Luckily, that's not too difficult to do, as long as you don't mind catching a few insect snacks for them once in a while.
Instead of originating one planet away from Earth, Venus flytraps Dionaea muscipula are perennials native to boggy areas of coastal North and South Carolina. They grow in moist, acidic soils in full sun , but only survive winter outdoors in Zones Gardeners in colder-winter climates should grow Venus flytraps in a moist environment, such as a terrarium , that can go indoors during winter. Venus flytrap thrives in poor, acidic soil that stays damp but still has good drainage.
Avoid planting it in regular potting soil : A blend of one-third sand and two-thirds sphagnum peat moss provides the best drainage and moisture retention. Don't add lime to the soil and never add fertilizer. Venus flytraps do best in bright but indirect light. It's especially important to avoid placing them in direct sunlight in summer, which may get too hot and cause the leaves to turn crispy. When grown inside under artificial lights , keep flytraps inches away from fluorescent lights.
If your plant's traps don't show a pink interior or if the leaves look long and spindly, provide more light. For best Venus flytrap care, keep the environment humid and the soil moist but don't let the plants stand constantly in water. Never give your plants what comes out of your tap; it's usually too alkaline or might have too many minerals. Instead, rely on rain or use distilled water. Good air circulation is also important in growing Venus flytrap plants, so turn a fan on in the room where you keep them.
What do Venus flytrap plants eat? The name says it all: Their main diet is flies or other small insects. The trick is that the prey must be alive when caught. Dead flies won't work in Venus flytrap feeding; the insect must move around inside the trap to trigger it to close and begin digesting the food.
It also needs to be small enough that the trap can close tightly around it to keep out bacteria. If you grow the plants in a closed terrarium, the easiest Venus flytrap feeding method is to release small flies inside the space. Eventually, the bugs will be attracted to the traps and be consumed.
Although flytraps are carnivorous, they can go long periods a month or two without eating insects. If you grow them outdoors , they'll get enough to eat naturally. If you're growing Venus flytrap indoors, you'll have to feed them bugs periodically. If you're feeding your flytrap, don't give it any insects that are larger than a third of the size of the trap; live flies might be tricky to feed it, but small spiders, beetles, and caterpillars will also work.
However, this should be used at a minimum and not as a replacement for the insects. Read more: Best Vertical Tower Gardening. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Their popularity among botanists and indoor plant pot lovers is enormous. Read How to Take Care of a Venus Flytrap Plant One of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy Venus flytrap will be the regular repotting you will need to do after the winter in the spring to ensure that it has enough room to grow healthy.
What is the Best Soil for Carnivorous Plants? Once it comes to Venus flytrap planting, you need to use a standard carnivorous plant soil mix. It is simple to mix your own or look for Venus flytrap potting soil in a garden center. Fill your new pot with your mixture of peat moss and Perlite.
Ensure to water your new potting mixture carefully, and use distilled water reverse osmosis or rainwater. Make sure it is moist yet not over wet.
Make a small hole in the center of the new potting mix where your Venus flytrap will go. Gently jiggle your Venus flytrap from the current container.
Ensure you handle your plant by the root ball and keep your hands away from touching any of the traps. Carefully break away any old potting media away from the roots of your Venus flytrap. If you have multiple plants growing together, you can separate them and re-plant them separately.
Place your plant into the hole of your new moistened potting mixture. Once in place, gently push the soil into position around the roots.
Water your plant thoroughly. You should see water drain through and start to come from the drainage holes. Also, tweezers and scissors can be useful tools.
Venus flytraps can only be watered with nutrient-free mineral-free water. Use a pure source of water for your plant. Here are some options:. You will need water to prepare the soil and to water the plant after potting. Never employ tap water or bottled water for Venus flytraps. The presence of minerals and other components can kill the plant. Also, when you buy distilled water or reverse osmosis water make sure the label indicates that the water is pure.
Some brands add minerals for the flavor to distilled water. Even though it is technically distilled water, the presence of minerals can kill your plant. Learn all about the required water and watering process for Venus flytraps by reading this article I wrote based on what I have learned. Choose an appropriate container for your Venus flytrap. Some important considerations to choose a pot are the following:.
Pot Material: The best pot materials for Venus flytraps are plastic and glazed ceramic. Also, you can employ Styrofoam containers as suitable pots. These materials are the best candidates because they provide insulation, and they do not leak components to the ground. Glass and metal containers are acceptable materials.
But, they do not provide adequate insulation for extreme summer or winter temperatures. Terracotta and clay pots are very common within the gardening community.
However, these materials leak components to the ground, and therefore, they are not recommended. Pot Dimensions: Venus flytraps grow better in individual containers. For best results choose a container that matches the size of the plant.
The diameter dimensions of the container range from inches depending on the size of the plant. The depth of the container is very important too.
Venus flytraps thrive in tall containers inches. Drainage: A pot with drainage is as important as soil with good drainage. Choose containers with a drainage hole. It is possible to grow Venus flytraps in a container without drainage holes, but it is a big challenge. Beginners should always choose pots with drainage. These pots are some good examples of suitable containers for Venus flytraps.
Follow the links below to check their specs and their current price on Amazon. Get your plant ready for potting it. If it is currently inside a dome or a small nursery pot, remove the plant from it. Use some distilled water to loosen up the soil. Then squeeze the edges of the containers and carefully start removing the plant from its current pot. The leaves of a Venus flytrap can handle some stress. Treat your plant with care, but do not worry about touching the leaves.
The rhizome or bulb of the plant is delicate delicate. Now that you have your plant ready to be potted, a suitable plant container, and pure water, it is time to prepare the soil. Follow these steps to get the soil ready for potting. Gather the moss and perlite or sand. Then, decide on a suitable soil mix, like the ones described in the first section. Remember that choosing a ratio is not rocket science.
So, do not over complicate it. For this example, I used peat moss and perlite. The ratio is 4 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite.
Now that you have both ingredients. Go ahead and mix them thoroughly. Then, add water by parts. A lot of water will be absorbed by the moss right away. Be patient, and add more water until the whole medium is moist. The final product should look similar to these:. The soil for Venus flytraps should remain humid at all times. Once the ground starts drying up, it needs to be watered again.
When you moisten the soil for potting your plant, make sure the medium is completely saturated with water. Your plant will prefer a very humid environment when adjusting to its new environment. Also, make sure the top level of the soil is close to the edge of the pot. When you set the plant in the soil, make sure the ground covers the rhizome area.
The rhizome is very delicate and should not be exposed to sunlight. Now, you are all set! Your plant is ready to start growing strong.
However, due to the repotting, your plant might appear weak for a few weeks. Do not get too worried, but instead follow these considerations to ensure your Venus flytrap recovers completely:.
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