Hey everyone! Yesterday I got my first Venus fly trap and I've⊠| Carnivorous Corner đșđž | Planta-community
R
Rita
Hey everyone! Yesterday I got my first Venus fly trap and I've watched some videos and read a few articles but I want some opinions and advice from others with more experience. I am planning on getting a bigger lightly coloured plastic pot with good drainage in a few days and I have rinsed the current soil which is what I was told to do by an expert grower online. I've heard of the downtime it has during the winter and I'm still confused about that. I've fed it a spider as well. Ive heard that they need lots of light so it's been under a grow light all day. 3 of the mouths are red on the inside, which is a good sign, while some are just green.
Based off of the photos, let me know if there's anything you think I should do or if anything is wrong.
2 kommentarer
Speeps
Iâm not an expert on these guys, but I do have one (6 months in) and have also done a bunch of research lol. The winter thing is unique to flytraps. A lot of carnivores live in tropical climates that donât really get cold. These guys are native to North and South Carolina where it actually gets pretty cold in the winter. Because of this they have a âdowntimeâ during the winter where they require cold temps. Mine is chilling outside, put him there in November and Iâll bring him back in when it gets a bit warmer. They tend to die without this dormancy period. Other carnivores like sundews and pitchers donât do this.
Fun fact about carnivores, they evolved to live in places where the soil has no nutrients. Thatâs why they eat bugs, to make up for what the soil doesnât have. Because of this they canât be planted in normal soil, they have to be on specialized soil with nothing nutritious in it. Putting them in regular dirt and fertilizing them will kill them. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but thatâs just how they like it. Thatâs why mine is in moss, but they make other things you can put it in. Also the moss helps with water retention for the plant since they like it moist.
Some people seem to say you donât need to feed them while others say you do, and Iâm no expert so I wonât comment on that part, but I will say they can photosynthesize like any other plant, so Iâm sure they can at least make some food on their own. Also they require constant moisture in the soil.
As for pot size, carnivores in general (ignore pitchers, pretend they donât exist) donât get very big. This ties back to the whole âsoil has no nutrition in itâ thing. Theyâre kinda limited in size by the environment they evolved in. Thereâs other factors that have limited their size, such as what theyâre eating in the wild, but thereâs nothing you can do about that. Thatâs evolutions fault. Your flytrap is never going to get bigger than a 3-4 inch pot, so I wouldnât repot any bigger than that.
I see a lot of people better with plants than I am leave them in dishes of water, so mine lives in a plastic pot set inside of a teacup not too much bigger so it isnât drowning in water, but is still constantly wet.
Mine has always laid flat and the plant lady I got it from said it was just this variety in particular, and some varieties have red mouths while others have green. Some flytraps seem to stand upright, mine doesnât.
Also about the mouth color, lots of plants new leaves start differently colored than the older leaves, so if itâs just the baby leaves on your plant that are green inside I wouldnât worry too much, they might turn red with time.
One last thing, donât play with the mouths. I know itâs tempting to stick things in there to watch them close, but this puts stress on the plant. Itâs best for its health if you donât.
Aside from that though, Iâm sure youâve already seen the whole âall the light, all the time, rainwater onlyâ things they require. Mine gets 14 hours of bright, direct light a day when itâs inside. Iâm still new-ish to carnivores, so for sure keep researching, but good luck, I have faith in you!
