What to Feed a Venus Flytrap in the Winter

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The Venus fly trap is an unusual plant that's native to the United States and thrives in a habitat where most other plants quickly perish. These intriguing carnivorous plants, with leaves that "snap" shut to trap insects, have grown in popularity. Whether on a windowsill or on a backyard patch, with a bit of research and some tender love and care, you can raise your own version of these bizarre and beautiful plants.

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   Know a bit about Venus fly traps before you buy one. These cool carnivorous plants are made up of two parts—a stem or 'body' of the plant that allows it to photosynthesize like a normal plant, and the lamina or leaf-blade that helps it to catch its prey. The leaf-blade is the 'head' that everyone will recognize—it looks like a green clam shell with some wicked long 'teeth'. These 'teeth' are actually trigger hairs that tell the fly trap there's a tasty insect nearby.^[1]

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   Get your fly trap from a licensed distributor. These protein-powered plants are common enough that you could find one in supermarkets or garden centers, but if you want an older or more disease resistant plant, look up a reliable nursery that carries them.

   • There are also online sites that specialize in carnivorous plants. While you won't be able to pick out the specific plant you want, they will be able to ship a fly trap to you, as well as provide you with care information about your plant.

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   Never harvest a fly trap from the wild. They are an endangered species and protected by law. You could be facing a fine or even jail.

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   Look for a deep pot for roots to anchor themselves. Venus fly traps have relatively long roots, so they prefer pots that have vertical depth. In general, a pot that gives your plant 4 or 5 inches (10cm) of root growth space should be good.

   • Pick an insulated pot. Their roots are also sensitive to temperature change, so an insulated pot works best. While plastic pots do work, you should definitely consider searching your local garden center for insulated pots.
   • Pick a pot that will filter and absorb nutrients and salts that would otherwise harm your fly trap.
   • Never use terracota pots as that will hurt or even kill your plant.
   • A self-watering plant will work great with venus flytraps.
   • Having said all this, Venus fly traps are not terribly picky about their pots. You can use a deep pot with a hole in the bottom or a bucket with some holes cut in the bottom of it for drainage.

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   Match the soil properties of your plant's natural soil needs. Mix equal parts of sphagnum peat moss and perlite. Never use beach sand, which contains nutrient salts. Perlite is a form of hydrated obsidian that looks like small chunks of white sand. Perlite helps potted plants retain moisture.^[2]

   • Native to the bogs and swamp-lands of North and South Carolina, Venus fly traps enjoy high humidity and moist, poor, acidic soil. The ideal pH for a Venus fly trap is in the acidic range of 4.9 to 5.3 (most normal plants and vegetables prefer a more neutral range of pH 5.8 to 7.2).
   • Another mixture combination that is preferred by some fly trap growers is five parts sphagnum peat moss, three parts silica sand, and two parts perlite. Silica sand helps with aeration; is known to help plants develop a resistance to warmer temperatures and pests, and both silica sand (which is quartz) and perlite do not release excessive nutrients and minerals into the soil, which is good for your carnivorous plant. Moss is the best type of soil to use for your fly traps. Peat Moss or Sphagnum Moss works great.
   • Do not use regular or organic potting soil, as this sort of soil will kill the plant by burning its roots. You should also stay away from fertilizing your fly trap, as fertilizer may also "burn the roots," thus killing your plant. Do not use any enriched soil, like Miracle-Grow, as it contains fertilizer and highly organic compost.

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   Let fresh air come in and out constantly. You may wish to keep the fly trap inside the terrarium to increase the relative humidity in the air, but keep an open vent in the terrarium to allow your plant to use her skills and lure the bugs to come in for dinner. Healthy, live, and disease free bugs are the best food for your plant.

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   Place your fly trap where it will get plenty of direct sunlight. During the growing period, they need 12 hours of light so that they can properly photosynthesize and flower. At least four of those hours should be direct sunlight.

   • Keep in mind that the more direct sunlight your plant gets, the healthier it will be.^[3]
   • Most fly trap cultivars will show a reddish pigmentation when they are healthy and happy where you place them.

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   Pick a well-lit section in your house away from drafts of air. In addition to needing plenty of light, your fly trap needs high humidity and protection against breezes or drafts. Keeping your plant indoors in a sunny yet draft-free area will usually be ideal.

   • Observe where sunlight reaches during the morning hours and afternoon hours.
   • If you are planning on keeping your plant inside, you will need to put it in an east, west, or south-facing window. Remember that the plant should get a minimum of four hours of direct sunlight each day.
   • You could also grow your plant in an open vent terrarium with a 'plant light' or fluorescent light close by. The closer the light is to the plant, the healthier the plant will be.

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   Consider keeping your plant outdoors. You could also grow it in your bog garden). Just make sure to put the plant where it will be in direct sunlight and not in nutrient rich soil.

   • You may also wish to shield the plant from strong winds by placing it near other structures or draft-hardy plants.

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   Know when your plant's growing period is. From April to October, or whenever you make your plant think it is spring, it needs plenty of water and sun. The growing period is when your plant will be in full activity; ''catching'' prey, photosynthesizing, and producing flowers. The flowers can weaken the plant.

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   Use only pure water to water your plants. You should only ever use pure water; distilled water, deionized water, and rainwater are all viable options.

   • Giving your plants Reverse Osmosis filtered water is the best choice because most other sources, like drinking water, already have minerals added for flavor.

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   Avoid using tap water if you can. There are three main reasons why tap water is bad for your fly traps.

   • Tap water contains things like chlorine, sodium and sulfur (among others) that will build up in your plant's soil over time, causing sickness and, eventually plant death.
   • Most tap water sources the pH levels are on the 7.9 to 8.3 range.
   • The chlorine kills most living organisms even the beneficial ones.

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   Test tap water when necessary. You can use tap water if you measure the water with a TDS (total dissolved solids) meter. Your water has to read less than 50 parts per million (ppm) on the TDS meter in order for it to be safe for your plant.

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   Give your plant the water it needs. During the growing season, your plant's soil should never be completely dry. Try to keep your plant's growing medium so that it is moist to the touch (not soggy). There are three ways to water your plant, each with their own benefits:

   • The Tray Method: The tray method of watering is one of the best watering methods for an actively growing plant that is in direct sunlight. Your plant should be in a pot that has drainage holes in the bottom. Place the pot in a tray that is filled with water. Your plant's growing medium will absorb the water like a wick, giving your plant all of the water it needs & increasing humidity around the pot.
     • Keep in mind, however, that if your pot is relatively shallow (5 inches or 13 cm) this method could be detrimental to your plant because the plant's roots could be too surrounded by water, causing fungal or bacterial growth.
   • The Top Method: This is how most plants are watered, you pour or spray water onto the soil around the plant and let the water drain out of the bottom of the pot. Your plant's soil should always be moist but not soaked. This means watering your plant two to five times per month during the growing period.
   • The Double pot Method: This is the most effective method for growing fly traps; The second pot surrounding the smaller terracotta pot in the middle isolates the plant from drastic temperature changes, increases humidity in the air, and retains moisture. Only pour water into the second pot on the outside diameter of the middle pot.
     • The porous terracotta pot in the middle should allow moisture to enter the middle of the pot and filter out extra nutrient salts.

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   Make sure your plant gets enough sunlight. As stated previously, Venus fly traps need at least four hours of direct sunlight during their growing periods. Aside from 'eating' bugs, traps rely on photosynthesis to grow and stay healthy.

   • Put your plant in a spot where it will receive at least 12 hours of sunlight.

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   Know when your plant's dormant period is. Between November and March, your plant will go through a dormant phase. The dormant state is when the plant stops producing flowers or growing. Many fly traps die off during the dormant period because people continue to care for them like they would during the normal growing period.

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   Reduce the amount of water you give your plant. You should not use the tray method of water when your plant is in dormancy; instead, water your plant by hand. While growing fly traps need a lot of water, their need is greatly reduced during the dormant period. Most fly traps will only need to be watered every 10 to 14 days.

   • The soil should become much drier (though never fully dry). The soil directly around the base and roots should be slightly damp, while the rest of the soil is dry. Water the plant like you would any other time, making sure to water thoroughly.
   • When you do water your plant, water it in the morning so that it has the whole day to dry out a bit before the cooler night temperatures come in.
   • Do not over-water your plant--only water it when the soil begins to feel dry around the base of the plant. If you give your plant too much water, bacterial and fungal growths may occur.

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   Keep your plant in the sunlight. While dormancy invites the idea that the plant does absolutely nothing, Venus fly traps will actually continue to photosynthesize during their dormant period. Therefore, your plant should still be exposed to sunlight.

   • If possible, bring your plant inside and set it up under a strong artificial light for the duration of its dormancy.

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   Protect your plant from freezing temperatures if you are growing it outdoors. The extent you go to will depend on what climate you live in, and whether you are growing your plants outside or indoors. If you are growing it outdoors, you have two options^[4] :

   • If you are growing your plant outdoors and live in a climate that stays relatively warm (where the temperature generally never dips below 30 degrees F (-1 degree C)) then you can leave your plant outside all year long without protection.
   • If you are growing a plant outdoors where the climate is colder there are occasional freezes, you should plant your fly traps in the ground for winter (pots absorb the temperatures of the air around them). Plant them in a bog garden, or in soil that is good for fly traps (see Part One). You should also cover your plants with mulch or leaves to keep them safe from the bad weather.

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   Bring your plants inside if you live in too cold of a climate. If you live in a place that has extended freezes, you will have to bring your Venus fly traps indoors for the winter. Put it in the window of an unheated room like a garage or porch. This is the best way to keep your plants alive but dormant indoors. Put your plant in a south-facing windowsill if you can, as this will allow the plant to continue to photosynthesize.

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   Know that you don't need to feed your plant insects. You can feed your Venus flytrap to give it the nutrients it needs, or you can add a very small amount of nutrient-rich fertilizer to your Venus fly trap's soil, or mist them occasionally with a spray-on fertilizer.^[5] When Venus flytraps are outdoors, they catch insects, grasshoppers (and occasionally small animals like frogs) that provide nutrients that will make the plant healthier.

   • Keep in mind that the trap sometimes doesn't seal unless the item it has caught is moving. This means that you should feed your fly trap live prey like flies and mealworms. A helpful tip when using live prey is to put the prey in the freezer for a few minutes so that it becomes very slow. You should only feed one or two of your plants traps at a time, and only when the plant is healthy and strong.
   • If you do decide to feed your plant a dead insect, you should place the insect in the trap and then gently rub the trap every 20 or 30 minutes until the trap seals fully. Rubbing the trap makes it think that the thing it has caught is moving. This is not always necessary, however, as the plants also use chemical receptors to close with the presence of nutrients inside the trap.
   • Do not feed your plant 'exotic' food like bits of hamburger or cake. This will more than likely kill the plant, particularly if you give your plant meat, as the plant will have a negative reaction to the fat.
     • Fats and the decomposing meat will grow bacteria that could also harm your fly trap.

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   Groom your plant. Grooming your plant helps to keep your Venus fly trap healthy. Dead leaves can block the sun from young leaves that need the light to grow. Your plant's leaves will turn brown as they die—these are the leaves you will want to get rid of. You can cut them away when they turn brown by using a small pair of scissors. Make sure you do not cut away any leaves that are still partly green--these leaves can still photosynthesize.

   • As the leaves turn brown, they should begin to weaken and detach from the plant. Most of the time, you should be able to just pluck them off the plant. For the tougher ones, sewing scissors work well. You should also be aware that Venus fly trap leaves tend to die off in bunches.

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   Re-pot your plant. If you notice that you plant looks like it is too crowded in its pot, that it has divided into two (or more) plants, or that it dries out too quickly, it is time to re-pot your plant. Doing this is much the same as potting your plant in its original container. Make sure to use the right composition of soil (see Part One).^[6]

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   Try not to touch your plant's traps. Triggering your plants to close when there is nothing in their traps for them to 'eat' is an unnecessary waste of energy for your plant.

   • It takes two to three weeks for a plant's trap to reopen and again be ready to trap its potential food.
   • While it is OK to gently rub the outside of the traps after you have fed it an insect, you should limit the amount you touch your plant. Never put anything inside their traps except for insects.^[7]

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• Question

  How often should I feed my fly trap insects?

  

  Andrew Carberry has been working in food systems since 2008. He has a Masters in Public Health Nutrition and Public Health Planning and Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

  

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  How do I feed my indoor Venus fly trap?

  

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  First up, only feed the plant if absolutely necessary; Venus fly traps growing where there are bugs do not need feeding by hand. If you do need to feed your Venus fly trap because it cannot get bugs, then feed it with bugs (beetles, flies, ants, etc.), either live or dead. If the bug is dead, you'll need to stimulate the trigger hairs inside the trap by squeezing the two lobes very gently between your thumb and forefinger, just a few times, and always very gently. As you do so, ensure that both lobes contact each other with each squeeze. Otherwise, feed it live food. For more help feeding the trap, see Part 6 in the article above.

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• Never over-water your plants. If they become waterlogged, mold may grow, which could easily kill the plant.

• Unfortunately, while it has drawn so much curiosity and international demand as an exotic plant, Dionaea muscipula, has been severely impacted in the wild, since the 1980's due to habitat loss, fire suppression, and Illegal Human Harvesting.

• At the first few weeks, don't suddenly put it in direct sunlight for a long time. It will kill the plant.

• Don't throw your plant away because it suddenly seems to 'die' during the fall and winter seasons--it is simply dormant and will regrow in the spring.

• You don't need to feed them a lot, only feed them when they need nutrients

• A Venus fly trap is not a Tropical plant. Although it likes relative high humidity, the warmer temperatures in the humid air will cause it to rot and fungus to grow.

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Article Summary X

To care for a Venus flytrap, place it into a deep, insulated pot that gives your plant 4-5 inches of space for the roots to grow. Fill the pot with equal parts sphagnum peat moss and perlite to mimic the plant's natural environment. Place your plant where it will get plenty of direct sunlight, and keep the soil moist to the touch during the growing season, which lasts from April until October. From November to March, only water your plant every 10-14 days. If your Venus flytrap lives indoors, you can occasionally give it a live mealworm or fly, or you can fertilize its soil instead. For tips from our reviewer on how to feed your plant, keep reading!

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