lobe life cues and when to snip

[offsides16]

I'm new to VFTs and have been monitoring mine daily, learning growth patterns and such. Am I right to assume that when lobes go from concave to convex it means that that leaf is "done"?

And if they are done, when's the best time to snip them off? I mean when they've stopped eating but are still green, there must be a calculus between the benefits from chlorophyll and being a drag on the upcoming leaves. In other words, when does a leaf stopping pulling its weight and should be removed?

I appreciate your thoughts. I only have 2 and both have some lobes gone convex. They're kind of wimpy and I'd like to give the regenerating ones the best boost possible.

[ICPS-bob]

A general rule of thumb is that if it is green, leave it be. The value of VFT "eating" is a bit over-rated. Most of the energy in a plant is generated by photosynthesis. When you remove green parts, you are reducing the ability of the plant to photosynthesize. In addition, an open wound creates an avenue for disease organisms to access the plant. For a good CP primer read Barry's FAQ:
www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

[Alexis]

"being a drag on the upcoming leaves"

What do you mean? An old, defunct trap will have no effect on existing leaves.

[mmlr38]

As Bob says, if it's green, don't cut it off. I wonder why you only have 2 traps on your plant? Or were you saying that you have 2 plants?

Dormancy has been over for a while now and you should be seeing quite a bit of new growth. Are you seeing lots of new traps emerging from the center?

[offsides16]

My original question was whether lobes turning convex was a sign of retirement. Since no one mentioned it, I'll take it that it is.

Bob's point is ultimately what I wanted to learn -- the photosynthesis energy gain outweighs potential trap energy gain potential, so even if the trap is no longer in service, its chlorophyll matters most. Bugs are bonus. Bob's disease caveat is also an important note to heed.
----

By "being a drag on upcoming leaves" I meant that with some plants keeping some parts expends more energy than they provide. In other words, a net loss that deprives new growth of energy. I have a vineyard, and at this time of year the major chore is pinching off budding canes so that the key growing ones have more resources to thrive with.

-----

I don't have 2 leaves on one plant. I have 2 plants with several leaves up and coming. Most of their mature leaves, however, appear to have passed their trapping prime and gone into retirement. I wondered if keeping them on the plant would feed or hinder the new growth. From what Bob says, they work differently than grapes, which are what I know best.

These 2 little guys were just given to me. Where and how they spent their dormancy is unknown to me. It's springtime here in the Carolinas, though, and they're plugging along. Taking their time about it, but plugging along.

[ICPS-bob]

Growing Dionaea is indeed different from grapes -- although you might try to produce Flytrap wine. Old leaves do not limit the production of new leaves or branching. The more leaves, the stronger the plant. The potential for energy "loss" with Dionaea is in flowering. Unless you want seeds, it is often suggested to cut the flower stalk when it is a couple of inches tall. Personally, I have never noticed a difference if the plant is healthy and growing under good conditions. You can then plant the cut flower stalk in a pot of peat topped with live sphagnum and often this will result in plantlets forming.

I have never grown my VFTs in a terrarium, so my experience may not apply to terrarium conditions.

[jfowler]

Hey Offsides16,

I too live in Greenville and have been growing Dionaea for several years outside in my front yard bog garden along with a dozen or so species of Sarracenia and some native orchids. I never mess with the leaves, even when they turn black. In the wild, they don't have anyone to come along and trim the leaves, so I leave mine alone in the bog garden. I do, however, clip the bloom stem when it appears in order to help conserve the plant's energy. If you'd like to talk more at length about this or other things carnivorous, send an email to: [e-mail] and maybe we can exchange notes in person.

[Alexis]

Old defunct traps spread outwards precisely so that they can photosynthesise better.