Venus flytrap
Tom Lachance
Can anyone give me some tips on the care and feeding of Venus Flytraps?
Thank You
Jason Shumate
Tom Lachance (pro...@ime.net) wrote:
: Can anyone give me some tips on the care and feeding of Venus Flytraps?
: Thank You
I used to grow them in zone 8 in middle Georgia when I lived there. They
do best if you can leave them outdoors year round. They should be reliably
hardy through zone 6 and maybe even zone 5 as I have read that they have
been successfully grown in Pennsylvania outdoors. I never fertilized. If
you must, make sure it is a weak fertilizer. My personal recommendation
is put it in a pot that you can leave outdoors in the spring/summer, then
bring it in when it starts to get below freezing. It would probably be
best if you could keep it at a low temperature, say in a garage, during
the winter. If you can get it to go dormant in the winter, it will flower
in the spring. Water maybe twice a week with water that has set out over
night to dechlorinate or use distilled water. Don't let it go dry. It should
always be somewhat moist. I hope this helps. I will say that I grew one
indoors for a while at my former job and I kept it alive, but the coworker
I left it with killed it. If you're lucky enough to live in a warmer climate
(looks like you live in Maine, so you don't), it's always best to leave them
outside year round. I assume you know to only plant them in peat moss (best)
or sand. Good luck. Don't be afraid to see leaves turn black on it in the
winter. In colder climates, I think it can die back to the ground, but it
always had a little green left in zone 8.
--
CUL8R, | Lord Arthur: "Are all men from the future
Jason Shumate | loud-mouthed braggarts?"
System Administrator type guy | Ash: "Nope. Just me, baby. Just me."
jshu...@es.atl.sita.int | - Army Of Darkness
Jack Elder
In article <52m82n$l...@freenet-news.carleton.ca>,
Michael Roberts <de...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote:
>
>feed it flies & keep it moist
I'm assuming that this is in response to a request for information on how
to grow _Dionaea Muscipula_ - better known as the Venus' Flytrap. The
above sentence seems to capture the gist - keep the little sucker moist.
Basically, it's a good idea to always keep them in about 1 or 2cm of water
- and use soft water (distilled or rainwater are both good). Regarding
feeding, I wouldn't advise it. If it wants food, it'll catch it on its
own. Feeding your flytrap can kill it! If you must feed it, give it
_live_ insects. Dead insects won't cause the trap to close properly and
digest (and thus the insect will rot and kill the leaf), or if they were
killed with insecticide... think about it. Also avoid setting off the
traps unduly (it tires the plant out and can kill it).
The basic idea is:
-Keep it moist! 2cm of water in the saucer in Summer, less in
Winter, but moist!
-Distilled/rain water - depending on your finances and local
pollution levels.
-Don't feed it. It'll catch things on its own.
Hope this helps...
--
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Sleep deprivation makes everything really neat. -Henry Rollins