purified, demineralized, or reverse-osmosis water instead.
To find the ideal water, start with a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter. This cheap and easy-to-use tool will help you go beyond pure H2O; it will ensure that your water is safe enough for your plant and prevent you from asking, ‘Why is my Venus Fly trap drooping.’
3. Wrong watering technique or frequency
Carnivorous plants, including Venus Fly Traps, require soil that stays moist at all times to grow and thrive. If you forget to water the Venus Fly Trap, your plant may start to wilt.
When planting a Venus fly trap, make sure to place it inside a pot with holes for drainage. For the plant to remain healthy, you should put the pool on a deep saucer. The saucer will contain about 0.5 (winter) – 1 (summer) inch of water that allows the plant to grow.
Taking care of Venus fly traps is straightforward. You should mist their soil with water every one or two days, making sure not to let the soil dry out completely and become too moist. You must re-pot the Venus fly trap in fast-draining, nutrient-rich potting soil every few months.
4. Not enough sunlight
Venus Fly Traps require constant sunlight, but too much can be just as damaging. Shield the plant against direct sunlight when temperatures rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit and monitor your Venus Fly Trap to ensure it is receiving enough light to grow properly.
Venus Fly Traps thrive on 6-12 hours of bright light a day, but they fail indoors. While they can survive indoors, they will have trouble growing if they do not have sunlight.
The best place to put your plants is a warm, sunny area. Otherwise, they should be near a window that gets lots of light. If you don’t have room for proper gardening, consider using artificial flowers instead of plastic ones. Plants also make incredible decorations if you’re pressed for space!
While Venus fly traps need water and sunlight to survive, they require a dormant period when temperatures drop to help them prepare for the next season. To care for your plant during the fixed period, cut back on watering and place it in an excellent location that receives less sunlight.
Although Venus fly traps are hardy plants, it’s best to handle them carefully. The Venus fly trap is a viviparous plant; it bears its young alive.
This makes it especially vulnerable during the winter months and when transferred to new locations. In general, keep your trap in partial shade and a temperature of 55 degrees or less (ideally around 50 degrees) from November to February.
5. Pests and diseases
Venus fly traps are not without their weaknesses. Most of their pests and diseases aren’t difficult to deal with, but they require attention. Not giving the Venus fly trap its necessary attention will cause it to die.
Venus Fly Traps are commonly attacked by Aphids. Aphids are small, pear-shaped insects that suck the juices from plants. Aphids release a sticky substance called honeydew which causes a sooty mold. Sooty mold will appear as black spots on your plant.
6. Acclimation period
Venus fly traps can take some time to adjust to their new home, leading them to wilt for the first few days until new roots grow. Once this happens, the plants will stay green for a few more weeks and then trend yellow, which is normal.
Your plant may seem sick or dead at times, but don’t worry – that’s a normal part of the life cycle. Some varieties will experience dormancy in winter, and all plants need time to adjust to new lighting conditions, changes in moisture, and other challenges. Be patient with your plant as it grows and develops.
7. Low nutrition
Venus fly traps thrive in poor soil, and they have adapted to the nutrient-deficient soil by catching their food. If they do not get nutrition, they wilt, but they usually have no problem capturing bugs to stay alive.
If you have a Venus Fly Trap plant but are not seeing it catch any insects, you can help by feeding it. Flies and other insects may be attracted to the trap with its sweet aroma, so try putting another insect in the web with the fly.
Conclusion
There you have it! Answers to your question ‘Why is my Venus Fly trap drooping.’ So, if you have a Venus fly trap in your home, you can protect your little green plant from wilting away.