General Care Sheet for: Venus
Flytrap
(Dionaea muscipula)
So you have a new beautiful Venus Flytrap and you want to know general
care details? Look no further, here you will find a general outline of
how to care for your newest Venus Flytrap!
Natural Habitat:
It turns out, the only place to see a Venus Flytrap in the wild is in
the coastal regions of North Carolina, USA.
Soil Needs:
Venus Flytraps come from boggy/swampy areas, they LOVE good aerated soil
and as much drainage as possible. Generally, I use 1 part peat moss and
1 part perlite. This mixture allows for aeration of the soil and so long
as you provide plenty of water, will help keep the soil moist. But you
could also use, 1 part peat moss and 2 parts perlite – this will work
exceptionally well as again, Your Venus Flytrap loves well drained soil.
You could also use; Plants can be grown in a mix of 50% - 70% sphagnum
peat moss (not sedge peat moss) and 50% - 30% coarse washed river sand;
or 100% live sphagnum moss.
Water Needs:
As above, Your Flytrap will love to be standing in a tray of water, but
try not to raise the level of water above the bulb. Where possible, keep
the water level 8 cm below the soil level. This will help stop root rot
(Which your Flytrap strongly dislikes).
Sunlight needs:
Your Venus Flytrap simply can’t get enough sun. They love it! So, if you
can give them about 6 hours of full sun a day, they would appreciate it
most kindly. Especially the red coloured Flytraps like the ‘Red Dragon’.
The more sun they get, the longer they will stay darker and coloured.
You’re Flytrap, LOVING the sun as they do, can also survive semi
decently in 4-6 hours of sunlight, but please, they must still have full
ambient light for the rest of the day.
Where to Grow:
Primarily, People have this notion that Flytraps like darker, humid
places. This is SO NOT true. Try to keep them outside where they can get
full sunlight. Out on your patio, garden etc. Although, during our hot,
hot, HOT summers you may need to move them to a semi shaded area in the
afternoon, or to a bright windowsill (Later not really advised, as you
may then need to re-acclimatise them to outdoor growing again). It is
not advised to plant them directly in the ground outside, unless you
have a specifically designed bog/swamp garden.
Winter is coming!
OH NO!! Your Flytrap’s leaves have started to turn yellow/black?? That’s
horrible!
Don’t be alarmed, as winter draws near your beautiful Flytrap will start
to go into a deep, deep sleep. This period is called its dormancy
period. Every winter, your plant will slow down, stop producing new
leaves and traps, their leaves will lose colour and start to turn black
and die. It’s a shame I know, but it is needed. And don’t worry about
how cold it gets out side, although you’re Flytrap might not look it
they are hardier then we think. They can survive fine in 0 to -7
degrees.
Spring?
As Spring approaches and the weather starts to get slightly warmer and
light conditions improve, Your Flytrap will start to wake up. In this
time, Early Spring cut off all of last year’s leaves to make way for the
beauty which is the new growth! YAY!
So what about repotting?
You should really repot your plants yearly. Usually the best time to do
so is in early Spring. You can pretty much however do it whenever you
like, but you need to minimize root disturbance. Changing the soil
yearly really helps aeration of the soil and will all over help the
strength and health of your plants.
When you go to choose a new pot, try to get one a lot longer. As Your
Venus Flytrap has a long root system, the more room to grow the more
robust and larger your plant will get. Remember also that larger pots
also offer more protection during the winter and summer months where
severe weather might set in.
So, Basically;
~ Grow your plants outside where they will receive 6 hours of sunlight
~ Grow your Flytraps in long pots with the right soil mix, 1 part peat
moss and 1 part perlite(or 2 parts perlite for extra drainage).
~ Near winter, do not be concerned with wilting yellowish black leaves,
this is normal. Your Flytrap is entering its ever so important dormancy
stage.
~ Repot yearly and in early Spring when you go to trim back the leaves
of last years growing season.
I do hope this care sheet helps,
ERAGrow.
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Venus
Flytrap (Dionaea
muscipula)
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Sun Light
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6 Hours of full Sun light or 4-6 hours with
ambient light for the rest of the day.
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Soil
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Needs good
Aeration and drainage.
1 part peat moss 1 part perlite
Or 1 part peat moss 1 part perlite.
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Water
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Use Tray System, Stand in tray of water,
Keep soil moist.
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Grow Locale
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Outdoors
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Pot choice
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Long pot, larger then plant. Bigger the
pot, bigger the plant will become and more protection for
weather conditions.
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Repotting
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Repot yearly, Early Spring is Optimal.
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