How do you care for venus fly traps

How to Water, Feed, & Tend This Carnivorous Plant

Venus fly traps (also called Venus flytraps or just a flytrap) are among the coolest plants you can grow. In their native habitat, Venus fly traps live for years. Unfortunately, they are often short-lived plants in cultivation, but this is only because most people don’t care for them properly. In this article, you’ll learn all the essential basics of Venus fly trap care.

Venus fly traps are unique plants to add to your collection but caring for them requires some special considerations.

Varieties of Venus fly traps

There is only one species of Venus fly trap, Dionaea muscipula, and it is native to a small region of eastern North and South Carolina. Over the years, it has been bred to exhibit different traits, and there are now dozens of different cultivars on the market. Some of the types of Venus fly traps you may come across include ‘Red Dragon’ which has a dark red coloration, ‘Justina Davis’ which is a solid green, ‘Flaming Lips’ which has bright orange traps, and ‘Purple Haze’ which has deep purple traps, among many others. There are some pretty funky growth forms out there, too, though they are often only available through specialty plant nurseries. Most are propagated via tissue culture, but sadly, wild collecting does still take place, even though it puts native populations in peril.

The majority Venus fly trap varieties grow just an inch or two tall and wide, though some larger cultivars exist.

There are many varieties of Venus fly traps on the market, but they all come from just a single species of this cool plant.

Venus fly trap care essentials

In order to properly care for a Venus fly trap plant, you first have to understand what it needs. Like other plants, what a fly trap needs to grow is based on where it evolved and what it requires from its natural environment. The same factors you consider when caring for other plants should also be taken into account when it comes to caring for a Venus fly trap. In a nutshell, those factors are light, the growing medium, water, nutrition, and, for Venus fly traps, a special dormancy period. We’ll talk about each of these factors in turn. But first, let’s talk about the fact that Venus fly traps can be grown both indoors and out.

Fly traps evolved in soils that are very nutrient poor, leading them to develop the ability to absorb nutrients from trapped and digested insect prey.

Venus fly trap care: indoors vs. outdoors

Venus fly traps are significantly easier to care for when grown outside as a winter-tender plant, rather than growing them indoors. Home environments aren’t ideal, unless you have a very sunny windowsill and can give the plants a lot of attention. However, I’ll discuss both indoor and outdoor Venus fly trap care in this article because I know that not everyone has the ability or space to grow them outdoors.

The best planting mix for Venus flytrap plants

Regardless of whether you decide to grow your fly trap indoors or out, you’ll need to consider the best growing mixture to use first. Venus fly traps evolved in the very lean, nutrient-poor soil of bogs. That’s why they developed the interesting adaptation of relying on nutrients absorbed from their insect prey, rather than from the soil.

Do not plant Venus fly traps in garden soil or in regular potting soil. Instead, use a mix containing two parts peat moss and one part perlite as ingredients. An alternative mix is a 50/50 blend of peat moss and perlite. Pure high-quality fiber sphagnum moss is a third option.

Long-fiber sphagnum moss makes a good potting medium, though finding a high-quality source is essential. Here, I’ve taken a plant out of its pot to show you how the roots are wrapped in sphagnum threads.

The best light levels for Venus fly traps

These carnivorous plants require a lot of sun. If you’re growing your plant outdoors, 4 or more hours of direct sunlight followed by 2-4 hours of bright indirect light is best. Indoors, a south-facing window that receives at least 6 hours of full sun is necessary if you live in the northern hemisphere. Alternatively, put the plant under a grow light for 10-12 hours per day during the growing season. Choose a light system that produces light in the blue wavelength and place the lights about 6 to 8 inches above the plant tops.

I much prefer growing Venus fly traps outside to growing them indoors. It’s an easy way to ensure they receive enough light.

Do Venus flytraps need to be in a terrarium?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to grow indoor Venus fly traps in a terrarium. In fact, fully closed terrariums can cause the plants to develop rot. If you have an open-topped terrarium with good aeration, flytraps should do fine (combine them with a pitcher plant and sundew for a truly carnivorous experience!). It’s just enough shelter to keep the humidity around the plant high, but not so much that it causes rot. Never grow fly traps in a terrarium outdoors, however, because the glass amplifies the sun which often leads to leaf burn.

This Venus fly trap is growing in an open-top glass terrarium.

How to water a Venus fly trap

Indoors or out, keep the growing medium moist to wet at all times. Remember, these are bog plants. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Water the plant by sitting the base of the pot in a saucer of water for a few hours at a time every few days. Some growers leave the pot sitting in a saucer with a half inch of water in it at all times, but I find this increases the risk of rot. If you’re growing a fly trap outdoors, to keep the roots from becoming too hot on the hottest days of summer, add cool water to the saucer on a daily basis.

Use distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater only to water Venus fly traps. They do not tolerate water with chlorine, dissolved minerals, or salts in it. Do not use tap water. This is very important.

Feeding your plant is either fun or gross, depending on your outlook. The good news is that if you grow your plants outdoors, they’ll catch plenty of prey on their own.

How to feed a Venus fly trap

If you grow your fly traps outdoors, they catch plenty of prey all on their own, but if you’re growing them indoors, you can catch flies, beetles, spiders, crickets, or other garden insects in a net and use a pair of terrarium tweezers to feed the bug to your plant.

Inside each of the traps are a handful of trigger hairs. If the movement of an insect hits the same hair twice within a few seconds or two different hairs are tapped in quick succession, the trap is triggered to close. Digestive enzymes are then released by the insect’s continued movement after the trap has been triggered, and the plant is able to absorb the nutrients contained in the insect. Feeding a Venus fly trap in this way is not necessary, but it sure is fun!

A few don’ts when it comes to feeding bugs to a Venus fly trap:

Never feed your plant prey during winter dormancy (more on this in a bit).
Do not feed your plant hamburger or any other meat. It’s not able to digest it since the enzymes are only released by movement that takes place after the trap has closed.
Do not feed your plants more than one or two bugs per month.

See the small trigger hairs on the inside of this trap? They are responsible for causing the trap to close.

Fertilizer for Venus fly trap care

Since fly traps live in lean soils, there’s no need to add supplemental fertilizer. They do not like compost, or granular or liquid fertilizers. In most cases, fertilizing kills them.

How often should you repot a Venus fly trap?

Repot Venus fly traps every year or two, selecting a slightly larger pot and changing the growing medium each time. The best time to repot a fly trap is in the early spring.

Venus fly trap care in winter – dormancy is essential!

When autumn arrives, Venus fly trap plants begin to shift into a winter dormancy period. They stop growing and most of the leaves turn black and die. The mechanism that triggers any remaining traps to close no longer works. This is your signal that the plant is shifting into its winter dormancy. This dormancy period is absolutely necessary and lasts 3 or 4 months. Remember, your plant is not dead. Don’t throw it away; just change how you care for it.

Dormancy is triggered by the shorter days and dropping temperatures of autumn. It’s nothing to panic about, I promise. Trying to fight this natural dormancy period spells death for your plant, so don’t ignore it. Plants need it, regardless of whether they are growing indoors or out.

When dormancy arrives, the leaves begin to turn black and die off. Any remaining traps will no longer function.

Regardless of whether you grow your plant indoors or out, put it in a cool location, such as an unheated attached garage or a cool basement, for the dormancy period. The plant doesn’t need much light, but close to a window is best. Venus fly traps can survive occasional winter temperatures as low as 20°F in the wild, but in a container, they aren’t quite as hardy. Winter dormancy temperatures that hover between 50° and 35°F are ideal. If you live in a region where the outdoor temperatures don’t drop lower than 30°F, there’s no need to move the plant into a garage; just leave it outdoors through the dormancy period.

Let all the leaves turn black and die. The plant is resting. During winter dormancy, be sure the plant is kept moist at all times. Do not feed your plant and do not fuss with it. Just let it be.

When spring arrives, the temperatures rise into the 50s, and the days lengthen, move your plants back into your living space if you’re growing them indoors. Or, put them back on a sunny patio if you’re growing them outdoors. If there are any dead leaves clinging to the plant, now is the time to cut them off.

Grow a whole colony of Venus fly traps in a large, deep bowl. Simply move the bowl into a garage for the winter dormancy period and keep it moist.

Venus fly trap care basics

As you can see, caring for Venus fly traps correctly is the perfect combination of art and science. They are truly fascinating plants that deserve a home with any gardener willing to let them have their winter rest.

Need more care advice for carnivorous plants? I recommend The Savage Garden by Peter D’Amato.

For more on growing unique plants, check out these articles:

Lithops: How to care for living stones plants
Pilea peperomioides care
The best low-light succulents
Fishbone cactus growing advice

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A Complete Care Guide for Dionaea

Without a doubt the most famous carnivorous plant, the Venus Flytrap is - for many growers - a gateway drug! Charles Darwin famously described the plant as "one of the most wonderful in the world," and few who have witnessed a healthy trap snapping shut on an insect would disagree.

Venus Flytraps attract prey using sweet nectar. Touch a trigger hair twice, or two hairs in quick succession, and an electric charge closes the trap, its interlocking teeth forming a cage. The insect's struggles will seal the trap, at which point digestive enzymes dissolve the victim's soft tissues. The trap reabsorbs this nutritious soup, and - after about a week - reopens, using the carcass to attract new visitors.

The Venus Flytrap's reputation for being difficult to grow is undeserved. Follow this guide and you'll soon be growing huge, healthy specimens of this magnificent plant.

Let's get started!

Where do Venus flytraps come from?
Growing Locations
Soil & Water
Winter Dormancy
Flowers and Seeds
Feeding your Flytrap
Cultivars & Mutations
Buying Venus Flytraps

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Please update your browser An adult Venus Flytrap catches two flies at once!

2. Growing Locations for Venus Flytraps

Venus Flytraps need direct sunlight for healthy growth. If you’re growing your plant indoors choose a bright sunny windowsill - preferably south-facing if you’re in the UK. Insufficient sunlight will cause your flytrap’s leaves to become weak and spindly. Most forms of the Venus Flytrap will tell you they’re receiving sufficient sunlight by turning the insides of their traps red.

Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) growing very happily in full sun on windowsills.

They do not require a terrarium to grow, although they can appreciate the higher humidity of the enclosed environment. They can be happy in terrariums provided you respect their winter dormancy requirements and provide sufficient light. Artificial lighting can work well, particularly high-powered fluorescents such as T5 growlights.

Venus flytraps grow extremely well in conservatories and unheated greenhouses. Temperatures in the Carolinas frequently hit 30°C (86°F) during summer and drop below 0°C in in the winter (32°F), and so Venus Flytraps are perfectly happy in the UK climate provided they are protected from the elements.

Note that most Venus Flytraps produce different kinds of leaves throughout the growing season. Those produced at the start and end of the growing season (spring and autumn) tend to be lower-growing with heart-shaped petioles, while those produced in summer are held up higher on narrow, elongated petioles.

3. Soil & Water for Venus Flytrap

The traditional compost mixture for Venus Flytraps is sphagnum peat moss mixed with either lime-free horticultural sand or perlite, to a ratio of about 2:1. For UK readers, I sell bags of an excellent ready-made Venus flytrap soil on my shop. Alternatively, you can buy this compost mix on Amazon worldwide.

An alternative peat-free growing media is pure long fibre sphagnum moss. I’ve had good success growing my own flytraps in pure sphagnum, and while it can be more expensive than a peat-based mix, I’d highly recommend trying this sustainable approach.

During the growing season, you should stand the pot in about 1 cm of water (about ⅓ inch) and avoid watering from the top. They prefer to grow in soil which is wet, but not completely waterlogged. During winter they require less water, and the soil should be kept just damp.

Venus flytraps growing in a water tray.

Another critical point which is often overlooked: Venus Flytraps need pure water. Like many other carnivorous plants, they evolved to grow in damp, low-nutrient soil, and giving them bottled, filtered, or tap water can result in a build-up of minerals that will eventually kill your Venus Flytrap. You should avoid fertilisers for similar reasons. Your best options are rainwater, distilled or deionised water, or water produced by a reverse osmosis system. I’ve outlined your options in more detail here.

4. Winter Dormancy

Venus Flytraps require a cold winter dormancy between November and February. You need to mimic the conditions of their natural habitat, which means providing a cold resting period. Much like you need to sleep every night, Venus Flytraps need to go dormant over winter!

Venus flytraps entering winter dormancy, photographed by fellow grower Megan (@carnivorous_plant_girl)

If you grow your plants on a windowsill or in a terrarium during the growing season, you will need to move them somewhere colder - sit them next to a window in your garage or shed, for example. Plants growing in unheated greenhouses can remain there over winter.

As the days shorten and the temperature drops, your plant’s leaves will start to turn black and your plant will die back to the rhizome. This is normal, and you can safely trim off any dead growth. The end of the winter dormancy period is a good opportunity to repot - and even divide - your plants if they require it before growth begins in March. A 10 cm (4 inch) pot is sufficient for adult plants.

5. Venus Flytrap Flowers & Seeds

Fully grown Venus Flytraps flower in Spring, but unless you intend to harvest seed, you should cut off the flower stalk once it’s reached about 5 cm tall. Flowering can be exhausting for Venus Flytraps, and most plants will grow more vigorously during summer if prevented from flowering.

A flower bud emerging on a Venus Flytrap.Close up of a Venus Flytrap flower.

What about seeds?

Growing Venus flytraps from seed takes a lot of patience! It takes many years for seedlings to reach adult size, and for inexperienced growers it can sometimes be challenging to keep them alive. What’s more, eBay and Facebook are awash with fake seeds and scams! If you’d like to give it a try, always buy seed from a reputable specialist nursery. I sell Venus flytrap seed kits on my shop, as well as seed variety packs containing a mixture of less-challenging species.

If you wish to sexually propagate your own Venus Flytrap by collecting and sowing seeds, I recommend reading this article by Flytrapcare.com.

6. Feeding your Venus Flytrap

If grown outside, Venus Flytraps will catch more than enough food for themselves. If you keep your plants indoors then you can feed them with dead or live insects, but you should do so only once you’ve taken care of all their other growing requirements.

In order for Venus Flytraps to properly digest prey, the trigger hairs need to be stimulated after the trap has closed - this is to prevent the plant from wasting energy trying to digest non-edible matter which may have fallen into the trap. After dropping a dead insect into a trap, you can stimulate the trigger hairs with a toothpick, or by gently massaging the sides of the trap with your fingers.

If it’s time to feed your plant, check out my guide to feeding Venus Flytraps, in which I recommend a variety of suitable and easily-available foods.

7. Venus Flytrap Cultivars & Mutations

There is only one species of Venus Flytrap: Dionaea muscipula. The hundreds of varieties you can find for sale are bred horticulturally, and are known as cultivars.

All Venus Flytraps consist of a small rosette of leaves (called petioles), each of which ends in a trap. The traps of adult plants are typically around 2.5 cm in length, but can reach up to 5 cm in some of the giant varieties.

Dionaea cultivars, top: the all-green 'Justina Davis', the fine-toothed 'Sawtooth', the popular mutant 'Fused Tooth', and the huge 'Slack's Giant'. Bottom: the all-red 'Akai Ryu', and the bizarrely deformed 'Alien'.

Cultivars are generally selected for colour, size, or mutation. The first group, particularly the all-green and all-red forms, are among the most popular. These include Dionaea ‘Justina Davis’, which remains completely green even in full sun, and Dionaea ‘Akai Ryu’ (also known as ‘Red Dragon’), which develops a striking maroon or burgundy colouration over the entire plant. Particularly large varieties include ‘Slack’s Giant’ and ‘South West Giant’, the latter of which originated right here in the UK.

Finally, there are the mutants. These are typically the result of tissue culture mishaps, and some are deformed to the point of being unable to catch prey. They are seemingly loved and hated in equal measure; while some growers enjoy the novelty, others find them grotesque!

8. Where can I buy a Venus flytrap?

You can buy healthy Venus flytraps right here on Tom’s Carnivores - just take a look at my online shop. I also sell compost, seeds, and carnivorous plant collections including ideal companions like Pitcher plants and Sundews. Delivery is via DPD’s next-day service and is available throughout the UK.

Plants bought from specialist carnivorous plant nurseries will typically be much stronger and more robust than those from hardware / DIY stores. You’ll also get much better advice on successful growing, and you’ll be supporting a small business!

A healthy Venus flytrap, photographed by Petr Novák.

Still want to learn more?

Buy The Savage Garden, by Peter D’Amato. In my opinion, this is the single best book on carnivorous plants you can buy today. Its chapters on Dionaea are brilliantly detailed and great for beginners. Available on Amazon.

Venus Flytrap Care | Dionea at home

Our shop offers a wide variety of exotic plants. The Venus flytrap, or dionea, is one of the most sought after options, and here's why:

This is a fairly rare plant that can not be found on every windowsill.
Dionea is a very striking representative of exotic plants: it hunts with the help of leaf plates that have turned into deadly traps, has an unusual color and feeds on shellless insects. Watching the hunt is very interesting!

Dioneya feels good at home: if you follow a few rules, there will be no problems with care. What can and cannot be done with a Venus flytrap - we will tell in this article.

Lighting

The Venus flytrap grows naturally in swampy areas on the east coast of the United States of America. Therefore, your task is to recreate these climatic conditions as much as possible.

When choosing a place, pay attention to the southern windowsill. On the east or west window, Dionea also feels good: 5 hours of sunlight per day is the minimum necessary for the normal growth and development of the plant. It is not necessary to protect the flycatcher from the sun, the main thing is that it should not be stuffy, like in a bathhouse.
In the spring-summer period, the Venus flytrap begins an active hunt. Practice shows that she copes well with the capture of insects herself.

You need to know!
In autumn and winter, the sun rarely appears, so the flycatcher needs additional lighting. Phytolamp is best suited for this purpose. It is not difficult to understand that a plant lacks light: its leaves stretch and lose their brightness.

Temperature and watering

Dionea is a heat-loving flower, therefore it grows well and develops at temperatures from 22 to 30 degrees Celsius. In summer, the flycatcher calmly tolerates higher temperatures, but if this regime is maintained throughout the year, the plant will not live long. In winter, the flower needs rest.

Let's say you have already chosen a place for a flycatcher pot. It's time to take care of its watering.

The plant does not absorb mineral salts from the soil and is very demanding on the composition and quality of water.
Distilled or rain water, as well as melted snow at room temperature, is suitable for watering a Venus flytrap. Tap water cannot be used. Even after a long standing, it remains tough, and there are many questions about its composition.

The plant needs bottom watering, but to avoid charring of the soil, occasionally add a little water from above. Fill the tray with water, and the flycatcher flower will take the amount of moisture it needs. The earth in the pot should not dry out!

In winter, the plant must be sent for wintering!

How to choose soil and pot?

The choice of a pot is a matter of taste, but this plant looks most solemn in a white background. It is also often chosen in the case when a flower is bought not for themselves, but as a gift.

The beauty and health of a plant depends on the soil. Due to the inability to absorb minerals, the flycatcher prefers poor soils. It can be a mixture of peat and quartz sand (an alternative is perlite soaked in distilled water). In order not to buy the components separately and not to experiment with the proportions indicated on the Internet, we recommend that you purchase ready-made primer for dionea (it is always on sale).

This is important!
When choosing a pot, focus on the size of the plant. The container must not be too wide! As for color, light shades heat up less in the sun, which avoids overheating of the root system.
The correct pot must necessarily have drainage holes and a pan into which water is poured.

Dionea planting and transplanting: the most popular options

Variety selection depends on personal preference, but the most popular options are the typical form, large mouth and red dragon. Before placing an order, it is important to understand exactly what you need:

Seeds. Option for advanced flower growers. It takes up to three years to grow a dionea. Of course, a flycatcher grown from seeds is a clear expression of the invested work, skill and patience, but in the absence of experience, we recommend starting with other options. An interesting fact is that a small venus flytrap, most likely, will not look like its parents - this is a feature of this breeding method. If you decide to get seeds at home, you need to consider two points: the plant begins to bloom at the age of 2-3 years and does not belong to the category of self-pollinated. This "work" will have to be taken on, as well as growing seeds in a container, transplanting, careful care of the Venus flytrap during the rooting period.
Seedlings. These are small flycatchers placed in a temporary pot. After receiving the parcel, the plant must be transplanted within 1-2 weeks. Accordingly, it is better to prepare the soil and container in advance.
Plant in a pot. The older the flower, the more magnificent and larger it is. If you buy a flycatcher as a gift, pay attention to the plants planted in a pot with automatic watering.

What do we do for you?

You have the right to choose any of the offered options, our task is to provide you with a quality product. Germination of seeds of carnivorous plants is about 70%. In practice, this means that 7 out of 10 potential plants will sprout. The second direction of our activity is the cultivation of Venus flytrap specifically for sale. We understand that our customers are located in various parts of Russia, and therefore we pay special attention to packaging and transportation conditions. In order to keep the plants warm on the way, we ship them between April and November, but this is not the only reason for choosing this interval. Many plants go dormant in winter. It is impossible to transplant flowers during this period. In spring and summer, we recommend using the following algorithm:

Carefully remove the flower from the transport container.
Clear the roots from the ground.
Prepare a container at least 20 cm deep and place a layer of substrate on the bottom.
Place the plant in the middle of the pot and cover it with the rest of the soil.

The soil does not need to be compacted to allow it to breathe better. Be sure to check for drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

How long is the adjustment period?

Transplanting and changing places is stressful for any plant. The standard duration of the adaptation period is 1 month. At this time, it is very important not to move the plant from place to place and organize proper watering and additional lighting.

About flowering and eating

The flycatcher releases a peduncle. The flowers themselves are small, look like asterisks and smell pleasant, luring insects into a trap.

Flowering can last up to two months, but it must be understood that prolonged flowering depletes the flower.
If you are not interested in growing a Venus flytrap from seeds, it is better to cut off the peduncle, which prevents the plant from developing and forming large traps.

Interesting fact
Most plants require fertilizer during flowering and active growth. Here the situation is completely different: since the root system is not able to receive minerals from the soil, it synthesizes them on its own, but it will not be possible to solve the problem with a lack of nitrogen in this way.

The only source of nitrogen is stray insects that fall into its trap. If you take the pot out to the balcony in the spring and summer, the plant will cope with this task on its own, but you should not feed the flower with dead flies (if necessary, only live ones). Also, the flycatcher will not refuse mosquitoes and spiders.

Do not feed the flycatcher with beetles, worms and hard-shelled insects and human food (sausage, meat and other foods).
Avoid complementary feeding during the adaptation period, in winter or if the plant is sick. Digestion of an insect is an energy-consuming process.

Failure to follow these recommendations will result in the death of the trap due to the inability to properly digest food. The ideal "lunch" of a flower that eats flies takes up no more than 1/3 of the area of the trap!

How does the flycatcher winter?

Preparation for hibernation begins around October, but it is necessary to remove the plant for wintering in November-December. It is not difficult to understand that the plant is preparing for hibernation: the flycatcher gives wide leaves, the traps, on the contrary, become small. Thus Dionea saves the roots from the cold.

At this time, it is important to reduce watering, but still do not allow the soil to dry out completely. If you forget about watering for a long time, the Dionea plant may not wake up.

Is it possible to revive the flycatcher?

The answer to this question depends on two factors: the degree of damage to the plant and the speed of your reaction. If the rhizome is painted white, the flycatcher can be saved. To do this, carefully remove the blackened parts of the plant and transplant it into a new pot with suitable soil. During the rehabilitation period, the flycatcher is especially in dire need of sunlight, so the presence of a lamp aimed at dionea 12 hours a day is a necessary condition.

The flycatcher gets sick quite rarely, however, if two factors coincide - waterlogging of the soil and low temperature - a fungus may appear on the roots, and gray rot on the stem and leaves. This "infection" is treated with fungicides, which can be purchased at any store selling indoor plants. With timely detection of the problem, the chances of recovery are great. But the yellowing of the leaves indicates that you are watering the flycatcher with unsuitable water, such as tap water, or you have flooded the flower. Here it is important to realize the mistake in time and change hard water to distillate or normalize the irrigation regime.

Frequently asked questions

Venus flytrap is a beautiful and unusual predator, so it is often bought as a gift. Before making a purchase decision, we are asked a lot of questions. Here are the most common ones:

Is the Venus flytrap dangerous for humans?

Venus flytrap is completely safe for both humans and pets. Her only interest is small insects: spiders, mosquitoes, flies and midges. If a child touches the trap, nothing will happen to his finger: the leaves of the plant are soft, and the “juice” does not begin to be produced immediately. Just think, one insect can take up to 10 days to digest.

On the other hand, frequent “playing” with the flycatcher can lead to its death. Each closing of the trap is accompanied by a large expenditure of energy. If the flytrap is infrequently “deceived”, nothing terrible will happen - in a day or two it will open again, but such manipulations on an ongoing basis can destroy the plant. If you want to observe a "living organism", catch a fly and try to feed the flycatcher, while the insect must be alive.

Is it difficult to take care of carnivorous plants?

Your order comes with a detailed guide to caring for your venus flytrap at home, so in most cases there are no problems. All a flycatcher needs is soft water and good (natural or artificial) lighting. With the capture of insects, the flycatcher, as a rule, does an excellent job on its own.

How long does a flycatcher live?

Venus flytrap is a perennial plant that can live for decades if properly cared for.

We will be glad if, after reading this article, you still decide to purchase this amazing flower. In our store, the most common and unpretentious plants, as well as everything you need to grow a flycatcher at home - special soil, seeds, pots.

We deliver all plants presented on the site in Russia. Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region can arrange courier delivery, as well as pick up a flower from our showroom. Goods are sent to other regions by Russian Post, Boxberry and SDEK.

If you are looking for the most beautiful exotic plants - look at the Exotica online store. We guarantee a wide selection and reasonable prices!

Care and cultivation of Venus Flytrap at home

Venus flytrap is an unusual, insectivorous plant that is increasingly winning the hearts of flower growers. Many gardeners are afraid to grow them because of the difficult care. But is it?!
Despite their popularity, the main reason why they die quite quickly in our homes is the lack of proper care. Of course, these are not the easiest plants to care for, but when you follow simple tips for flycatchers, they will be able to please you for a long time in the office or at home. It is interesting to know that some flycatchers, with proper care, can live up to 30 years.

There is only one type of flycatcher - Venus flytrap (lat. Dionaea muscipula) , you can often still hear the name Dionea. This name comes from the Latin name of the genus Dionaea . But, despite the fact that there are different varieties, most of them have identical care requirements. Varieties create personality with their appearance, some have large traps and others come in different colors.

Lighting.

Venus flytrap in its natural environment is found in wet swamps with poor light levels. But, since this plant initially grows in much more open places that receive a lot of direct sunlight, they should be provided with a sunny place.
Soil. Never use nutrient-rich flycatcher soil. Such soil will rather kill this plant than help it develop well. For planting and transplanting a flycatcher, a mixture of sand, peat moss, perlite or vermiculite is suitable. You can also buy the necessary soil mixture at flower shops.
Watering. Venus flytrap needs fairly moderate watering in the warm season. But in winter, the soil can be almost dry.
This plant also has special water requirements. Do not water the flycatcher with plain tap water. Tap water contains salts and other additional minerals, which, although beneficial to human health, are mostly toxic to these plants as they make the water alkaline. For watering flycatchers, rainwater, distilled or bottled water should be used.

Humidity .

When the air is very dry, flycatcher leaves dry up and look very unattractive. Therefore, a water pan should be used to increase the humidity. Some of the water will be used by the plant, but some of the water will evaporate, creating a slightly humid microclimate.
Fertilizers. Never feed a Venus flytrap fertilizer! This is not only unnecessary, but also potentially fatal. Being predatory, they collect all the necessary nutrients from flies and other small insects, which they catch and digest.

Temperature .

Normal room temperature is ideal for growing Venus Flytrap. They can also easily cope with a slight drop in temperature, especially during the cold season.

Transplant .

The general rule is that Dionea should be repotted once a year or every two years in spring or summer. If your plant has not filled the entire pot, then a transplant is not required. In this case, only the soil is updated.

Reproduction .

Propagating a Venus flytrap from seeds is not an easy task and this method of reproduction is not suitable for beginner flower growers.
The easiest way to propagate this plant is by daughter bulbs, which Dionea forms in the process of its growth. For propagation by bulbs, carefully, with a sharp knife, cut off the daughter bulb. It should be noted that it has a sufficient number of roots. The cut point on the mother bulb must be treated with crushed coal, which will prevent the appearance of rot. Then the daughter bulb is simply transplanted into a separate pot with prepared soil and watered. Since this plant is not fast growing, it will take time for it to grow.
Venus flytrap feeding. It is because of feeding that it causes such interest among flower growers. If your flycatcher grows on an open balcony, then it will catch insects on its own. If the plant grows indoors, then it should be fed no more than 1-2 times a month. One fly is digested by a flycatcher for 10-14 days. It is also interesting that if the plant is “full”, then it will “refuse” food.

Flowering .

Venus flytrap sometimes produces flowers. However, they do not add to the attractiveness of the plant. In fact, their appearance leads to the depletion of plant resources, and can negatively affect the production of leaves and traps. Therefore, when a peduncle appears, it is better to carefully cut it. But flowering is an indicator that your flycatcher is healthy and you are taking care of it properly.

Winter holidays.

During the cold season, the majority of indoor plants "rest". And the flycatcher will be no exception. In winter, it is preferable to lower the room temperature slightly. In addition, the amount of watering is reduced to 1-2 times a month. During this period, the growth of the plant practically stops, part of the foliage turns black and dies. But in the spring, as a rule, dead leaves are replaced by young ones.
When growing a Venus flytrap at home, remember that the trap has a limited "lifetime" of 4-5 circuits. After that, the traps, although they carry out photosynthesis, no longer function as a trap.
Problems that can arise when growing a Venus flytrap. Like other indoor plants, the Venus flytrap can get sick. Major diseases can be prevented with proper care.
Spring growth is very slow and weak - this means that the flycatcher has not "rested" in winter. Skipping winter rest, in most cases, will simply kill the plant.
Also, the Venus flytrap can die from lack of light or water. Therefore, these agricultural practices should be carefully monitored.