Venus flytraps are carnivorous plants that tend to grow well in humid conditions. While humidity may provide the ideal conditions for the growth of the Venus flytrap, it will also facilitate the growth of bacteria and mold.
Why is my Venus fly trap turning white? So, if you spot white fuzzy spots in your Venus flytrap, it may mean that your Venus flytrap has become infected by white mold. Mold is a fungus that generally grows on dead tissues in the plant.
While some presence of mold is natural, excessive growth of mold on your plant may make your plant look unattractive. While mold is not deadly for your Venus flytrap, it can still affect the growth of the plant, and it is also contagious. Further, the presence of white mold also signifies that the plant is suffering from excess moisture. Thus, steps need to be taken to prevent such fungal infections.
While the presence of mold may not be fatal to your plant, the presence of mold signifies poor growing conditions that need to be improved to ensure the proper growth of your Venus flytrap.
How to prevent Venus fly trap from turning white?
So, let us explore the steps which will help you prevent mold from infecting your plant and turning it white in color –
- Proper Watering
- Bright Sunlight
- Soil treatment
Proper watering
Improper watering is one of the major causes of high humidity in the plant. It allows the ideal condition for the mold to grow and infect your Venus flytrap. Ensure that the water provided to the plant is adequate and that it doesn’t stagnate in the pot.
Watering the plant once or twice a week in summers and once or twice a month is sufficient to keep the soil moist. The Venus flytrap grows well in soil that is moist but not overwatered. So, ensure that the pot in which the plant is potted has proper drainage.
Read our complete article on how to water Venus fly trap.
Bright Light
Since the mold grows well in humid conditions, the best way to check its growth is to reduce the humidity. Place your Venus flytrap in a location where it can have access to abundant, bright sunlight.
The sunlight is essential for the photosynthesis of the plant but it also ensures that the excess water of the plant is evaporated.
Once the water is evaporated, the conditions become too dry for the mold to grow in your plant.
If you keep your plant indoors, place it near a south-facing window where it receives adequate sunlight or use a florescent bulb to fulfill the same purpose.
Soil Treatment
Like all fungal infections, mold can originate from infected soil. So, when you pot the plant, it is considered best to heat and sterilize the soil to reduce the chances of fungal infections.
Similarly, if the plant is infected by mold, always repot it with fresh, sterilized soil after treatment to ensure that there are no chances of a re-infection occurring in the plant.
Thus, these are the steps to help prevent mold infection from turning your Venus flytrap white.
