Can I Use Cactus Soil For Venus Fly Trap? Top 107 Best Answers

Can’t find the right ingredients to mix your own soil? Buy Venus Flytrap potting soil or New Zealand Long Fiber Sphagnum from the FlytrapStore.

It is very important to use poor soil to grow venus flytraps. Regular potting soil or enriched soil will burn the roots and kill your venus flytrap very quickly. We do not recommend fertilizing Venus flytraps. The fertilizer can burn the roots and likely kill the plant.

Some experienced growers use extremely diluted fertilizer. In most cases, fertilizer is only applied to the leaves of the plant. This is risky and not recommended for an inexperienced grower. It’s best to just let your Venus Flytrap catch food on its own. It can also be fed mealworms or other insects.

Venus flytraps prefer to grow in a peat moss based soil mix. Perhaps the easiest medium to use is just pure unfortified (NOT Miracle-Gro!) peat moss or long fiber peat moss. Most retailers that carry potting soil sell large balls of peat.

The most common medium for potting Venus flytraps is a 1:1 mix (by volume) of peat and perlite. When choosing a brand of peat moss, any type will do, as long as it is not fortified.

Avoid soil with fertilizers

Be sure to avoid peat moss brands like Miracle-Gro and Scott’s. They contain fertilizer that will kill your flytrap.

peat and perlite

Perlite is also relatively easy to find at major department and hardware stores, or at your local nursery. Perlite provides ventilation and optimal moisture retention. Many people substitute silica or horticultural sand for perlite.

A 1:1 mix of peat and perlite is commonly referred to as the “standard” CP (carnivorous plant) mix as most carnivorous plants grow well in this medium. Many growers like to use the standard CP mix and then top it off with long fiber peat moss. This will prevent the perlite from floating to the top. When exposed to heavy rain, perlite has a strong tendency to float to the surface of the soil.

Our preferred soil mix for Venus fly traps is five parts peat, three parts silica sand, and two parts perlite by volume. The quartz sand really helps with aeration and the formation of a very healthy root system. Silica is a very hard mineral that is not soluble and is completely neutral and inert. This makes it perfect for carnivorous plants as it doesn’t leach minerals into the soil.

quartz sand

mix earth

Choose a large enough container that you can mix peat and perlite in without spilling it. A five gallon bucket works well.

Put the peat in the mixing bowl.

First: add peat moss

Then add the perlite.

Second: add perlite

Finally add some distilled water and mix.

Add distilled water

Add plenty of water to the mix as the peat moss can absorb a lot of water. Continue to add water and stir the mixture together until the peat moss is soaked and the perlite is well mixed in. Peat moss tends to shed water initially, especially when it’s cold. However, it will eventually start sucking up the water. Ultimately, you should end up with something that looks like this:

Standard mix for carnivorous potting soil

Choose a pot for your Venus Flytrap

Choosing the right pot for your Venus Flytrap is an important process. It can mean the difference between a small plant that is struggling most of its life and a large, hardy, healthy plant that flowers to produce lots of seeds and divides regularly.

Venus flytraps prefer a pot with good vertical depth to give their roots room to grow. Venus Flytraps can be grown in anything from short 2 inch pots to as large pots as they come. Pots between 4 inches and 5 inches deep are most commonly used. But in general, the deeper the pot, the better for your pet venus flytrap.

Another important characteristic of a good Venus flytrap pot, especially in climates with more extreme temperatures, is good insulation. An insulated pot ensures a stable temperature for the roots. Insulated pots also prevent the soil from heating up when sunlight hits the sides of the pot directly. It also provides a little protection from the ground freezing when temperatures drop just below freezing.

Commonly used Venus flytrap pots

Plastic pots are easy to find, cheap, and work well for Venus fly traps. However, most plastic pots are dark in color and therefore absorb heat. Since they are not insulated, the soil temperature inside the pot can rise and fall quickly. Nevertheless, I have used these pots successfully and my plants have developed well. But when I switched to insulated pots, the difference in their health was noticeable.

Insulated foam beverage cups or styrofoam cups work well and are an economical choice for a pot. They are white, so they don’t get very hot in direct sunlight. Choose mugs that are 16 ounces or larger. They provide excellent insulation for Venus flytrap roots. At over 4.5″ tall, they provide good vertical space for your Venus flytrap to develop a healthy root system. To top it off, you can buy twenty of these for a dollar, so the price is right!

How to repot a Venus Flytrap

Repotting a Venus Flytrap is actually quite simple. The basic procedure is to remove the plant from its current container, remove the soil from its roots, and transplant it into its new container. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to accomplish this task. Our guidance will cause minimal stress to allow your venus flytrap to recover and grow back quickly. Start by finding a good workspace to make a mess of. An outdoor picnic table or workbench is perfect.

One term you need to know before we begin is rhizome. The rhizome of your plant is the white, bulb-like part that is just below the soil but above the black roots. It’s the area where all of your Venus flytrap’s leaves come from and where the plant stores energy. With that term defined, let’s get started!

Step 1) Preparing the new pot

Once you have prepared your desired soil mix as above and it is fully moistened, simply fill your chosen pot with the soil mix and gently squeeze. Using a stick, screwdriver, finger or other tool, make a fairly deep hole for the plant’s roots and rhizome to enter. Make the hole deep enough to accommodate the roots with minimal winding. Make sure you make the top slightly wider than the bottom so you have plenty of room for the rhizome.

Step 2) Uprooting the plant

Loosen the soil from the current pot by gently squeezing the sides of the pot. Then slowly turn the pot over with one hand while placing your other hand under the pot to guide the soil ball and plants out of the pot. Once you’ve freed the old soil and plants from the original pot, begin breaking the soil away from the roots. Do this very carefully and methodically to ensure you don’t tear or otherwise damage any of the roots. You can also just dip the entire earth globe in clean water (rain, reverse osmosis, or distilled water) and swirl around to loosen the earth.

Step 3) Feed the roots into the new pot

Hold your plant’s rhizome in one hand. With the other hand, use the tool of your choice (screwdriver, stick, finger, etc.) to insert the roots of your venus flytrap down into the hole in the soil of the new pot you made in step one. Try to get the roots as straight and deep into the new pot as possible. Work them all the way down until the rhizome sits just below the surface of the soil in the hole you created.

Step 4) Press in the soil around the rhizome and roots

Once your venus flytrap is planted deep enough in the soil with its roots deep in the pot, start tamping in soil around the rhizome. Sometimes it’s easier to use extra soil from your mix to drip into the hole. In the simplest way, thoroughly fill in dirt around the roots and rhizome. Then gently push soil around the sides of the rhizome to make sure it’s well seated in the soil. Do not plant the Venus flytrap too deep in the ground, but make sure that the white part of the rhizome is completely covered.

Step 5) Water the Venus flytrap thoroughly

Watering the Venus Flytrap after repotting will help alleviate root shock. It also helps the soil settle and remove air pockets. Water slowly from above to avoid perlite and quartz sand rising to the surface of the soil. Pour the water carefully directly onto the plant itself so as not to disturb the soil. Water until the soil is completely soaked.

If you have more questions, be sure to read the Venus Flytrap Floor FAQ. Or join the FlytrapCare forum and ask there: Venus flytrap forum.

Dionaea muscipula; Photo courtesy of Flickr cc/Marco Uliana

You can grow carnivorous plants in a variety of conditions, from natural bogs in your garden to a dish on a windowsill. The trick is to find out which carnivorous plants grow well in the conditions you have inside and outside your home. Carnivorous plants should never be collected in the field as most of them are relatively rare and threatened due to human population, agricultural land use and over-collection. If you are interested in growing carnivorous plants in your home, purchase the plants from a reputable breeder who will use tissue culture or vegetative means to grow the plant, or start from seed.

You can learn more about growing these common carnivorous plants

venus flytrap

American pitcher plant

sundew

Butterwort

Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) are without a doubt the most notorious carnivorous plants in existence and have become popular with botanists and houseplant lovers alike. Native to the swampy regions of North and South Carolina, Venus flytraps are accustomed to the nutrient-poor growing medium of the Carolina wetlands and obtain their nutrients by “eating” insects for which they have become famous.

While Venus flytraps have a reputation for being difficult to grow, that stereotype doesn’t deserve as their growing conditions are actually quite straightforward. An important aspect of maintaining a healthy Venus flytrap is to regularly repot the plant to ensure it has adequate room to grow.

Tip Before you start transplanting, it’s important to note that Venus flytraps have rhizomes, which help store energy and produce both the roots and shoots of the plant. So don’t be alarmed by the white bulbous rhizomes between the roots of a Venus flytrap while you’re repotting!

When should you repot a Venus Flytrap?

For best results, Venus fly traps should be repotted annually to keep the potting medium fresh. Over time, the potting medium can compact, making it difficult for the plant to form new roots. While Venus flytraps don’t mind being repotted during most seasons, it’s best to repot them in spring or early summer, as that’s when they come out of their hibernation. Avoid repotting Venus flytraps while they are actively blooming.

It’s also a good idea to repot a Venus flytrap immediately after purchase to ensure that no contaminants from the water it was given at the nursery get stuck in the soil. Venus flytraps require pure water (filtered or rainwater is best!) to thrive. Repotting after purchase also helps ensure the potting medium is correct, as Venus flytraps are fussy about their growing medium.

Before the start

Choosing the right potting medium

Choosing the right soil/potting medium for your Venus Flytrap is the most important aspect of successful repotting. Venus flytraps are native to the bogs of North and South Carolina and are accustomed to an acidic, nutrient-poor growing medium. Using regular potting soil or nutrient-enriched mixes will burn and quickly kill Venus flytraps.

When repotting a Venus Flytrap, a commercial carnivorous potting mix should be used. You can either mix one yourself or look for Venus Flytrap potting soil to make this happen. If you are mixing the soil yourself, a 1:1 mixture of unfortified peat moss and perlite is ideal. The peat moss provides the acidity Venus flytraps need, while the perlite helps retain moisture.

Choosing the right pot

There are a few important considerations when it comes to choosing a pot for your Venus flytrap. While Venus Flytraps remain relatively small even when fully grown, their root systems can grow quite deep, so choosing a pot with some depth is beneficial to the plant. A minimum pot depth of 4 inches is recommended to allow roots to develop while keeping most of the water away from the rhizomes.

Proper insulation is also important with Venus fly traps. When grown indoors, insulation is less of a problem as it can be more easily temperature controlled, but it’s usually a good idea to leave extra space around the rhizomes so the potting soil can protect them from extreme heat or cold. A minimum of 2 inches of potting soil around the edges of the rhizomes is recommended for optimal insulation. This may mean choosing a larger pot for your Venus flytrap. In most cases, plastic pots work best for Venus fly traps.

Most carnivorous plants grow in boggy soil with acidic or “ericaceous” compost. Most bog compost contains peat, but several peat-free bog mixes have come onto the market in recent years. Keep this well watered and make sure it never dries out. Choose a bright, sunny spot to grow your carnivorous plants in summer and move to a cool, frost-free spot in winter. Remove wilted flowers and leaves as needed.

Carnivorous plants, including pitcher plants ( Sarracenia ) and Venus flytraps ( Dioneaea muscipula ), are unusual and fascinating plants and are particularly popular with children. They are an excellent choice for a conservatory or a sunny windowsill.

There are three important things to remember when caring for temperate carnivorous plants, including sundews and pitcher plants. In this Golden Rules video, Hewitt-Cooper Carnivorous Plants’ Nigel Hewitt-Cooper shares his top three tips on the temperature, water, and light that carnivorous plants need to thrive.

More on growing carnivorous plants:

Hardy carnivorous plants are easy to grow as long as you follow a few simple rules. Here are our 10 tips for growing carnivorous plants.

Grow 1 carnivorous plants in the sun

Hardy carnivorous plants thrive in warm conditions with plenty of bright light during spring and summer, so plant them on a sunny windowsill, in a conservatory, or on a sunny patio.

2 Keep carnivorous plants cool in winter

Unlike tropical plants, most carnivorous plants are temperate and therefore need a cool place to rest during the winter – otherwise they will become exhausted and die. When they go dormant, some plants may die (and a Venus flytrap’s traps may turn black and die). Place in a cool, unheated room or greenhouse – around 7°C is ideal – and keep the compost just moist.

Grow 3 carnivorous plants in moist compost

In the wild, hardy carnivorous plants grow in swampy soil, so their compost needs to be moist at all times during the warmer months. Place the pot in a saucer of water and keep it topped up. Alternatively, block drain holes to prevent water from draining. During the hibernation period, keep the compost just moist.

Water 4 carnivorous plants with rainwater

Tap water can harm carnivorous plants. Use distilled or filtered water, water from a boiled kettle or preferably rainwater – you can leave a bucket outside to catch it or use water from a barrel.

Grow 5 carnivorous plants in heather compost

Carnivorous plants grow best in a nutrient-poor medium such as peat or a special compost known as heather compost. If you prefer not to use peat for environmental reasons, you can try Moorland Gold, which is mined without damaging peat bogs, or a peat-free moorland soil-soil mix.

6 Do not feed insects to carnivorous plants

Don’t feel like you have to “feed” your carnivorous plant insects – when it’s outside it catches itself and even inside there should be insects to feed on.

7 Do not fertilize carnivorous plants

Carnivorous plants don’t need to be fertilized – they get all the nutrients they need from the insects they catch. In fact, fertilizer can kill the plants that normally grow in nutrient-poor soil.

8 Don’t tease carnivorous plants

If your Venus flytrap’s traps aren’t closing, it may be because curious fingers are poking at your plant too often. Each trap will only close about five times in its lifetime, so resist provoking your plant.

9 carnivorous plants with dead heads

Cut off dead blooms with scissors – and for Venus flytraps and pitcher plants, cut off the dead traps when they turn black – this often happens in the fall and winter.

10 Control of pests on carnivorous plants

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Carnivorous plants are surprisingly incapable of dealing with aphids, so use traps or biological controls to control them. Carnivorous plants can also be susceptible to the red spider mite, which thrives in hot, dry conditions. Improve air circulation in the greenhouse and increase humidity by placing water trays on the benches between the plants. If you grow a lot of plants, you can try releasing the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis on your plants.

Venus flytraps (also called Venus flytraps or just flytrap) are some of the coolest plants you can grow. In their natural habitat, Venus flytraps live for years. Unfortunately, in culture they are often short-lived plants, but that’s only because most people don’t care for them properly. In this article you will learn all the essential basics of Venus flytrap care.

Varieties of Venus Flytraps

There is only one species of Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, and it is native to a small region in eastern North and South Carolina. Over the years it has been bred to exhibit various traits and there are dozens of different strains on the market today. Some of the Venus Flytrap types you might come across are Red Dragon, which has a dark red coloring, Justina Davis, which is solid green, Flaming Lips, which has bright orange traps, and Purple Haze ‘, which has deep purple traps among many others. There are also some pretty wacky growth forms, although they’re often only available through specialist nurseries. Most are propagated via tissue culture, but unfortunately wild collection still occurs, although it puts native populations at risk.

The majority of Venus Flytrap varieties grow to only an inch or two in height and width, although some larger varieties exist.

Care of the Venus Flytrap

To properly care for a Venus flytrap, you must first understand what it needs. As with other plants, a flytrap’s growth depends on where it evolved and what it needs from its natural environment. The same factors you consider when caring for other plants should also be considered when caring for a Venus flytrap. Briefly, these factors are light, the growing medium, water, nutrition, and, for Venus flytraps, a special rest period. We will talk about each of these factors in turn. But first, let’s talk about the fact that Venus flytraps can be grown both indoors and outdoors.

Venus flytrap care: indoors vs. outdoors

Venus flytraps are significantly easier to care for when grown outdoors as a hardy plant rather than growing them indoors. Residential environments aren’t ideal unless you have a very sunny windowsill and can give the plants a lot of attention. However, I will cover both indoor and outdoor Venus flytrap care in this article, as I know not everyone has the opportunity or space to grow them outdoors.

The best planting mix for Venus flytrap plants

Regardless of whether you decide to grow your flytrap indoors or outdoors, you must first consider the best growing mix. Venus flytraps have evolved in the very lean, nutrient-poor peat soils. Because of this, they evolved the interesting adaptation of relying on nutrients taken from their insect prey rather than from the soil.

Do not plant Venus flytraps in garden soil or regular potting soil. Instead, use a mixture of two parts peat moss and one part perlite as ingredients. An alternative mix is ​​a 50/50 mix of peat moss and perlite. A third option is pure, high-quality fiber peat moss.

The best lighting conditions for Venus flytraps

These carnivorous plants need a lot of sun. When 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 required if you live in the northern hemisphere. Alternatively, place 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.

Do Venus fly traps have to be in the terrarium?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to breed Venus flytraps in a terrarium. In fact, completely enclosed terrariums can cause the plants to rot. If you have an open terrarium with good ventilation, fly traps should do the trick (combine with a pitcher plant and sundew for a truly carnivorous experience!). It’s just enough protection to keep the humidity high around the plant, but not so much that it causes rot. Never grow fly traps in a terrarium outdoors, however, as the glass increases sun exposure, which often causes leaf burns.

How to water a Venus Flytrap

Whether indoors or outdoors, always keep the growing medium moist to wet. Remember, these are bog plants. Don’t let the soil dry out. Water the plant by placing the bottom of the pot in a saucer of water for a few hours every few days. Some growers constantly leave the pot in a saucer with half an inch of water in it, but I find this increases the risk of rot. If you are growing a flytrap outdoors, pour cool water into the saucer daily to prevent the roots from getting too hot on the hottest summer days.

Only use distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater to water Venus Fly Traps. They do not tolerate water with chlorine, dissolved minerals or salts. Do not use tap water. This is very important.

How to feed a Venus Flytrap

If you grow your fly traps outdoors they will catch a lot of prey on their own, but if you grow them indoors you can catch flies, bugs, spiders, crickets or any other garden insect in a net and use a pair of terrarium tweezers to attach the bug to your to feed the plant.

Each of the traps contains a handful of trigger hairs. If the movement of an insect hits the same hair twice within a few seconds or if two different hairs are tapped in quick succession, the trap is triggered to close. The continued movement of the insect after the trap has been triggered then releases digestive enzymes and allows the plant to absorb the nutrients contained in the insect. Feeding a Venus Flytrap this way isn’t necessary, but it’s definitely fun!

A few don’ts when it comes to feeding insects into a Venus flytrap:

Never feed your plant prey during hibernation (more on that in a moment). Do not feed your plant hamburgers or other meat. It cannot digest it because the enzymes are only released by movement that occurs after the trap closes. Don’t feed your plants more than one or two bugs a month.

Fertilizer for the care of the Venus Flytrap

Because flytraps live in poor soil, there is no need to add additional fertilizer. They don’t like compost, granular or liquid manure. In most cases, they are killed by fertilizing.

How Often Should You Repot a Venus Flytrap?

Repot Venus flytraps every year or two, choosing a slightly larger pot and changing the growing medium each time. The best time to repot a flytrap is in early spring.

Venus flytrap care in winter – rest is important!

When fall arrives, Venus flytrap plants begin to enter a winter dormancy period. They stop growing and most of the leaves turn black and die. The mechanism that triggers the closing of all remaining traps no longer works. This is your signal that the plant is going into hibernation. This rest 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 take care of it.

The hibernation is triggered by the shorter days and falling temperatures in autumn. There’s no need to panic, I promise. Trying to fight this natural dormant period means death for your plant, so don’t ignore it. Plants need it whether they grow indoors or outdoors.

Regardless of whether you grow your plant indoors or outdoors, place it in a cool place, such as a patio, for the dormant period. B. an unheated attached garage or a cool basement. The plant doesn’t need much light, but best near a window. Venus flytraps can survive occasional winter temperatures of up to 20°F in the wild, but they’re not quite as hardy in a container. Winter dormant temperatures between 50° and 35°F are ideal. If you live in a region where outside temperatures don’t drop below 30°F, there is no need to bring the plant to a garage. Just leave it outside during the rest period.

Let all the leaves turn black and die. The plant is dormant. During the hibernation, make sure that the plant is always kept moist. Don’t feed your plant or worry about it. Just let it be.

When spring arrives, temperatures soar above 50 and the days get longer, move your plants back into your living space if you’re growing them indoors. Or put her back on a sunny patio if you’re growing her outdoors. If dead leaves are still clinging to the plant, now is the time to cut them off.

Venus Flytrap Care Basics

As you can see, proper Venus flytrap care is the perfect combination of art and science. They are truly fascinating plants that deserve a home with any gardener willing to give them their winter dormancy.

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

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

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Carnivorous plants fascinate with their way of attracting, catching, killing and digesting insects. There are more than 720 species of carnivorous plants, many with amazing adaptations to inhospitable habitats. Popular carnivorous plants by genera include Byblis (rainbow plant), Cephalotus (Australian pitcher plant), Darlingtonia (cobra lily), Dionaea (Venus flytrap), Drosera (sundew), Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plant), Pinguicula (butterwort), Sarracenia (American pitcher plant), and Utricularia (water hose). There is no one way to grow carnivorous plants with this type of strain, but here are some general tips to get you started:

Light. Most carnivorous plants prefer bright light and many, like Sarracenia spp., thrive best in direct sunlight. Fluorescent or other cool temperature lights can be used for growing smaller species indoors. A terrarium with smaller carnivorous plants under such lights can be a great starting facility.

Humidity. Almost all carnivorous plants require high humidity. An indoor terrarium or an outdoor moor garden in humid regions meet this requirement.

Water. Do not use tap water or bottled water for carnivorous plants. Rainwater, melted snow, or distilled water are ideal. Most carnivorous plants require moist to wet soil in the warmer months and less moisture in the winter.

floors. Garden soil is not suitable for carnivorous plants. The preferred media for most is live peat moss, dried long-fibered peat moss, or a mixture of about three parts peat moss to one part clean, sharp-edged sand. Nepenthes prefer a more “open” mix, such as B. long fiber sphagnum mixed with horticultural charcoal, perlite, vermiculite or other porous aggregates.

Temperature. Temperature requirements vary by species, and some require a distinct cool dormancy period.

Feeding. If insects are not available, a quarter strength organic fertilizer will benefit plants if they are actively growing, especially Nepenthes. Do not feed them real meat as they cannot digest complex proteins!

You can learn a lot more about carnivorous plants through the International Carnivorous Plant Society.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR

VENUS FLY TRAP (Dionaea muscipula)

by DanHodgson

Background information:

Venus Flytraps can be moderately easy to breed if certain conditions are met and maintained. As Venus Flytraps grow they will develop long root systems if the plant is healthy so a tall pot should be used with older plants. Some believe that a Venus flytrap must be grown in a pot covered with plastic or glass, as is common in nurseries. The truth is that this leads to overheating and shrinkage caused by this type of cover, resulting in poor, weak and scrawny growth. Plants sold in nurseries are often planted in a pot that is too small and in the wrong type of soil. Typically, you should repot your Venus Flytrap in proper soil and a 4 or 5 inch pot. Many novice growers will overreact when a Venus flytrap loses one of their traps. However, this is normal. The trap is the leaf of the plant and periodically the plant loses a leaf. If you are growing your Venus flytrap in an area where it does not have access to a natural diet, such as in a terrarium, you can give her a fly or cricket or two every month. You should not play with the traps (closing the trap with your finger) as this drains energy from the plant. Playing with a trap multiple times will make it less sensitive and likely to die. However, this does not harm the entire plant. When a leaf dies, you should always cut off the dead growth. Take care of the plant so that the fungus does not start to grow on the dead leaves.

Conditions:

Light – Light should be of full solar quality and brightness.

— The light should be of full solar quality and brightness. Soil – Sphagnum or peat moss is usually the best soil. These can also be mixed with some quartz sand and/or orchid bark. Some growers add charcoal to remove existing salts.

– Sphagnum or peat moss is usually the best soil. These can also be mixed with some quartz sand and/or orchid bark. Some growers add charcoal to remove existing salts. Humidity — The Venus flytrap does not require extremely high humidity, but it does require over 50%.

— The Venus Flytrap does not require extremely high humidity, but it does need over 50%. Temperature — Can range from 21° to 35°C (70° – 95°F) in winter and as low as 5°C (40°F) in winter.

— Can range from 70° – 95° F (21° – 35° C) and as low as 40° F (5° C) in winter. Water – rainwater or distilled water is preferred. Keep the plant moist but not waterlogged. Many growers place a pan under the pot with about an inch of water in it to keep the humidity high around the plant and to keep the plant constantly moist.

Other factors:

Dormant Period – Venus flytraps need a dormant period during the winter. This period usually lasts about 3 months. When a Venus flytrap enters its dormant phase, the big, tall growth on it dies off, leaving behind a few small leaves or even just its bulb and root system. Be careful not to confuse this with a dying plant. Many will throw away a Venus flytrap that goes into hibernation for this reason. During this time the temperature should be reduced to 8°C (45°F) and freezing point. To reach this temperature, some growers may need to store the plant in a basement or garage, depending on the grower’s geographic location/climate. If the plant is stored in the garage or basement, the plant must be treated with fungicide, wrapped in moist peat moss, and placed in a plastic bag to prevent fungal growth. Check the plant regularly to make sure there is no fungus growing on the plant. Be careful not to get the Venus flytrap too wet during the dormant period as this will cause the plant to rot.

Funny links:

North Dakota State University—NDSU

International Carnivorous Plant Society – ICPS

Images courtesy of: Matt Miller, Carnivorous Plants Online 2002.