If you have owned a Venus fly trap, you would be aware of the frequent dead leaves that seem to appear in the plant. While the dead leaves and traps often fall off after a period, they still make the plant look sick till they stay on the plant. The best idea would be to prune or trim the leaves to ensure that the flytrap looks neat and proper.
Importance of Trimming of Venus Fly Trap
While trimming is not essential for the survival of your Venus flytrap, it helps keep the plant healthy and in shape. The traps of the plant close only a few times before they wither and fall off. While the new trap is replaced quickly once the old trap has fallen off, it may take several days for a trap to wither away completely. So, it is best to trim or prune them as they may spoil the appearance of the plant.
Advantages of trimming the Venus fly trap plant
There are several advantages of trimming –
Look – It helps in keeping the plant in shape and healthy as dead plants may give a sickly appearance to the plant.
Growth – Removing the dead leaves provides space for new leaves. Thus, promoting the growth and development of the plant.
Prevents mold – Decaying leaves may be the ideal place for the growth of mold and bacteria. They can eventually attack the healthy plant itself. Thus, pruning reduces such chances by reducing the presence of dead leaves.
When to Trim a Venus Fly Trap?
Trimming at the right time is essential for the plant, as even though the leaves start to turn black, it may still be able to help the plant photosynthesize. When the traps wither, it happens gradually, and the green parts continue to photosynthesize until the traps have completely dried out. So, only trim once you see that the leaves are dry and have no green parts left in them.
How to trim Venus fly trap?
So, let us see the steps that we need to follow to ensure that we don’t harm the plant –
Avoid activating traps – The traps of the Venus flytrap get activated when it senses movement. The plant uses energy to close these traps. So, when trimming, avoid touching any healthy leaves to reduce energy waste.
Avoid touching the bulbs – When you trim your plant, completely remove the leaves close to the bulb and not just the dead parts. Remove the entire branch and not just the leaves.
Avoid pulling out the leaves manually – If you pull out the dead leaves, it is highly likely that you will severely damage the plant. All the leaves originate from a delicate bulb, and pulling it out may harm the plant. Use a pair of scissors or pruners to carefully cut them off.
Set up a trimming schedule – Very frequent trimming may put stress on the plant. So, it is best if you set up a trimming schedule to help regularize your trimming and prevent the plant from being put through constant stress. Generally, trimming once every few months is sufficient to keep the plant neat and healthy.
Thus, these are the steps that you need to follow when you trim your Venus flytrap.
