Venus Flytrap: Basics of Care, Watering, and Feeding

Like a Venus, she dresses in red, exudes an attractive scent and spreads her arms of leaves. All insects are welcome to her. And then she lives up to the second part of the name. The trap snaps shut, the fly is at its mercy and is eaten with its wings. Would you also like to experience this drama up close? But what backdrop does this diva need?

Origin

The Venus Flytrap, bot. Dionaea muscipula, is originally a southern beauty from North and South Carolina. Wildly it thrives there in barren swamps. Because of the fascinating hunger for insects, she is now allowed to demonstrate her hunting skills in domestic living rooms all over the world.

Growth and capture mechanism

The Venus flytrap is small and slow growing and herbaceous. It flowers only after several years. In spring, an approximately 30 cm long stalk grows, on which several white flowers develop. But they don't lure their prey with the scent of the flowers. your approx. 4 cm long leaves look like trap irons and that's how they work. As soon as they feel touches on their surface, they snap in a split second. The red color of the leaf surface and a sophisticated mixture of scents attract the victim. It takes a long time to digest for days until there is hardly anything left of it. Each catch blade can only trigger this catch mechanism a few times. But new traps keep waking up.

Location

Plenty of light and sun are existential for the Venus flytrap. Only when she gets enough of it do her catch leaves turn red. The red coloring mimics a flower and thus attracts the nutrient-rich insects. The plant will grow in partial shade, but its leaves will remain green. The ideal location has the following characteristics:

• very sunny
• flooded with light
• South window is ideal
• with humidity above 50%
• no draft
• Temperature from 22 degrees Celsius
• no high temperature fluctuations

The Venus Flytrap is happy to spend a long summer vacation outdoors. It tolerates the fresh air and the blazing sun very well. However, it must first be gradually accustomed to the new location. It can also be planted out in milder areas. The terrarium offers a good living environment for the Venus flytrap. She thanks those who can make this possible for her with a good development.

substrate

Ordinary potting soil and the home soil of these carnivores do not have much in common. Therefore spare the Venus flytrap with this standard mixture and give it a special, lime-free substrate from the specialist trade. Alternatively, you can also make a mixture of peat and sand yourself. Fertilizer, humus and other nutrients must not get lost in it.

Pour

As a hunter of the swamps, the Venus flytrap, even as a houseplant, naturally has to have its roots in the wet soil. Since the potting soil in closed walls is not kept moist by nature, the owner has to act regularly as a water fetcher. This task is quite challenging, because the Venus flytrap can react like a mimosa if mistakes are made. You should definitely not do this:

• give her chalky water, it will kill her in no time at all
• pour from above, as rot threatens
• let the earth dry out

When watering, adhere to the following rules:

• the substrate should always be moist
• Rainwater is ideal
• alternatively use decalcified water
• pour directly into the coaster
• In summer there should always be water in the saucer, approx. 2 cm
• in winter the substrate should only be moderately moist
• in winter it is enough to water once a month

humidity

It's not just their feet that want to be wet, the leaves also like to stick out in humid air. According to experts, this should be at least 50% high. Except on rainy days, the Venus flytrap will not encounter such high humidity in our climate unless its owner takes pity and lends a hand.

• Indoor fountains ensure a better indoor climate
• Place glass bowls of water nearby
• Cultivation in glass containers
• Hang the humidifier on the heater
• Spray with water in summer, but without lime!

Fertilize

The Venus flytrap is originally used to poor soil. And because their roots hardly find any nutrients in the soil there, evolution has found a solution with a lot of ingenuity. The Venus flytrap gets the nutrients it needs from the air by attracting and digesting nearby flying insects. Since she is a so-called weak eater, these nutrients of animal origin are sufficient for her. It does not have to be fertilized additionally.

Feed

A question that is atypical for plants comes to mind with this peculiar plant. Does the Venus flytrap need to be fed? And if so, with what? What's your favorite food? Does she need variety on the menu? Before further questions arise in this regard, it should be said clearly: The Venus flytrap is absolutely capable of catching sufficient prey and thus taking care of itself.

The green huntress can snap her fangs shut in a split second while hunting insects. It's a mesmerizing display and one of the main reasons this carnivore is held. Unfortunately, no one can wait next to her 24/7 so as not to miss this moment. Extra feeding is therefore tempting for every owner. There is nothing wrong with that if you observe the following.

• feed them occasionally rather than regularly
• only with live animals
• Prey not larger than a third of the catch leaf
• feed spiders, flies, beetles, wasps or ants

cut flowers

The formation of the flowers binds a lot of energy. If you are not particularly keen on this, you can cut off the flower stalks as soon as they appear. Then more energy remains for the formation of the catching leaves, which are much more interesting for most people anyway. However, if you want to propagate venus flytrap from seed, you will need to leave a few flowers for the seeds to mature.

Propagation by cuttings

Need more beautiful flycatchers? No problem, propagation through leaf cuttings is easy and the chances of success are excellent.

1. Choose a healthy, strong leaf.
2. Using a sharp, clean knife, cut the leaf close to the base. There should be some roots.
3. Fill a pot with suitable substrate.
4. Moisten the substrate well.
5. Insert the leaf cutting into the substrate.
6. Keep the substrate moist.

Until a new seedling develops, you still have to contribute a lot of patience. Because it takes months to get there.

propagation by division

Repotting after the winter break is a good opportunity to provide for offspring.

1. Get the Venus flytrap out of the pot.
2. Free the root ball from the substrate.
3. Divide the rhizome with a sharp and clean knife. Roots and leaves should remain on each section.
4. Plant the new sections in separate pots.
5. Keep the substrate well moist so that the roots grow quickly.

Until the roots have developed well, the young Venus flytrap should be protected from excessive sunlight.

Propagation by seeds

In view of the well-functioning cuttings propagation and propagation by division, the last propagation variant is more for those who like to experiment with an extra depot of patience. Many years can pass before the Venus flytrap hatched from seed blooms and catches flies. The seeds are cold germs, which requires a long sowing procedure.

1. Place the seeds in a closed container that will protect the seeds from mold.
2. Put the container with the seeds in the fridge for about a month.
3. Choose a shallow pot that is perforated evenly from below.
4. Add peat and sand and place the pot in a bowl filled with water.
5. When the mixture is soaked, drain off the excess water.
6. Distribute the seeds on the substrate, a few centimeters apart. Do not cover the seeds!
7. Stretch cling film over the pot and poke a few holes in it.
8. Put the pot in a bright place.
9. The first seedlings will appear in about 2-4 weeks. Now remove the foil.
10. If the plants get too tight, put each one in its own pot.

repot

It takes about a year for the Venus flytrap to fill its pot with roots and begin to grow over the rim. It is then time to give her a new pot.

• Pot may be shallow as roots grow shallow
• use suitable substrate
• the ideal time is February/March after the hibernation
• immediately before moving to a warmer location
• dead root parts must be removed
• use a clean knife or scissors
• don't dig the bale too deep
• water well

hibernate

The Venus flytrap needs a rest period in winter. In autumn, it makes its need for rest clear by forming smaller leaves. The catch leaves also no longer open and do not turn red. Find a suitable place to live now. It should be very bright, with temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees. Drafts and strong temperature fluctuations should be avoided as much as possible. Unheated stairwells, bright attics or basement rooms with daylight come into consideration.

The rest period reduces the maintenance effort to a minimum:

• no fertilizer or lining
• little water, only about 1-2 times a month
• no waterlogging

Overwinter in the fridge

A somewhat strange solution for a lack of winter quarters is your own refrigerator. But don't worry, the Venus Trap can handle it and your food won't be damaged either. Due to the narrowness in the refrigerator, the Venus flytrap can move in there without the pot and without the substrate.

1. Free the plant completely from the substrate
2. Cut off any parts that grow above ground.
3. Rinse the root ball with lukewarm water.
4. Wrap the root ball in several damp layers of kitchen paper.
5. Put this "package" in a transparent bag and seal it well.
6. Keep the pouch in the fridge until April.
7. Remove any rotten roots.
8. Replant the Venus flytrap.

Hibernation outdoors

The Venus flytrap is conditionally hardy and could survive the winter outside in milder areas. Emphasis on "could". There can be no certainty, so this possibility of hibernation should be carefully considered. Older, well-developed specimens have the greatest chance of survival. But even they need a protected place and additional cover.

diseases and pests

With good care, the Venus flytrap is not very susceptible to disease. On rare occasions, they face some challenges. If the air is dry and warm in the winter quarters, the Venus flytrap can spider mites be infested. Webs are visible on the underside of the leaf, the upper side has silver-colored dots. The humidity should be increased, that helps a lot.

aphid infestation follows little light, i.e. usually in the winter when growth is slow. Regularly check your carnivores for aphids. They can be rinsed off well, which is usually sufficient as a first measure.

Gray plaque that looks like mold is called gray mold. Remove all affected parts of the plant. If that is not sufficient, you may need to help with a fungicide or abandon the plant.

Learn more about carnivores