I just got a Venus Flytrap from TraderJoe. Is there any secret to growing these so they live long and prosper?
@peeppeepcircus @YouInMyEye Lol, I've killed all of mine, but I have a free printable care sheet I made here. Good luck!
https://tippitiwichet.wordpress.com/2021/08/25/free-printable-venus-flytrap-care-sheet-and-carnivorous-plant-photos/
@tippitiwichet timing is everything 😬 @YouInMyEye
@YouInMyEye @peeppeepcircus More of an obsessed fan than an expert at keeping them alive. Tippitiwichet is an Old English common name for Venus Flytrap, as well as old slang for vag :).
@tippitiwichet @peeppeepcircus
Ah... 🤔 ... 😳 😆
@YouInMyEye crap soil, lots of humidity
Crap soil? That sounds counter intuitive.
@YouInMyEye they grow in swamps, marshland that is nutrient poor - hence eating bugs - and boggy water.
Ah... So I need a good supply of flies. I'm planning to bring some potted plants in from outside so I should have a whole lot of gnats....
@YouInMyEye that’ll work. I killed one before i did the googs, recommend research first:)
@YouInMyEye i wish I knew. Had one a long time ago but it didn't last long
That's what I'm afraid of.
@YouInMyEye I've never owned one, but this girl has some info for summer and winter care, and the type of water they need 🙂
Cool. Thanks. 👍
So they die in winter and come alive in summer... That's cool. I saw some at Lowe's and they were almost all dead so I was concerned.
@YouInMyEye I think it's more like a dormancy thing. You still need to give them care, but just not as much or as often, and not expect them to grow... kinda like lots of cactus plants when they have their winter chill out period. 🙂
Do they eat mosquitos?
That's one of my hopes... and fruit flies. They drive me batty.
@YouInMyEye
They love growing in sphagnum moss because it increases the acidity of the soil.
They will go dormant with shorter days. They’ll appear to die. Don’t worry. They require a winter period (2-3 months) of colder weather and will return when the days get longer.
They cannot have regular soil. Only specific carnivorous soil or pure sphagnum moss (not miraclegro or any with any additives/fertilizers). Put it in a bowl with *only distilled or rain water* to bottom water & a day after the bowl dries, fill up again. The drainage holes must be in the water. They like water & the evaporating water will create humidity. Don't trip the traps. If you want to feed it (indoors only), the bug must be ⅓ size of the trap.
Wow... I think that's all the info I need for my adventure!
@ExecutiveFunction404 @YouInMyEye (looks up from her platoon of 12 traps) Condolences on your new addiction. Remember, your new friend wants to be in a nutrient-depleted Carolina swamp. When in doubt, ask yourself: What can I do to make this environment more like a nutrient-depleted swamp?
@ExecutiveFunction404 @YouInMyEye Also, everything already said, plus: As much sunlight as possible, until it's time for dormancy (4 months/year!). The girls here do love a bright windowsill! If they get the light and distilled water they need, you don't even need to feed them. (If you do feed them, it's no more than once/month -- strictly supplemental.)
(Also, if you're not on the Greg app yet, it's a good place to be!)
I can't do the Greg app. I thought it was the vft page that gave bad info (on the website, at least), but I guess it was a different plant. It was egregiously wrong.
For vfts, I use https://venusflytrapworld.com for info on them.
@ExecutiveFunction404 @YouInMyEye That's an excellent site -- I was there often in the first few years of... entrapment? 🫠
Feed about every 4-6 weeks in the beginning, then once stable & healthy, can be as often as 2wks. Try not to exceed that, but if one catches a bug, nbd.
They need *a lot* of light. If growing outdoors, full sun. If indoors, a good grow light is required. When the traps start turning red, you know they're getting good light. I have 2-3 wands of a cheap grow light about 8" from mine.
Don't fret over dying or black leaves, they die over time (see pics).
@ExecutiveFunction404 @YouInMyEye You're feeding yours how often?! Is it warmer where you are? I honestly haven't seen benefit to more than once / month -- the plants simply weren't gaining back the energy they were expending to trap / digest. Temperature difference perhaps?
Mine are mainly indoors and the temp is a steady 69° with colder nights. When they don't look good, I don't feed more than every 6 weeks, but when they're looking healthy like the first one I posted, I usually do every 3 weeks or so, but have done every 2 a bunch of times.
I guess their success rate of catching a bug isn't that good in nature... like many carnivores.
Idk how much they eat in nature, so it's possible. I always assumed it was due to a perfect environment vs a created one. Can we ever reproduce their environment completely? I'd think it's extremely rare, if so. Therefore, I surmised they don't need as much energy, hence the low food requirement.
But that's just a guess 🤷♀️
As long as there are multiple traps, you're good. After a while, you may find what look like baby traps growing along the side (see pic). Congrats, you have babies! After dormancy, you can use this time to repot & divide. You now have 2(+) vfts!
Dormancy - every year in winter, the vft should be placed in a cold environment and given just a few hours of light a day. It will look dead. It's not. (I skipped my first year bc I also got them in autumn)
Idk if I forgot anything lol
Oh, you can trim the dead traps. I usually do it every couple of months, bc I've inadvertently set off traps and that's really not good, so I do it as infrequent as possible without letting the dead leaves mold.
They flower too (you can see the stalk in the middle of the plant). Supposedly you can grow other vfts with flower stalks, but I've never had any luck 😂. Plus, division provides new plants, so don't be like me lol.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know!
The type of pot used is very important also, as you can't have anything that leeches anything (but, surprisingly, plastic is ideal 🤷♀️ lol). That includes the vft pot & the bowl or whatever you use for the bottom watering. Terracotta is a definite no. Ceramic must be glazed inside & out. Plastic is the best option. Styrofoam is another option.
Here's a starting guide & feel free to browse the website. It's one of the ones I use for questions.
https://venusflytrapworld.com/10-hacks-on-how-to-keep-venus-flytrap-alive/
Got it! 👍 💚
Feel free to reach out if you have questions! I'd be more than happy to share the knowledge I've learned 🩷
Yes!
I feel like I just joined a cult of little flesh eating plants. 😆 The responses were overwhelming! 👍 👏 👏 👏 🌱 💚
@YouInMyEye Plant them in the swamps of North Carolina? : )
Don't feed them hamburger like it said in the old ads. It just rots and hurts the plant.
@YouInMyEye
paging @tippitiwichet