If the leaves on your Venus Fly Trap are turning black it could be for a number of reasons.
Water, Light and Feeding are the main things that can cause the leaves to turn black, however dormancy can also be the cause so lets look at each possible cause separately.
We look at general Venus Fly Trap Care and Where to Buy in a seperate article.
Reasons For Venus Fly Trap leaves Turning Black
- It is natural for leaves to turn black as they age. Usually leaves last 3 – 4 months.
- Watering can also turn the leaves back, the problem is with slats and chemicals in both tap and bottled water. The solution is to use rain water, distilled water or let tap water stand in a bucket for 24 – 36 hours before watering.
- A lack of sunlight can also cause Venus Fly trap leaves to turn black, this is plant that needs good direct sun each day for good healthy growth.
- Over feeding can also cause the leaves to turn black and die. Opening and shutting of the ‘traps’ uses energy. Most traps will only open and shut 3 – 4 times before dying. So avoid overfeeding. Indoors feed only 1 or 2 traps every week or two. Outdoors you should not need to feed them at all, in sects will find their own way into the traps.
- Feeding your traps large insects can also kill them, if they can’t fully close they often die.
- Stress from repotting can cause leaves to die, moving the plant from one position to another, can cause stress so give your plant time to settle in.
- Using fertilizers in the potting mix can cause leaf burn, so avoid them.
- Using the wrong containers can also cause problems, unfazed ceramic or terracotta pots can absorb and retain minerals over time and cause the leaves to die. Use a fully glazed pot for best results.
- And finally dormancy, Venus Fly traps go through dormancy in cold weather and the leaves will naturally go black and die. This is a natural and necessary process.
