Today we're going to finish the last step and set the roots free for the Venus flytrap. It has only been a little over a week since we repotted this Venus. We left the tiny pot under it but cut out the bottom, as you remember from this post.
What we did last week. We took a cutter and split the pot in half but left the top of the rim still attached. And we cut the bottom out so that the roots could continue to grow deeper in the new pot. The reason we did all this is in order to keep the roots from being disturbed during the repotting process.
When you split the sides, the pot gets a little bit flimsy. When you cut off the bottom, it gets very flimsy. So I used masking tape on the sides of the pot before cutting off the bottom. You'll see what I mean as we go through this post.
This trap is very close to the rim that needs cutting, so I'm going to take a wooden skewer and lift the trap and move it over just a little bit. I hope the skewer into the moss to keep it out of my way while I take a wire cutter and clip the rim.
Once the rim of the pot has been clipped, I take a razor knife and run it down the slot to cut the masking tape.
Next I go to the other side, 180° from this cut and I clip that rim and cut the tape so that the two halves of the pot are completely detached. Then I will need to slide each one out independently. It is likely I will trigger one or more traps in this process. These plants are very sensitive.
Carefully lift the two traps that were draping over this half of the pot, and again, I use a skewer to hold them a little higher than they would be otherwise. Then, I slide each one to the side in order to clear a path to remove one half of the baby pot.
It is important not to lift the leaves or move them by grabbing the trap portion. You should always shift the position of a leaf from the shaft that goes from the base of the plant to the trap, never from the trap. I slowly start to slide that half of the pot out.
The whole reason that we apply this method, is to keep the roots bound to the soil (this is not regular soil). I'm extra careful with adult plants because it's easy to lose them.
The first side was easier, we let the skewer rest on the rim. This side requires the shifting of two larger leaves. I take my finger under the leafy part and lift the branch up and then use the moss itself to holt that angle, then I do the other side.
The trap on the right side of the photo was triggered and it closed in the process.
I gently pull on the edge of this half in order to make sure that the moss on the inside (the side where the plant's roots are) is not stuck to it.
It is okay to disturb the moss between the old (blue) and the new (green) pot. There are not roots growing in that area of moss.
We can gently slide the rest of the blue pot out of the much larger pot. With the Sarracenia, I had waited a couple of months to take the baby pot out. That one grows its pitchers almost straight up in the air. This one's traps are all moving outward over the rim, I wanted to get these two halves out before it became impossible to do so.
The second half of the baby pot where this plant cut its teeth, is now out of its way, making room for it to continue mature.
Now all that is left is to take the skewers out and slowly lower the traps down to the ground. I try to keep the traps from touching the moss. I have seen them get rotten from being on the moss. He do need to be near the ground though so that they can catch pray that doesn't fly.
Here is the finished product.
The shorter leaves and smaller traps are the oldest ones. Two of them have pray inside them and their stomachs are full. The trap to the right of the tallest one is open and awaiting a catch.
Of the three larger traps, the one on the right, still inside the rim, got triggered while I was repotting this Venus. It will realize that there is nothing in there and open back up in about four days. The one on the left is the second youngest, also open. And the one sticking straight up in the air is a new trap. It has not yet opened for the first time. It has its eyelashes and should open in a day or so. It will continue to grow bigger and fall due to its weight as it does so.
Last we have a stick shooting straight up. That is going to be a flower! It will grow 12 to 15 inches above the traps. Bugs that come to pollinate, should not be food as a consequence.
I will leave you with close up shots of each of what I explained in the previous paragraphs.
Second oldest
Fourth oldest
Triggered while repotting...
Second Youngest
Youngest
The flower to be...
I love working (very carefully) with these amazing plants. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the tricks I use to make sure they survive. I had lost many carnivorous plants during repotting when I started out. I would take them out and rinse the roots off, then repot them and more than half of them died.
I have learned what to do and what not to do over the years. I hope these posts will help you if you decide to give "Bug Eaters" a spot in your garden.