How to Grow Venus Flytrap? Growing Methods and Precautions
The Venus flytrap is a perennial herbaceous plant native to North America. It is a very interesting carnivorous plant, so how do you grow a Venus flytrap?
1. Soil
The Venus flytrap prefers slightly acidic soil. You can use peat with no added fertilizer and granular material at a ratio of 1:1. The substrate must be replaced once every spring, and broken tiles should be placed at the bottom of the pot.
2. Light
In spring, autumn and winter, it can receive full sun. In summer in the south, 50% shade should be added or it should be placed on a sunny windowsill indoors. If there is no sunlight for a long time, a 40W lamp tube can be used 30cm above the plant for artificial lighting cultivation, with a lighting duration of 12 hours/day.
3. Watering
Try to use soft water such as purified water or rainwater. Use the tray method to create a small environment similar to its native habitat. Specifically: place the Venus flytrap pot in a tray or glass container, add water to a depth of 3cm, and replenish the water regularly.
4. Feeding
They will actively catch prey on their own. Usually, insects, spiders and other small animals can be fed to 2 leaves. They have difficulty digesting meat such as beef and chicken.
5. Fertilizing
The root system of carnivorous plants is extremely intolerant of salt. Applying fertilizer directly into the substrate will cause the plant to die, so a low-concentration liquid fertilizer should be sprayed on the leaves. If using commercially available foliage plant fertilizer, apply it at 1/5 of the recommended concentration, spraying once every 2 weeks during the growing season.
The Venus flytrap is known as the carnivorous plant of the natural world. Its main characteristic is that it can close its leaves very quickly to catch insects. This is a carnivorous plant just like its distant relative, the pitcher plant.