Venus Flytraps

VENUS FLYTRAPS

These plants need very moist air and the inside of most homes are too dry. For this reason be sure to grow them inside a glass terrarium or keep it in a room with higher humidity. You can use a small fish bowl, an oversized wineglass, a large jar or vase as a terrarium.  If your home is very dry, your container may need a lid.

POTTING UP

Plant your Flytrap into coarse sphagnum moss and use a spray bottle to keep it moist at all times. You can also use a mix of 33-50% peat moss to perlite. Spray toward the side of the container not directly on the plant. Do not add fertilizer and do not let the plant sit in water. Keep in bright light but not direct sun.

MAINTENANCE

If kept healthy, your Venus Flytrap will live for many years and the trap leaves can get up to 1”. Remove any leaves that turn black. This will encourage the formation of new heads.

FEEDING

Don’t overfeed your plant. The average sized plant only needs 2-3 flies per month. You can add live bugs to the terrarium or drop dead bugs onto an open leaf. The general rule is try to only feed the fly trap heads bugs that are max 1/3 its size. If you feed it ones that are larger than this it will have a hard time digesting it and could ware out or even damage the plant. In the early stages you can feed it smaller bugs like fruit flies or ants. Later on once the fly trap heads size up you can start to feed it larger things like houseflies, mosquitoes etc.

WATERING

When watering use distilled water or rain water if possible. Venus flytraps don’t enjoy salty waters/waters high in minerals. Try to avoid getting water on the foliage as best you can. Try to keep the soil medium moist to wet, they do not enjoy drying out too much between waterings.

WINTER 

During winter months, lower light levels can cause your flytrap to go dormant.  It may lose some leaves or not eat. If possible place in a cooler area until spring.