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Venus flytrap care

Filed under: — admin @ 12:58 pm


The world of carnivorous plants consists of exotic flesh-eating plants that will peak anyone’s curiosity. The large family of 645 registered species are grown all over the world in diverse environments and come in different shapes and sizes. They are the Startrekkers of the earth. They grow where no other plant can grow. Carnivorous plants grow where nutrients are very low and therefore have evolved into flesh eating plants consuming insects and other animals for their food supply. Each species has a unique way of attracting and trapping its victims.

venus fly trap

Venus fly trap (Dionaea muscipula) is one the popular snap trap species from this large family. This intriguing novelty grows only in the boggy coastal areas of North and South. Carolina and yet it is known all over the world. This plant grows in a rosette form and develops snap traps that get 1-1 ½ inch long with sharp teeth and bristle sensor hairs inside each trap. In the spring it sends out a flower stalk with a cluster of small white flowers.

Care
In order to grow a Venus Fly trap you must know what kind of environment it requires. It does well in an open terrarium where humidity and moisture can be controlled.
It needs wet, acidic (ph 3.9-4.8) soil, humid air (min 50%) and temperatures ranging from 55-80F degrees. Plant the tuberous perennial in 50% peat and sand or 100% sphagnum moss. Be sure to always keep the plant moist and never let it dry out. You can flood or soak the soil but then drain it so it doesn’t get water logged. When watering, use distilled or clean rainwater. Keep it in 1/2 day full sun and 50% shade in spring to fall with increased shade in summer. Don’t need to fertilize, for the most part they will feed themselves.

How the traps feed
The traps have 6 sensor hairs inside. If 1 hair is touched twice or 2 hairs are touched simultaneously the trap starts to partially close to determine if the object is edible. As the insect struggles to free itself more hairs are triggered causing the trap squeezes tighter then closing all the way releasing acidic enzymes to digest the insect. This process can take 5-12 days. If the trap is triggered by something else then it will reopen within 12 hours. Each trap can take 2-3 insects and then dies. Dying leaves and traps are part of the growing cycle and should be trimmed off.

Winter dormancy
VFT requires a 3-5 month dormant period and should be stored slightly moist at 45-50F degrees. At this time it may loose all its leaves and die back. Remove any blackened foliage to avoid disease. When it shows signs of new growth start watering again.

Be sure your Vft has been propagated vegetatively from clump division, leaf cuttings, tissue culture or started from seed and not removed from the wild as this species is threatened by extinction.

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5 Comments on Venus flytrap care»

  1. My Venus Flytrap is flowering and know I’ve learned that it will almost certainly kill it, but it’s producing new traps and seems healthy, so is it still in danger or is it possible that it will survive?
    Also, I think of buying another one on the internet, but is it legal to ship plants from America to Europe and is it healthy for the plant?
    - Camille

    Carnivorous plant experts recommend that you cut off the flower because it will drain the plant of energy which it needs to keep producing healthy traps. My Venus Flytrap died shortly after blooming eventhough it looked good while it was in bloom. As long as the plant is grown legally in a greenhouse then I don’t see any reason not to ship it anywhere in the world.

    Comment by Camille — 2/19/2008 @ 1:11 pm

  2. I recently bought a venus fly trap and some of the leaves are turning black. Is this a disease or are the leaves just old and dying? Alison

    Can be both, dying leaves are part of the natural growing cycle. They should be pruned to good material so that the rot doesn’t spread to other parts of the plant. Black leaves can also occur if it is kept too warm, too wet and too humid allowing fungus to attack . Fifty percent humidity is ideal. When the trap goes into a dormant stage, old leaves will turn black and should be trimmed. If they persist, then you will need to treat them with a fungicide.

    Comment by Alison — 2/19/2008 @ 1:16 pm

  3. a few days after eating, my fly trap leaf will start turning black starting from where fly is and extending to the rest of leaf. I cut away the leaf.

    If the trap doesn’t shut tight the digestive juices aren’t protected then mold and bacteria can enter to feed on the fly also causing the trap to die.

    Comment by Gene O\’Neal — 2/19/2008 @ 1:26 pm

  4. My VFT was doing well this past fall, when it has plenty of flies to feed on. We once saw it with 4 at a time and it started going down hill from there. Maybe it used too much energy? Now it is early spring and for several months now it grows a new shoot every week or two, but a “mouth” never develops - therefore it cannot eat (even though there are no flies now anyway). Should I be doing something different to help it grow or is this normal? Do they need to be repotted? Mine is in a tiny 2.5″ pot. Also, can we water it with tap water we have left sitting in a cup for a few days to allow the chlorine to vaporize?

    Your VFT may have gone through a dormant period during the winter at which time they will slow or stop growing and “rest". It may also be stressed from over eating which is a fast way to kill it. Give it lots of humidity and keep it moist-not wet. A makeshift terrarium from a clear 2-liter soda bottle may also help with the humidity. Distilled or rain water is best but if you need to use tap water (as you suggested) let it sit for a few days to evaporate the chlorine. Don’t worry about repotting or feeding it as it will “fend” for itself. With spring just around the corner it should perk up.

    Comment by Jenni — 3/2/2008 @ 9:03 am

  5. Two weeks ago I brought my fly trap out of winter dormancy after three months of being in the refrigerator and have just noticed some small bluish gray bugs walking around on the top of the soil. They really don�t look like aphids and seem to have no interest in the plant at all. Should I be worried? The plant is still growing back its first new traps of the year and I don�t want to stress the fragile plant by doing anything unnecessary. This is an indoor plant and I did not see them last year. Thanks

    The bluish gray bugs may be soil gnats which live in wet conditions and feed on decaying organic material. You didn’t mention if you repotted your Venus Fly trap. It’s a good idea to repot it in fresh medium (a mix of 60% peat moss and 40% perlite). Soil (fungus)gnats are usually nothing to worry about unless they get out of control. The plant actually feeds on them.

    Comment by Bryan — 3/22/2008 @ 12:22 am

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