School Flytraps: Heat, Soap Damage, and Recovery

Irvin runs a science school; 3-year-old flytraps declining. Flower stalks withered. Insecticidal soap used once. New donated plants also dying. Hot (100°F+), full afternoon sun. Kids call them "ookie eaters."

Soap = Fertilizer Poisoning

Insecticidal soaps are fatty acids/salts—fertilizers that alter soil pH and burn roots. Worst possible chemical for carnivorous plants.

Heat Stress

Flytraps tolerate 30–100°F. Sustained >100°F kills. They like full sun, but not extreme heat.

Source Matters

Store-bought plants may have endured tap water, low light, fertilizer, drying out. Flower scapes wither naturally by June/July—replaced by new traps. Proper winter dormancy is essential; without it, plants die after flowering.

Recovery Plan

1. Repot in fresh 1:1 sphagnum peat/perlite or silica sand (soak in distilled water first to wash soap)
2. Shade during hottest hours; max morning/afternoon sun
3. Verify water purity
4. Only water-based or neem oil insecticides/fungicides—no copper or soap
5. 12,000 lumens fluorescent, 16 hrs/day, 4–5 inches above plants (indoor alternative)

Follow-Up: Feeding, Watering, Dormancy

Trap size = age/health. Let plants catch own prey—occasional fly is fine. Never feed fatty insects (moths/butterflies) or large/strong prey. Water tray: submerge lower ¼ of pot. Fridge dormancy risky (drying/mold); better: chilly window (50–60°F) or protected outdoors. Repot annually to refresh peat.

Follow-Up: Peat Source in Capitola, CA

Buy compressed 2-cu-ft bales labeled "Canadian sphagnum peat moss" (plastic-wrapped, fertilizer-free). Nurseries/garden centers carry them. Or order pre-mixed soil from Sarracenia Northwest.

Good Growing!
Christopher / Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
www.cobraplant.com