I just got a new Venus fly trap plant for Christmas does ...
9
Hi!!
Venus flytraps are a bit different, as they have special soil & water requirements.
Water: Vfts need distilled, rainwater, or Reverse Osmosis water only. Tap water will slowly kill them because there's a lot of minerals in it. Some tap water is okay, but you need a tds meter to test it. If the water is below 50ppm, it's good. I just stay on the safe side and use distilled water. Also make sure that it **never dries out**. For these plants drying out is like a death sentence! Keep a saucer under the plant that's consistently filled with distilled water.
Soil: Vfts grow in bogs, and as a result need a media that will hold a lot of water. I use peat moss and perlite. I do a 2:1 ratio because I find it more helpful since more peat moss means the mix will retain more water & mine are outdoors, so it helps.
Light: Vfts need a lottt of light! I find this easiest to achieve outdoors, but I've seen people succeed indoors as well. Mine sit outdoors and get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. If it's indoors, have a good growlight and keep it on for 14hrs a day. With enough light they'll get beautiful deep reds in their traps & their petioles (the part that the trap comes off of) won't be flimsy.
Dormancy: A lot of people tend to not realize that vfts are indeed temperate plants (they are native to parts of North and South Carolina here in the USA). Because they're temperate, this means that they have a dormancy period during winter. This is required, it's not good to skip it as it'll hurt the plant in the long run. They need their rest too ! The state I live in doesn't get very cold, we have pretty mild winters so I just leave mine outdoors, and they go dormant on their own. Because of this I don't have too much experience with dormancy in colder places, but I can provide some videos and the info that I know. If it's in a pot, they can handle temps down to 20°F (roughly -6.7°C). The main thing that gets them is the wind chill along with freezing and then thawing a ton. Some people overwinter their plants in the fridge or on a bright windowsill in an unheated room.
Videos to help with dormancy: https://youtube.com/shorts/Sevqadl5vQ8?si=92dHX6sG59Uos0Fa
https://youtu.be/qz-TJW_TpQU?si=egx0woJqp29EMdPJ
https://youtu.be/ZzJ7jq9I4SY?si=Vt1uloi7hkIiT8cf
Some other stuff:
•Don't use unglazed clay or terracotta pots with these guys. They will leech unwanted minerals into the soil that can kill your vft.
• When feeding your vft, if you want to, make sure the bug is smaller than the size of the trap. If it isn't, the trap will end up turning black and dying because it won't be able to seal when it fills up with the digestive fluid to digest the bug.
• You don't have to feed your vft, it's optional. They'll do just fine without regular feeding :)
• Traps do die off after being closed about 3-4 times, so don't be alarmed! It's normal.
Hopefully this helped, sorry if it's a bit long 😅. If you have any more questions feel free to ask! I'm going to include a photo of one of my vfts not in dormancy, and one in dormancy, so you can see better what they look like.
Venus flytraps are a bit different, as they have special soil & water requirements.
Water: Vfts need distilled, rainwater, or Reverse Osmosis water only. Tap water will slowly kill them because there's a lot of minerals in it. Some tap water is okay, but you need a tds meter to test it. If the water is below 50ppm, it's good. I just stay on the safe side and use distilled water. Also make sure that it **never dries out**. For these plants drying out is like a death sentence! Keep a saucer under the plant that's consistently filled with distilled water.
Soil: Vfts grow in bogs, and as a result need a media that will hold a lot of water. I use peat moss and perlite. I do a 2:1 ratio because I find it more helpful since more peat moss means the mix will retain more water & mine are outdoors, so it helps.
Light: Vfts need a lottt of light! I find this easiest to achieve outdoors, but I've seen people succeed indoors as well. Mine sit outdoors and get 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. If it's indoors, have a good growlight and keep it on for 14hrs a day. With enough light they'll get beautiful deep reds in their traps & their petioles (the part that the trap comes off of) won't be flimsy.
Dormancy: A lot of people tend to not realize that vfts are indeed temperate plants (they are native to parts of North and South Carolina here in the USA). Because they're temperate, this means that they have a dormancy period during winter. This is required, it's not good to skip it as it'll hurt the plant in the long run. They need their rest too ! The state I live in doesn't get very cold, we have pretty mild winters so I just leave mine outdoors, and they go dormant on their own. Because of this I don't have too much experience with dormancy in colder places, but I can provide some videos and the info that I know. If it's in a pot, they can handle temps down to 20°F (roughly -6.7°C). The main thing that gets them is the wind chill along with freezing and then thawing a ton. Some people overwinter their plants in the fridge or on a bright windowsill in an unheated room.
Videos to help with dormancy: https://youtube.com/shorts/Sevqadl5vQ8?si=92dHX6sG59Uos0Fa
https://youtu.be/qz-TJW_TpQU?si=egx0woJqp29EMdPJ
https://youtu.be/ZzJ7jq9I4SY?si=Vt1uloi7hkIiT8cf
Some other stuff:
•Don't use unglazed clay or terracotta pots with these guys. They will leech unwanted minerals into the soil that can kill your vft.
• When feeding your vft, if you want to, make sure the bug is smaller than the size of the trap. If it isn't, the trap will end up turning black and dying because it won't be able to seal when it fills up with the digestive fluid to digest the bug.
• You don't have to feed your vft, it's optional. They'll do just fine without regular feeding :)
• Traps do die off after being closed about 3-4 times, so don't be alarmed! It's normal.
Hopefully this helped, sorry if it's a bit long 😅. If you have any more questions feel free to ask! I'm going to include a photo of one of my vfts not in dormancy, and one in dormancy, so you can see better what they look like.
Venus fly traps are beautiful! Mine lives inside, but once in a while I put it outside to catch flies or get sun, but I usually put it by my windowsill. It usually needs 6 hours or more but it’s on the windowsill all day getting 6 hours of sun. And for water, keep it moist not soggy, spray it with a water mist. Water it like every 7 days. And if you’re wondering how often to repot it, it does not need much space. Mine has been in the same pot for a year. But if you want it to grow bigger than feel free to repot it, but make sure the dirt has some moss. Although mine does not even live off flies, it does not catch anything as I expected, it’s still a pretty cute plant to have. Good luck with your Venus fly trap!
@GirlWhosLovable thank you that helped me because I do have a few plants I have over 10 small cactuses and a Chinese money plant and an aloe Vera plant but I am very new to Venus fly traps because they are so much different compared to money plants and cactuses.. so thank you very much for that information 🌸🍀
ok thank you