Are you curious about how to care for carnivorous plants? Then this is the right place for you. We will discuss everything from how to water your carnivorous plants, how to feed them, where to plant your carnivorous plants and what soil is best for your carnivorous plants plus much, much more! If you want to keep your carnivorous plants alive, look no further!
How much water venus flytraps need is usually not a simple answer. Where venus flytraps grow naturally in the pine savannahs in North Carolina, they are typically dry around the top but always have access to water underground where the roots are. We try our best to emulate this, venus flytraps need to be watered consistently so the top can stay relatively dry but the roots have access to water. This amount of water ranges throughout the year. The amount of water a venus fly trap needs is determined by temperatures, light/sun exposure and other factors.
Lets really dig in here to help you learn how much water your venus flytrap needs.
If you are more of a visual learner and like to listen to a video, I go over everything below in video form. Check out my watering guide so you can learn how much to water venus flytraps. I also added part two of this video at the bottom of this article so you can learn what type of water and what equipment works best for watering venus flytraps!
How Much Water Do Venus Fly Traps Need
Venus flytraps are a tricky plant to water at times. Unless you live in an environment where the weather is always consistent, giving them the correct amount of water can be a tricky balance to achieve. If you know what to look for and how to easily measure the amount of water in the soil, it becomes a lot easier.
Were going to discuss best practices that I have learned over the last 10 years growing carnivorous plants including venus fly traps.
Venus Flytrap Natural Habitat With Water
Venus Flytraps in their natural habitat. Dry above and wet below.
Before we get into best practices with tips & tricks I think It’s important to understand how venus flytraps grow in the natural habitat. One of the biggest venus flytrap myths and misconceptions is that they grow in swampy boggy areas and need to be sitting in water all the time.
In truth, venus flytraps grow in North Carolina in areas called pine savannahs. These areas are well-drained on the top but the roots to the plants always have access to water below the surface. Knowing this helps us understand what type of watering conditions help venus flytraps thrive.
A little dry on the top but wet down where the roots are. This is a tricky balance to maintain which is why this can be one of the trickier venus flytrap care areas to master.
My very first and possibly most important tip for watering venus flytraps is going to be understanding the weight of your planter or pot. Knowing the feel of your planter when it needs water vs when it is full will make your venus flytrap watering life so much easier. Knowing the weight will be easier than constantly sticking your finger in the soil or trying to keep a watering calendar. Watering patterns can change a lot as the weather and temperatures change. Knowing the weight will keep you an expert when weather is cold and warm.
When your venus flytrap needs water allow yourself to get really familiar with its weight. After watering, allow the plant to absorb water for 24 hours, come back and get familiar with the weight of the planter now that it’s full of water. Knowing the weight of your planter can take a lot of the guess work out of knowing when to water. I can’t stress how important this tip is to becoming experienced at watering venus flytraps.
Until you learn the weight of your pot, it’s important to go over some tips that will help you know when it’s time to water your venus flytrap.
Must Have Equipment For Watering
Simple Ways To Determine Your Flytrap Needs Water
If you are still learning the weight of your planters but need to know when your plant needs water, one of the easiest ways is to put your finger in the substrate. Go down about an inch or two, if the substrate is still dry your plant probably needs water. You NEVER want your venus flytrap to go completely dry. It’s important that the roots always have access to water. A venus flytrap can dry out and die if the planter is allowed to go completely dry.
Another great tip is to use a plant tracker to keep a watering journal. This can be really helpful when weather conditions are consistent, but can be hard to rely on when weather is not the same day in and day out. If you are interested in a free plant tracker, I actually have one you can download for free to help you keep track of watering patterns.
I almost always tray water my venus flytraps. Knowing that the roots like having access to the water all the time while the top prefers it to be a little more dry points to the obvious choice of tray or bottom watering. Keeping water in the tray allows the lower part of the plant to have access to water more consistently.
A common watering error that I see all the time is people leaving the tray full ALL the time. You do not want your venus flytrap sitting in water ALL the time. This can lead to mold, mildew and even rot which usually results in the death of your plant. Crown rot is one of the more common killers of venus flytraps and it happens mostly because of the common belief that they should aways be wet and swampy.
There are always exceptions to this, lets talk about that real quick.
If you are in peak growing season and the weather is consistently above 75 degrees F, your plant is probably going through a lot of water. You can probably put water in your tray and it’s gone after 2 or 3 days. In these growing conditions, it’s absolutely fine and even recommend to keep that tray full. When the temps drop and you notice that the tray of water is sticking around for more than 3 days or so, I strongly recommend pulling the flytrap out of the water or emptying the tray.
Water is going to stick around a lot longer as temps begin to drop. It’s vital that your watering habits adapt to the weather. This is why understanding the weight of your planter is so important. Venus flytraps shouldn’t be sitting in stagnant water for more than a few days.
Top watering can help flush your venus flytrap. Getting rid of some of the built up dissolved solids in the soil!
Lets talk about top watering real quick. I do top water them once a month or so. Not really for watering sake but to help flush the plant. Sometimes, especially if outside, they can collect stuff on the top. Pollen, falling leaves and debris, some of this stuff can seep into the soil and not be great for the flytrap.
I like to top water until I see the tray starting to fill. I then will dump the tray of water out. This helps flush some of the dissolved solids that may have built up in the soil. You can do this a few times to help give your plant a really good flush. This can help the long term health of your plant an substrate.
How Much Water Do Venus Flytraps Need Indoors
If you keep your venus flytraps indoors, it becomes even more important for you to keep an eye on the water levels. Water does not dissipate as quick indoors as it will outside in the sun. It’s important that you do not allow your flytraps to sit in water all the time indoors. I know I keep coming back to this, but it’s another good reason for you to have good familiarity with the weight of your planter. I give my venus flytraps considerably less water during peak growing season when they are being grown inside vs outside.
Follow all the same rules for watering venus flytraps when watering indoors vs outdoors. Just know that water doesn’t go away as fast which can make it seem like you are not watering enough, even though you are.
Should You Let Venus Fly Traps Sit In Rain?
Venus flytraps will do just fine in rain. If it’s just a rainy day mid summer, don’t worry about it. Let them be. They will dry out the next day and be fine. If the rain lasts for more than a couple days then I recommend pulling them out of their trays and allowing the water to flow out the bottom of the pot.
If the rain lasts for more than a week, I recommend covering them and getting them out of the rain. They really shouldn’t be exposed to that much water for really long periods of time. Anything over a week and a half I’d probably try to cover them a bit.
Watering Venus Flytraps During Dormancy
The last thing I want to talk about is watering during dormancy. If you are doing dormancy correct, it’s probably somewhere between 30 and 50 degrees F and there is little to no light for your plants. In these conditions water is going to stick around for a LONG time. I strongly recommend that you fill the tray, allow the plant to absorb water for a full day or two then dump the tray of water out.
The plant may maintain the water for weeks at a time. I watered my flytraps this winter in dormancy maybe once every 3 to 4 weeks. Overwatering and rotting venus fly traps during dormancy is extremely common. Know the weight of your pot, don’t allow this to happen.
Conclusion
Learning how much a venus flyrap needs is only part of the equation for watering these carnivorous plants. You are also going to want to learn about what types of water and how you can get that water. You can’t just use tap water or you will kill your venus flytraps. Watch the video below to learn about the best tools and types of water for watering venus flytraps.
Venus flytraps can definitely eat ants. A venus flytrap that is left outside will likely eat a few ants. If you are looking for the best insects to feed your venus flytrap, I wouldn’t recommend feeding ants if possible. Ants have been known to kill or cause harm to the trap that captures the ant. I wouldn’t panic if your flytrap closes on an ant, but just know that they have been known to cause issues for venus flytraps. There are much better options if you are choosing insects to feed your venus flytraps.
Lets take a closer look at venus flytraps eating ants, and which insects are better options!
Technically, the answer to this question is yes. Venus flytraps can and will eat ants. The better question to ask is whether or not you should feed your venus flytraps ants. When left outside, I have noticed that my venus flytraps will close down on larger ants. Smaller garden ants may not be big enough to trigger the trap to close.
I’ve seen my own venus flytraps handle ants just find but I have also seen them turn black and die when trying to digest the ant. It does seem that sometimes the ant does cause issues with the flytrap. This could be due to ants acidic nature.
If you are asking this question to consider which insects are best to feed your venus flytrap, I’d probably avoid ants all together. I wouldn’t panic if you see your flytrap catch an ant, but it does seem there are better options for feeding a venus flytrap. We will talk about some of those options below.
Venus flytraps definitely eat ants in the wild. Venus flytraps will actually close and try to eat anything that moves. They aren’t picky, but will close the trap down when the trigger hairs are touched. Any insect moving around inside the trap will trigger the plant and the trap will close. Ants are one of the most common insects making them a common meal for venus flytraps.
When in the wild, a flytraps diet consists of 33% ants, 30% spiders, 10% beetles and 10% grasshoppers. According to the paper cited below, if you feed venus flytraps nitrogen content (insects) the result will be larger traps. It’s also stated that 20 to 50% of flytraps total intake of nitrogen comes from insects alone. You can conclude that a group of flytraps that feeds on insects will grow larger than a group that is never fed any insects.
The point really is that, venus flytraps consume a lot of ants in the wild, so it’s probably okay. However, if you have a choice, I’d recommend some of the other insects below.
Better Choices Than Ants To Feed A Venus Flytrap
Although it’s probably okay to feed your venus flytrap ants, I would recommend some other types of insects if you have a choice. The best insects are going to be the ones that have higher concentration of nitrogen and are easy for the flytrap to break down and digest. Check out the best insects below to feed a venus flytrap.
House Flies
It’s all in the name. One of the best insects for a venus flytrap is the common house fly. They have a lot of nitrogen and are soft enough for the venus flytrap to easily break down and consume.
Spiders
Spiders are also high in nitrogen and have fairly soft bodies that are easy for the venus flytrap to break down and consume. The are the second most common insect eaten in the wild by venus flytraps.
Wasps
There are many kinds of wasps and these do tend to be a little tricky as they tend to be a little bigger than some of these other insects. If the wasp is too big, the trap will close but it won’t be able to digest the insect. Assuming the wasp is less than half the size of the trap that closes, it makes a great meal for the plant.
Mealworms are my favorite insect to feed my venus flytraps. They are fairly easy to get and are not very expensive. It’s much easier to buy some live mealworms than try to find insects around your house for your venus flytrap to eat. They are soft enough for the venus flytrap to digest easily but also contain a lot of nitrogen.
Crickets, like mealworms, are a great and easy to obtain snack for your venus flytrap. Just make sure you get some that are small enough so that the trap will close entirely. They are easily broken down and contain a lot of nitrogen.
https://youtu.be/-PsUgnwdB0A
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, vneus flytraps can and will eat ants. If left in the wild, it’s one of the top insects that get consumed due to how common they are. If you can avoid ants, I’d recommend doing so. There are better insects that are higher in nitrogen that can do less harm to your flytraps. Any of the insects listed above would be better and are typically available to buy and feed your venus flytrap.
You can feed venus flytraps dead bugs. It’s important to understand however, it’s more of a process than just allowing the trap to close and walking away. Feeding a venus flytrap dead bugs is more of a manual process. Venus fly traps releases digestive enzymes when a secondary response is triggered inside the trap after it closes. After the trap closes you must gently massage the flytrap head to trick the trap into thinking that the insect inside is alive. This will trigger the digestive enzymes to breakdown and absorb the insect.
Lets get into a deeper discussion about how this works and why venus flytraps are an absolute evolutionary marvel. Lets talk about size, type and how to feed a venus flytrap a dead bug.
Venus flytraps are truly an evolutionary marvel. The process to feed venus flytraps dead bugs is just one of the many examples of how extraordinary they are. Before we get into the why, let me explain the process you need to follow to make sure that a venus flytrap digests a dead bug or insect.
It should be noted that it’s almost always better to feed your venus flytrap a live bug instead of a dead bug. Although its 100% possible to feed it a dead bug, if you have a live alternative, I’d definitely go with that. One of the best live bugs you can get easy and cheap are meal worms. They are one of the best options if you want to have live bugs on hand to feed.
If dead bugs are the only option for feeding your venus flytrap, keep reading so you can learn about what time, what size and how to feed a venus flytrap a dead bug.
What Kind Of Dead Bug Or Insect
Before we jump into how to do feed a venus flytrap dead bugs, lets talk about the kind of dead bugs you should be picking out. You want to search for a bug or insect that has a soft exoskeleton. Anything with a super hard shell can be problematic for the venus flytrap to digest. Large beetles with hard shells will be difficult for the venus flytrap to digest. The end result is often the flytrap head dying because the hard shelled beetle is just too much.
A common house fly might be the best option for a venus flytrap.
A common house fly really is the perfect insect for a venus flytrap to munch on. They are soft and dissolve really well when the venus flytrap releases its enzymes. Most spiders work really well as they are softer bodied insects. Meal worms are an excellent insect to feed flytraps. They do have a bit of a harder outside, but not so hard that they can’t be dissolved. Mealworms are actually my favorite meal to feed venus flytraps. Alive and dead, they are great!
Avoid anything that is overly squishy or really wet. Leaches, slugs, earth worms are all terrible for feeding venus flytraps. Venus flytraps can definitely break them down but this often results in the trap turning black and dying. There is just too much moisture. The insect will develop mold and mildew and eventually take out the flytrap. They really aren’t evolutionary designed to eat slimy wet insects.
Correct Size Of Dead Bug or Insect
Picking out the right type of insect is important but also finding the right size can be just as important. A venus flytrap must form a good seal when closing down on an insect. If an insect is too large, a seal cannot be completed and it will have a really hard time breaking the insect down.
You should never feed your venus flytrap anything that is more than 1/3 it’s size. Keeping it around this size ensures that there is enough insect to justify the plant going through its process to break the bug down. But it’s also not so large that the venus flytrap will have a hard time sealing around it.
Feeding The Venus Flytrap A Dead Bug
Now that you swatted down the perfect type and size dead insect to feed your venus flytrap, lets get started.
At first, you will feed it just like you do a live insect. Place the insect inside the trap head, try to center it as best as possible. Putting the insect in the trap may trigger it, if not, simply use your finger to touch the trigger hair inside the trap. There are typically 3 small hairs that are the trigger. If it’s too small, just rub your finger or something small along the inside of the trap head, it will eventually close.
Once the trap closes, you will want to gently massage the outside of the trap for about 30 seconds to a minute. Venus flytraps will not release their digestive enzyme unless the secondary response is triggered. It’s not good enough to just make the trap close. If you did this correctly, you will see a seal begin to develop around the insect in about 30 minutes. If no seal forms, this means the flytrap will likely open up in the next few days and not actually breakdown and use the insect.
Keep reading below why the venus flytrap needs the secondary response in order to release it’s digestive enzymes.
How A Venus Flytrap Works While Feeding
Venus flytraps are truly incredible when you really start to analyze their evolutionary traits, even when it comes to eating dead bugs. The secondary trigger was developed because venus flytraps waste a lot of energy trying to digest an insect. If there isn’t an actual insect inside the trap, it can die from wasting so much energy without replenishing what it lost with the insect.
Imagine a raindrop or falling leaf fall into a venus flytrap. It closes and releases its enzymes but receives nothing in return. The amount of energy a flytrap puts out trying to breakdown and absorb an insect is a lot. Over time, venus flytraps developed a secondary response as a fail safe in the event that they are triggered by anything other than an insect.
I try to imagine the amount of flytraps that died over so many years before it started to realize that in order to survive long term, it needs to adapt and stop trying to absorb without knowing for sure that it has a live insect.
That insect on the inside wiggling around is the secondary trigger the plant needs to start producing its enzymes and breaking down the insect to absorb what it needs!
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, I strongly recommend feeding a venus flytrap live bugs. However, if live bugs are not an option it is okay and possible to feed a venus flytrap a dead bug or insect. It’s a little more work on your part, but if done correctly the venus flytrap will never know if it’s absorbing nutrients from a live or dead bug.
If you would like to learn more about venus flytraps and how to care for them, check out the video below. It’s a full venus flytrap care guide, from A to Z. Make sure to subscribe to the Carnivorous Plant Hub YouTube channel for more great videos!
Sundews are amazing carnivorous plants. I hear people asking all the time, “can you grow sundews indoors?” I think the name “sundew” makes it seem like a plant that you should grow outside in full sun. Dorsera are extremely hardy plants and are a lot of fun to grow indoors.
You can definitely grow sundews indoors. If you have a window sill that gets some sun during the day, you should be able to grow a sundew indoors. If you don’t have a good window, you may need a grow light. The good news is, sundews are really easy to grow. They are probably the best and most versatile carnivorous plant for beginners to grow. I’m going to show you exactly what you need to do to successfully grow a drosera indoors.
Below I’m going to lay out some of the steps you need to take to make sure you can easily grow your sundew indoors. They are a carnivorous plant and do have some unorthodox needs when it comes to growing them indoors. Let’s dive in!
I put together a quick guide to growing sundews indoors. Make sure to go over everything below before you pull the trigger on a drosera plant. They aren’t hard to grow but do have some specific needs that goes against typical growing logic.
I’ll try to touch on each important area that needs to be covered so you can give your sundew the care it needs while been grown indoors. If you take the time to learn about the drosera plant, you won’t regret it. Sundew plants are amazing and can be a lot of fun to show off to friends and family.
They are also great for controlling flies and gnats. I’ve seen my sundews completely covered in gnats before. This gives them some value on top of just being amazing plants. Lets take a look at what you need to do to grow a sundew indoors.
Check out my video below of me unboxing some new sundew plants from Predatory Plants. If you like it, make sure to subscribe so you can see updates on those plants and many other carnivorous plants!
https://youtu.be/kKs0Y0Qak6w
Know Your Sundew Plant
We are generalizing sundew plants here which can be kind of a mistake. This guide will help you grow some of the more standard types of sundews but it will be up to you to know if your sundew has extra special requirements.
Some sundew plants only live one year then seed and die while some need a dormancy period. I’m going to give you some sundews below that will be easy to grow for beginner’s. If you have not purchased a sundew yet, please consider one of the good beginner sundews below!
Drosera Carpensis (Cape Sundew)
The drosera carpensis is probably the best beginner sundew plant. It’s extremely accessible with many sellers offering it and they are really hard to kill. They do not require any kind of dormancy period so you can enjoy them year round. Dormancy periods can be tricky and frustrating to master. These plants have been deemed as almost impossible to kill and make a great beginner sundew plant!
You can even grow a Cape Sundew from seeds pretty easily. If you can find a good reputable supplier of seeds, most people have pretty good success growing them from seeds. It can be a lot of fun to grow a sundew from seed to a full sized plant!
This is another great starter sundew. The spoon leaved sundew has wider and broader leaves to help give it a more thick appearance. I actually prefer this style of sundews! They are also very easy to care for and you should be able to give them the same care and they will live a long healthy life!
Drosera Binata (Fork-Leaved Sundew)
The drosera binata or fork-leaved sundew looks a little closer to the cape sundew mentioned up above. It has more of a tentacle look but they are truly incredible. You can give them the same care and they will also live a great long life!
Sundew Care: Grow Sundews Indoors
I’m going to give you a quick guide on caring for and growing sundews in your home! These plants are so much fun to watch and do a great job keeping gnats under control. If you have kids they are going to love watching this cool carnivorous plant chomp down on bugs!
Indoor Lighting Needs
To successfully grow sundews indoors, one of the most important things will the light you are able to provide them. Whether it’s artificial or sunlight, check out the requirements below so you can keep your sundew plant happy!
If you have a window in your home that can provide your sundew plant up to 6 hours of sunlight a day, you probably won’t have any problem with lighting requirements. If you can get your plants more light, then even better! I would try hard not to go under 5 hours. This may require you to move it to multiple windows as the day goes on.
The other option is to get some artificial light. You can get a Sansi 30W bulb with an E26 (standard) socket to get your sundews more light. I purchased this light for my nepenthes and it really works well. It’s pretty affordable and super easy to set up and plug in. I just grab some clamp lights, like below and allow that light to shine on my Sundews for 6-10 hours day!
Check out my lighting setup below!
This setup is super easy and you can see the exact bulb and the clamp light that I purchased below.
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Watering Sundews Indoors
Make sure when you water your sundews that you are only giving them pure water. This includes, distilled, rainwater and reverse osmosis water. Sundews, like other carnivorous plants do not like minerals in the water. The minerals can burn the roots and slowly kill your sundew plant.
Avoid using your tap water unless you have a TDS meter to measure the PPM in your water. You want to try and keep the PPM below 50. PPM stands for parts per million and this is essentially measuring the mineral content in your water. You can see a TDS Meter below! Occasionally tap water will run lower than 50 PPM but it’s super rare.
You want to make sure your sundews never dry out. They like to remain moist. One of the best ways to water a sundew is to keep them in a tray of water with 0.5 to 1 inch of water at all times. This will help make sure the plant stays healthy and continues to produce the dew drops that catch the insects.
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Sundews also like a little extra humidity in order for them to thrive. I live in an area where my humidity is often down around 30-40 percent without any assistance to get a higher humidity. In those conditions my sundews grow fine but I can really tell the difference in how fast they grow and how much dew they produce when I bump the humidity up.
I try to use a humidifier to help give them a bump. If thats not something that is possible for you, maybe try bringing your sundews in the bathroom with you when you take a shower or try to keep them in a window in your kitchen or bathroom. Both kitchens and bathrooms have naturally higher humidity due to how the rooms are used.
Also, a small humidifier is extremely affordable and easy to manage, check out the small humidifier below to help give your sundews a nice boost!
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Soil Mix For Sundews
For Sundews, you want a good carnivorous plant soil mix. I actually have a video I made showing you how to make a great carnivorous plant soil mix. I made this mix up for my venus flytraps but this mix is great for sundews as well.
You want to make sure you have a nutrient poor soil mix. You also want to make sure your mix has good aeriation. I use a peat moss, perlite and silica sand mix. This mix does a great job of allowing water to escape but also absorbing water to help slow release it to your plant. If water can’t escape and sits your plant can be subject to root rot.
You can get a great carnivorous plant soil mix on Amazon below. I have talked to people who just don’t have the time or resources to make their own and love the option of just having some shipped to their home, check it out!
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You can also use a long fiber sphagnum moss for your indoor sundew plant. LFPM is a favorite among many carnivorous plant grows. It does a great job of absorbing the water but doesn’t allow water to accumulate. My sundews right now are in LFSM but when I replant it will be to a peat moss, perlite and silica sand mix. You can also get long fiber sphagnum moss on Amazon shipped right to your home!
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Don’t forget to check out my video below! I will show you how to make your own sundew soil mix. Please also subsribe to my channel so you can see updates to all my carnivorous plants and more!
https://youtu.be/q6WaSVn3bKg
Pots & Planters For Sundews
When you are looking for a pot or planter for your sundew plant, you just want to make sure you are getting something that has plenty of holes for good drainage. It’s also important that you get a pot or planter for your sundew that is either plastic or resin.
You can get a ceramic planter but you need to make sure it’s fully glazed. You don’t want the ceramic or clay to be exposed to your substrate. The clay can leach minerals into your soil giving your sundew a long and slow death.
Don’t be afraid to get creative. There are plenty of fun planters and pots out there that can be a lot of fun to put your sundews in!
When you grow sundews indoors you may have to work a little harder at keeping them well fed. If you grow sundews outside, they will almost always be able to catch more than their fill of insects.
How much you need to feed your sundew plant will completely be determined by how much exposure they have to insects. Check out my sundews below. They are around some other carnivorous plants and there always seems to be a semi decent amount of gnats available.
If your plants are never exposed to insects, you may need to feed them from time to time. If you can find insects, this totally works. Flies are great! You want to make sure you only feed them softer insects. Try to avoid crickets & grasshoppers.
My Sundew catching some gnats.
You can get a bag of fly larvae to feed your sundew on occasion. I would say one larvae a week should be plenty depending on the size of your plant. The bigger it is the more you may want to feed it. Make sure you soak the fly larvae before putting it on your sundew plant, this will help it be able to break it down easier.
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Do Sundews Need Dormancy?
The answer to this question is yes, for some. No for others. I STRONGLY suggest for your first sundew plant, to get one that doesn’t need a dormancy period. Dormancy can bring some extra need when it comes to care and isn’t very fun when you have to watch your plant stop growing or die off.
There are plenty of incredible and easy to grow sundews out there that don’t need to go through a dormancy period. Make sure and do some research on the sundew you want to find out if they need a dormancy period.
Most growers will list this information on their product page. If they don’t, you should be able to contact them and find out if the plant they are selling requires a dormancy period.
Final Thoughts
If you are even considering a sundew plant, I strongly suggest you give them a shot. If you do your research, there are plenty of low maintenance sundew plants that can thrive in a wide array of conditions. The longer you have your sundew the better acclimated it will become to its environment.
They will wow your company and always give you something to talk about. Telling someone you have a carnivorous plant always peaks interest and questions will be asked. It’s fun showing people how your little plant catches and eats bugs. Sundews can be grown indoors and they will make you happy you chose to get one.
One of the most common questions I see is, “Why is my venus flytrap turning black?”. Sometimes its the leaves turning black or an existing trap. Or maybe it’s the new growth turning black. There are lots of reasons why a venus flytrap might turn black, we are going to cover everything.
The first thing I should say is don’t panic. A venus flytrap turning black is a very natural occurrence and even happens to the healthiest of plants. If you have new growth turning black on venus flytraps you might have a bigger issue. But older traps and leaves turning black is nothing to be concerned about in most cases.
The most common reason your venus flytraps turn black is that it’s at the end of its timespan. Flytrap heads turn black and die all the time, it’s no big deal. It also could be due to overfeeding the trap or feeding the trap something that’s too large. Another common reason is dormancy, sometimes when a venus flytrap enters dormancy it looks almost completely dead with traps and leaves turning black. Stress from being repotted or the use of improper soil/water can also be common reasons for a venus flytrap turning black. Improper care with feeding, lighting and watering could certainly be the cause.
Lets dive into all the different reasons and see if we can identify why your venus flytrap is turning black.
Below we are going to be discussing in detail each reason why your venus flytrap leaves, traps or new growth is turning black. Most likely the black on your venus flytrap is totally natural and nothing needs to be done.
There may be some situations where you need to give your venus flytrap different care. I’m hoping we can identify and diagnose the issue with your venus flytrap!
Most Common Reason: Old Age
The most common reason your venus flytrap is turning black is that it’s at the end of it’s lifespan. After a venus flytrap has opened and closed 3-5 times they expend all their energy and will turn black and die.
This is really common and happens to all venus flytraps. The plant itself lives a very long time, up to 20 years. However, the traps will come and go pretty commonly. Keep in mind that if you trigger the trap for entertainment, you are decreasing that traps lifespan.
If that trap happens to catch a couple of insects and reopens, it will die quicker than some of the other traps that do not catch an insects. That trap even though it’s turning black and dying, has done a lot to help the plant out.
Stress From Repotting
If you just purchased and repotted your venus flytrap there is a good chance you will lose some flytrap heads before you gain some new ones. Often times the stress of being repotted and acclimating to a new location can aid in turning your venus flytrap plant black.
Just keep in mind that if the heads are turning black after being freshly repotted, you probably do not need to be alarmed. Give your flytrap some time to acclimate to its new environment and it should start sprouting new traps before you know it.
I would keep reading however, to make sure you are taking proper care after repotting your plant. There are a few other things that could go wrong and if you’re not giving your flytrap proper care you could lose your plant.
Overfeeding
I have seen a lot of people who don’t know better try to feed every head on their venus flytrap plant insects. A venus flytrap consumes a lot of energy when it eats an insect. Even though that insect does sent a lot of energy to the main plant, it takes its toll on the existing traps.
The plant can’t support that many traps consuming insects in that short amount of time. This will likely not kill the plant but it could turn most of the existing flytrap heads black.
A venus flytrap should only be fed about 1 fly a week per plant. One head on each plant per week is enough to give the plant what it needs. The plant mostly survives off the light it’s provided, the insects act as fertilizer. Too much fertilizer and it can be harmful to the plant.
If you want to learn more about feeding a venus flytrap, check out my full guide on feeding a venus flytrap.
This is a photo of a venus flytrap that ate too large of an insect then eventually died.
Flytrap Ate Too Large Of An Insect
The rule when feeding a venus flytrap is try not to feed it anything bigger than 1/3 the size of the trap. Sometimes you can’t help it if the trap catches a larger insect, this usually ends in the trap turning black and dying.
I just had a smaller trap catch a yellow jacket and just about a week later it died. You can watch the video below of me dissecting some of my traps with insects on the inside. It’s a fun look at what the bugs look like after they have been absorbed by the plant.
You won’t always be able to stop your trap from catching larger insects natrually but you can control whether or not you feed your trap large bugs. Make sure when feeding your flytrap not to give them insects that are too large. In my experience this will result in the trap turning black and dying 100% of the time.
https://youtu.be/afE3GsOz08o
Not Using The Correct Soil Or Water
Venus flytraps have fairly special needs due to the way they grow naturally. If you are not meeting those special needs your plant could be unhealthy and could turn black and die.
Substrate/Soil Needs
A venus flytrap needs a special soil mix that contains extremely small or no amounts of minerals. What I use is a peat moss, perlite and silica sand mix. You need to make that your mix has no fertilizer to additives in it. You can buy the soil premade on Amazon if you don’t want to deal with it or you can make it yourself.
Check out below to see the soil you can buy right on Amazon already mixed and ready to use.
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you would rather make your own soil mix, I can show you how to below. Also, I have an entire article I wrote all about venus flytrap soil mix. This includes how to make it and much more information.
I have also made a video showing you exactly how I make this mix, make sure to check it out below!
https://youtu.be/q6WaSVn3bKg
Type Of Water
One of the most common mistakes people make when getting a new venus flytrap is they give it tap water. It’s an honest mistake and not always clear on the plants instructions. The minerals in tap or bottled water will burn the plants roots and eventually kill it. This process will turn the plant black as it’s dying.
It’s important to understand that you will need distilled water, rain water or even water obtained through reverse osmosis. Pure water will be the only kind of water that works for your venus flytrap in the long run.
You can get distilled water at a local grocery or big box store for under $1 a gallon. I usually just pick up 4 or 5 gallons at a time to make sure I have enough for a bit. You can use rain water if you have a way to collect it. You may want to test it however, just to make sure the parts per million is low enough.
Watering Instructions
The other thing that could be happening is your venus flytrap isn’t getting enough water or your overwatering. Make sure you keep your venus flytrap moist but not soaking wet. It’s important to never let your substrate dry out. You also want to avoid adding so much water it makes the substrate muddy.
You can use the tray method to water but you want to be careful not to leave the plant in too deep of water. You can fill a tray with about 1/4 of an inch of distilled water and place the pot in the water. Don’t add more water until the tray completely dries out.
Watering is one of the most common mistakes people make that leads to their venus flytrap turning black. You can read all about how to water a venus flytrap at my full guide below. It has more info about the kind of water and how much water you give a venus flytrap!
For a venus flytrap to thrive and avoid turning black you will need to make sure your plant has good water flow and aeration. The pot or planter you choose will have a hand in that. Make sure your pot or planter has good drainage with plenty of holes int he bottom for the water to escape.
Venus flytraps are known to suffer from root rot and standing water can aid in that. You need the water to be able to drain out of the bottom of the planter.
You also want to make sure you avoid any planters that can leech harmful minerals into the soil. Terra cotta for example can leech minerals into the soil and cause the roots to burn. Some clay pots will also leach minerals. I suggest using plastic or resin planters with good drainage. You can get a clay pot, just make sure it’s fully glazed to avoid any leeching.
Check out the planter below I recommend for venus flytraps.
Many venus flytraps have been discarded due to the dormancy period. Many people mistake normal dormancy for their plant being dead. During dormancy most of the plant will turn black and look dead. Usually there is a little green left, so you can tell, but most people would probably think the plant is dead.
When the days shorten and temperatures drop venus flytraps go into survival mode. They completely stop growing and most current growth dies back to conserve energy. The rhizome spends all winter storing up energy to make a comeback in the spring.
This is how venus fltyraps work in their natural habitats. They have evolved to be able to survive cold winters. You should try to avoid your trap being in whether that dips below 32 degrees too often but there are ways to overwinter your plant to ensure it survives the winter.
Dormancy can be a little tricky with venus flytraps and for your plant to stay healthy it’s necessary. It’s a good idea to learn more about dormancy to make sure your venus flytrap lives a long healthy life. I havea full guide to venus fltyrap dormancy below.
Learn all about overwintering your venus flytrap and how to make sure your plant has a nice comeback after dormancy below.
The most common place for a venus flytrap to turn black in the head or the trap. Usually the tips of the trap will start turning black and the blackness will spread to the rest of the head. It then moves from the head to the leaves.
This is most commonly caused by old age but could be because of any of the reasons above. Its totally normal for a trap to turn black and die. If all your traps are turning black and dying, use the information above to determine if you are doing something wrong with your venus flytrap care.
Another really common reason the venus flytrap head turns black is from it eating an insect that is too large. In my experience, every trap that eats a large insect starts turning black and dying within a week. Don’t panic at this unless all your venus flytrap heads start turning black. Then you may need to change care habits or consider it could be dormancy setting in.
Venus Flytrap New Growth Turning Black
Its not at all uncommon for a new trap that’s coming up to turn black and die. If you start to see this over and over or all your traps are turning black and dying it could be a bigger problem.
Did you just replant your venus flytrap? Sometimes, if you replant the flytrap the new growth won’t do very well until the plant gets acclimated. Make sure it’s getting a lot of sunlight and being kept watered with distilled water and new healthy traps should start popping up.
Make sure you have optimal growing conditions for your venus flytrap. It needs a lot of sun or light to grow healthy. Venus flytraps like a full days sun if possible, if not, you may need grow lights to supplement the light it needs. Venus flytrap new growth will turn black if the plant is not getting enough light.
It’s also important to make sure the plant is getting distilled water and being kept moist. If the plant dries out, the venus flytrap new growth may turn black.
Keep the plant watered well and give it plenty of sun to avoid any new growth from turning black! Just keep in mind that on occasion a new growth will turn black, don’t be alarmed. I would only look into it if you see this repeat or if all new growth is turning black.
Venus Flytrap Leaves Turning Black
If just the leaves of your venus flytrap are turning black you may have a slightly different problem. Sometimes if your have too much sun or light and they get too hot they could burn. You see this when a venus flytrap is put in a glass terrarium. The glass magnifies the sun and burns the plant.
Another cause for this could be if your using tap water with minerals. The water can get on the leaves and the minerals burn them and cause black spots. Make sure you are only watering with distilled or pure water.
If the edges of your venus flytrap leaves are turning black it’s probably alright. As long as the black isn’t spreading to the entire plant you probably have nothing to worry about. Make sure you are following all the care instructions above and your plant should be okay.
Sometimes stress from replanting or too much sun can cause the edges of the leaves to turn black a bit. Watch your plant, if the rest of the plant seems to be doing fine, it’s probably okay!
Should You Cut Off Black Venus Flytraps?
Cutting off black venus flytraps is really not necessary. It’s mostly an aesthetic decision. I will admit, I love the way my venus flytraps look right after cutting off all the older black dead leaves and flytraps. There are a few things to keep in mind when cutting off black flytraps.
Never cut off any green parts of your plant. If it’s green, it’s helping. Anything that’s green is absorbing sun and helping with photosynthesis. The more green collecting sun and light the more healthy your plant will be.
I usually don’t touch black flytraps until they black goes all the way back to the rhizome. If it’s black all the way back to the main plant, you know it’s served its purpose and is no longer helping the health of the plant.
This trap would be okay to cut off since you can see the leaf is black all the way back to the rhizome.
Keep in mind, it’s not necessary to cut it at this point. The black flytrap will eventually decompose and fall off. Just make sure if you decide to cut off black growth that you avoid cutting any of the green. Even if the head is all black and the leaf is still green, just cut the head off and leave the green stem.
Cutting off black flytraps is 100% optional but a freshly trimmed flytrap does look really nice! Its especially nice to trim them freshly after dormancy as a lot of the plant will be black and dead.
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Final Thoughts
Often times when your venus flytrap is turning black, there is really nothing to worry about. The normal course of life will happen with these plants and they will turn black and die. But, it’s a really good idea to go over the information above to make sure you are doing everything you can help keep your venus flytrap healthy.
Venus flytrap care is not really standard in the gardening world and often times growers learn this the hard way by killing their plant. You should be able to determine why your venus fltyrap is turning black by going over the information in this article.
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I see people asking do nepenthes pitcher plants need dormancy, a lot in the carnivorous plant communities I’m a part of. The most popular carnivorous plant is the venus flytrap and their dormancy period is very important. Most people associate these plants together since they are both fairly common carnivorous plants and assume a nepenthes tropical pitcher plant should go dormant. The phrase “pitcher plant” is also used to describe sarracenia which do need a dormancy period.
With that being said, to be clear, this article is specifically calling out Nepenthes pitcher plants not to be confused with sarracenia American pitcher plants. They do require dormancy and if you are inquiring about sarracenia and not nepenthes tropical pitcher plants, you may want to consider a different article!
Nepenthes pitcher plant dormancy is not actually a real thing. Nepenthes tropical pitcher plants do show different growth patterns in the winter time when the days shorten but it’s not in an actually dormant state. The growth of new pitchers will slow down and some of the older growth does tend to die off, which is why it’s commonly believed they go through dormancy. Growth will slow down a bit but they are still in an active growing state.
The best thing you can really do is just adjust the way you care for your pitcher plant during winter months where the growth may slow down a bit.
We will talk about some winter time care tips below but first lets talk about where nepenthes pitcher plants come from and why a dormancy period is not really needed with these plants.
Nepenthes pitcher plants come from tropical locations. These locations do have seasons but not like the seasons we experience. The seasons are typically pretty warm year round but may experience less light than normal For example, during a rainy season, a nepenthes pitcher plant is less likely to see more sun so they compensate by slowing growth a bit to conserve energy. This is not considered a dormancy as they are still actively growing.
A beautiful new pitcher on my nepenthes ventrata. Sitting next to my Venus Flytraps!
Most people do not live in the same conditions that the jungle has but we do share a common trait, shorter periods of light during certain seasons. When the days shorten during winter time your nepenthes tropical pitcher plant will sense it and start to slow down growth for the good of the plant.
During this time, you can help your plant in a few different ways, we will talk about them below in just a bit. With a typical dormancy the plant no longer needs light and can be stored at a certain temperature to be brought “back to life” when the weather starts to get warm and days long again.
A nepenthes pitcher plant cannot be treated the same way. You will actually want to do your best to accommodate it and provide it with some of what it’s lacking during this time.
Nepenthes Winter Time Care Tips
Lets take a moment and go over a few care tips for a nepenthes during winter time. Since they are not in a dormancy stage they actually require a little more attention from you in the winter time. Winter time induces more stress on your plant and you may need to give them just a bit more care.
Increase Humidity
Increase the humidity as much as you can. Winter time brings on less humidity and this can hurt your nepenthes a bit. Try to purchase a humidifier like the one below, they are affordable and having a little extra humidity in your home is always a good thing
ENCOURAGE RESTFUL SLEEP: Easily run the humidifier...
5-YEAR WARRANTY: This BPA-free humidifier comes...
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Other things you can do to increase humidity for your plant are to mist your plant twice a day. Make sure you mist the leaves and the main stem of your nepenthes plant. This will give it a lot of extra humidity.
Nepenthes should never sit in water. However, you can get a tray fill it with aquarium rocks then put some distilled water in with the aquarium rocks. Set your plant on top of the rocks. This will help increase the humidity as your plant is sitting on top of a tray of water but not soaking in one.
You can also move your plant to a more naturally humid room in your home. The kitchen and bathroom tend to be more humid than other rooms. You can even bring your nepenthes in the bathroom with you while you shower. The warm humid environment will help it get a small dose of humidity! If you shower once a day, your plant will be getting a nice dose of daily humidity.
Increase Sunlight Or Use Artificial Light
Try to put your plant in a window that gets the most light throughout the day. Since it’s not getting as much in it’s current spot, maybe there is another window in your home that gets more light during the day.
If you don’t have an area to give it more light, you may want to get an artificial light for it. You can easily get a Sensi grow bulb along with a simple clamp shop light and you will have your very own grow light set up for your plant!
I leave my light on overnight so it’s not on during the day. My tropical nepenthes pitcher plants get their light during the night time. It’s kind of bright and can be kind of annoying during the day so I just flip it on during the night and turn it off in the AM. Check out my current setup for my hanging pitcher plants.
Our setup in our dining room. This light is only on overnight, we do not turn it on during the day.
Check out the bulb and clamp light we use below for this setup. The Sansi bulb has an E26 socket and it’s easy to find a standing or wall lamp to put it in. We use the affordable shop clamp lights below but you can shoot for something more aesthetically pleasing if you like.
Check out the lighting section in my Ultimate Nepenthes Ventrata care guide below, it’s for a Ventrata but the lighting applies to all nepenthes plants.
Multifunction: can be used as a table lamp in your...
Material: 8.5inch aluminum reflector, 150W max...
Function: the clip is firm and well fixed, 360°...
Specifications: 8.5X4.25X10 inch, rated for up to...
Package include: 1-pack 150W 8.5inch aluminum...
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Other than the extra light and humidity just continue to care for your nepenthes pitcher plant as you did before. It isn’t going through dormancy but will need a little more attention during the shorter days in the winter months.
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Final Thoughts
Your nepenthes pitcher plant is not going through dormancy but its going through a much more stressful time. It will be important for you to watch and care for your plant more than normal. Looks for signs that it’s turning brown or yellow and pitchers are not growing or dying.
Don’t panic though, you just need to give it a little more humidity and more light. Make sure you keep your home around room temperature and your nepenthes pitcher plant will do just fine!
Make sure to check out my YouTube channel below and you can watch my journey with my personal nepenthes ventrata plants. Check out the video below to see a couple of my more exotic nepenthes plants I recently unboxed!
I’ve been so excited to bring you this nepenthes ventrata care guide. I have recently got back into collecting and growing carnivorous plants and my nepenthes ventrata is just taking off! I bought this little nepenthes from a death cube at Lowes. I also recently purchased a couple of more mature nepenthes ventrata from Home Depot.
It’s not the way I planned on getting back into caring for carnivorous plants but when I saw it, I just couldn’t help myself! I did some searching online and found a little bit of info, but no one really expanded on how to care for a nepenthes ventrata. I know a lot of people are out there look for a nepenthes ventrata care guide after buying on from either Home Depot or Lowes.
Today we will be talking about caring for these beautiful tropical pitcher plants. We will also talk about identifying them and where you can get them. More than likely you are her because you purchased one at Home Depot or Lowes and you are trying to learn how to care for or identify.
A beautiful new pitcher on my nepenthes ventrata. Sitting next to my Venus Flytraps!
I’m a part of many Facebook groups where people purchase a nepenthes ventrata and have no idea what it is. It’s one of the most commonly grown nepenthes for mass production. Mostly because they are very hardy and simple to grow, as long as you know what your doing!
The care they need is much different than almost any other houseplant. They are a carnivorous plant and need special attention. Once you understand what they need, they are pretty simple and fun to grow!
If you are looking for a specific section of this ultimate nepenthes ventrata care guide, use the table of contents below to jump to a different area.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to the right. You can see nepenthes ventrata care and updates on my personal plants. Subscribe so you can get updates. Also, don’t forget to share this care guide on your favorite social media platform, just click below!
These tropical pitcher plants are truly amazing. They are one of the few truly tropical plants you can grow in your home to give it a true tropical feel. The giant pitchers hanging from the plant makes it look like something straight out of the jungle. Even though these originate from a jungle you can actually grow them with minimal humidity!
They are extremely tolerant and most people can grow them in just about any climate indoors. As long as you have a window that will give them a little light and sun during the day, they should thrive. Lets get started!
About Nepenthes x Ventrata
Before we dig too deep into the care for these tropical pitcher plants, lets take a moment to learn a little about them. Feel free to skip this section if you just want the care guide. I think it’s important to know a little bit about the plant you are caring for!
The nepenthes x ventrata is a hybrid cultivar that comes from two different tropical nepenthes plants. The nepenthes ventricosa and the nepenthes alata. See where it got its name? This is a naturally occurring hybrid that originates in the Phillipines.
This plant was introduced to the world in 1979 via the Carnivorous Plan Newsletter. Even though this plant originates from the Philippines, it’s one of the most commonly grown nepenthes plant in the US. It’s likely that there are more of these around the world now than in the Philippines.
The traps will typically be 4-6 inches big. The traps will usually consist of two colors, a yellowish green and a pinkish red. The traps start off as the yellowish green at the bottom then slowly fade to the pinkish red. They don’t have the biggest pitchers but what they lack in size they will makeup for in quantity. Mature plants can maintain a dozen healthy pitchers or more at a time!
My more mature nepenthes ventrata I purchased from Home Depot. It had two plants that I repotted and separated!
One of the main reasons for it’s popularity is how easy they are to grow. They are a very tolerant plant and can be grown in areas that do not have a lot of humidity. This is a special characteristic for a tropical plant.
One of the reasons the nepenthes ventrata is so tolerant is the N. Ventricosa is a highland species and the N. Ventrata is a lowland species. The Ventrata is a mix of these two. It can tolerate a wider spectrum of humidity and temperatures due to it coming from both environments.
How To Identify A Nepenthes x Ventrata Pitcher Plan
They are actually pretty easy to identify. One of the easiest ways to do so is to simply take a look at some photos online. It may be a little harder to identify if it doesn’t have any pitchers. The color of the pitchers makes it pretty clear if your plant is a nepenthes ventrata or not.
Take a look at the photo of the pitcher below. You can see it’s two tone, this one almost looks like it was painted two different colors. They will either look like this or the greenish yellow will blend into the red a little more. Sometimes the pitchers will have green/yellow and red mixed all over the pitcher.
Copyright carnivorousplantshub.com
Either way, one of the easiest ways to identify a nepenthes ventrata is by the color of the pitchers. I can identify these now the moment I see one since they have such a distinct color of pitchers.
The leaves of a nepenthes ventrata will be a very lush deep green. Nepenthes can be difficult to identify just by the leaves but know that a nepenthes ventrata’s leaves (if healthy) will typically only be green. If you see any red or other colors in the leaves, it might be a different kind of nepenthes. Check out the photo below that has a pitcher and a leaf!
Copyright: carnivorousplantshub.com
Nepenthes x Ventrata Soil Or Substrate
There are two main or most popular options when looking at nepenthes ventrata soil or substrate needs. I’ve actually used both and both have worked great. I would say it comes down to your personal preference and what’s easier. Or maybe your decision is based on the aesthetic of the media. Check out both options below.
Long Fiber Spagnum Moss
If you ask the question in any community for carnivorous plants or nepenthes, the most popular will always be LFSM or long fiber sphagnum moss. I really like growing my plants in long fiber sphagnum moss. It’s extremely absorbent and you almost have to try to let this stuff dry out. Long fiber sphagnum moss can actually carry 18 times its weight in water.
It also adds a cool aesthetic to your nepenthes ventrata. The photo below is actually not a ventrata but you can see what the aesthetic looks like on one of my other nepenthes. Some people really don’t like the way long fiber sphagnum moss looks though, so it’s really your preference.
You simply just soak the LFSM in distilled water. It will soak up a ton of water, probably more than you expect. Then you simply wrap your roots up with the long fiber spagnum moss. Check out the video below of me replanting a few of my nepenthes and sundews in long fiber sphagnum moss. These are not nepenthes ventrata but you give your ventrata regardless of size, the exact same treatment!
You can actually purchase some long fiber sphagnum moss from Amazon below! This is a great source and I have used their LFSM before. It’s high quality and will serve you well! Just remember to also pick up some distilled water to soak it!
Besgrow Spagmoss is a natural, renewable product...
New Zealand Sphagnum moss is recognised worldwide...
Besgrow Spagmoss has naturally low concentrations...
Commonly used by commercial and hobby growers in...
All Besgrow Spagmoss is 100% natural, clean with...
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
https://youtu.be/-zX8U_ndEhA
Peat Moss, Perlite & Sillica Sand Mix
This is also an extremely popular carnivorous plant mix or soil. This is the one I use primarily, for my venus flytraps and my nepenthes ventrata. Mostly because I have a surplus of it as I make it myself. At the bottom of this sections I’ll share a video of me actually making the mix.
I usually try to go 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts perlite and 1 part silica sand. I honestly don’t use exact measurements anymore but it’s really close to that. I like buying all three of these ingredients and making the soil myself.
This is a great mix that is well aeriated. You always want a very well draining soil mix that can also absorb and slowly distribute the water. The peat moss and perlite both do a great job absorbing but also allowing excess water to move on to the bottom. Nepenthes ventrata are very susceptible to root rot and need good drainage. This mix will do just that.
Check out the premade mix below. I have seen many people use this organic mix, and everyone I’ve talked to have been really happy with it!
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you are interested in making your own carnivorous plant soil mix for your nepenthes ventrata, check out the video I made below showing you exactly how!
https://youtu.be/q6WaSVn3bKg
Watering Your Nepenthes x Ventrata
One of the most important things to remember when it comes to nepenthes ventrata care is is to only use distilled, rain water or water obtained through reverse osmosis. Carnivorous plants need water that is pure and doesn’t have any minerals. These minerals can burn the roots. This is the number one way people kill their plant.
Most people just treat them like normal house plants not understanding that they need distilled water to take care of them. You can buy distilled water from most big box stores for under a dollar a gallon. Just keep stalked up on it and it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.
If you don’t want to be running to the store to get distilled water, you can collect rain water. There are systems to collect rain water from your gutters that are pretty easy to set up. The other option is to use a reverse osmosis system in your kitchen. These can be a little pricey, but are worth the money. I’ll go over both options below.
Collecting Rain Water
There are systems you can set up to collect rain water right off your gutter. They are incredible simple to set up. I strongly recommend first getting a TDS meter so you can make sure your rainwater coming off your roof doesn’t have any contaminants in it. Sometimes materials used for roofing can leach chemicals and make the water poisonous to your plants.
Check out the TDS meter below, it’s an easy solution to seeing if your gutter water will work for your nepenthes ventrata. As long as it’s under 50 PPM, you should be fine! It’s also just nice to have one of these meters to measure your personal drinking water, you never know exactly what is in it.
✅ TEST YOUR WATER: How Pure is Your Water? With...
✅EASY TO USE AND ACCURATE: Just stick it in...
✅MEASUREMENT RANGE: 0-9990 ppm. From 0-999 ppm,...
✅AUTO-OFF AND HOLD FUNCTION: The TDS tester...
✅CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: We stand behind our...
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Once you know your the rain water coming off your gutter is pure enough, then you can install a rainwater collection system. All you do is cut off a section of your gutter and connect this piece below.
Directs rainwater drainage from downspouts into...
Fits standard 2 in. x 3 in. residential downspouts
Made of UV-resistant material and can be painted
Comes with 4 ft. high flow hose to connect the...
Red outlet port plug stops the flow of water from...
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
After you connect that, you run a tube from the spout to a collection barrel. The barrel houses your rain water and waits for you to come and use it! Some of the barrels, like the one below, even have water spouts so you can easily collect your rain water.
Authentic oak barrel texture is molded into each...
Flat back to sit flush against a wall; Linkable to...
Save water and money by capturing rainwater to use...
Aluminum screen keeps out debris; Designed to be...
Brass Spigot shut off valve for hose hook-up with...
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
There is a little bit of a startup cost for getting your rain water system set up but your garden will thank you. Especially with all the restrictions on water recently, this might be a good idea. Whether you have a nepenthes ventrata to water or not!
Reverse Osmosis Water System
Another option for getting pure water without going to the store would be a reverse osmosis water system. I’m not familiar enough with these to know what magic happens on the inside, but they will filter your water to a pure state. Don’t confuse these with normal water filtration, it’s completely different.
Normal water filters do not have the ability to filter out all the minerals in water like a reverse osmosis system does. They have counter top systems you can get, which are easier to set up or you can opt for an under the counter system.
The under the counter system hooks up to your sink and all your tap water is now pure with reverse osmosis, check out the two different systems below.
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Or you can go with the under the counter version to make all your tap water pure. Not only will this improve your drinking water but you will have unlimited water for all your carnivorous plants right from the tap!
America's No.1 rated water filter brand with 20...
System comes with 100% lead-free designer faucet,...
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Tropical Pitcher Plant Watering Instructions
Nepenthes ventrata are a tropical plant and although they are extremely tolerant they do like a little bit of humidity. If you live in an area that is naturally humid, they will likely be just fine. If you live in a place (like me) that has almost no humidity, you might need to help out just a bit.
Here is my young nepenthes ventrata I sat out in the rain to get some natural light and rainwater. It’s mostly inside but I will set it in the rain from time to time if it’s not too cold!
Misting the pitchers and the leaves once a day can help create a more humid climate for your plant. Make sure you never let your nepenthes x ventrata sit in a water tray. They are susceptible to root rot. However, if you get some fish tank rocks put them in a tray add some distilled water and place your plant on top of the rocks, some of that humidity will rise without your plant sitting in water.
Keep the substrate of your nepenthes ventrata moist at all times. Never let your plant dry out but also don’t drown the plant in water. It should always be wet to the touch but water should never puddle and the substrate should never be soupy.
I like to mist the main stem of my plant and let the water fall to the roots. That way I’m misting and watering the plant at the same time. You will want to get a good mister to help you mist the plant. It can be a little tricky if you do not have one of these, check out one I really like on Amazon below.
Its also a good idea to make sure there is a little distilled water in the pitchers. Filling them 1/4th of the way is plenty. They will create a natural nectar and shouldn’t need to be constantly filled. You usually only need to add distilled water when they are very young or if you just brought one home from a nursery or store. Often times the pitchers are dried up and can use a little help.
Best Pot Or Planter For Your Tropical Pitcher Plant
I have found that while your nepenthes ventrata is young, you can get away with planting it in normal planters. There are a couple rules to follow for these carnivorous plants however. As they get older and the pitchers get bigger, you will likely need to repot them into a hanging planter.
Make sure that the planter you select is a resin or plastic. If you want ceramic, make sure it’s fully glazed. Ceramic planters can leach minerals into the soil and hurt your plants roots.
I have found that the resin and plastic hanging planters work the best. The quicker you get your nepenthes ventrata in a hanging planter the better they will grow the way they want and acclimate.
Make sure the planter you get has holes in the bottom for good drainage. This is really important as these plants are susceptible to root rot. Good drainage is extremely important with your substrate and your planter. If the water is unable to drain, your plant will have a hard time surviving.
Most people think that since they are carnivorous plants that you have to feed them. Honestly, this really isn’t true. They obtain most of their energy through photosynthesis and need a fair amount of sun. Insects act more like a fertilizer for the plants but not always 100% needed.
If you make sure your plant gets 8-12 hours of indirect sunlight a day via a window, it will likely be enough. Most houses have a few house flies and fruit flies flying around, your ventrata will likely catch them. In most cases you really don’t need to feed your plant any insects.
You can feed them fish food or small insects like ants if they seem like they need something extra. If you can’t get pitchers to grow, its more likely that they aren’t getting enough sun or water. But, feeding them some fish food or an insect on occasion certainly doesn’t hurt.
Please do not put this plant in a dark corner of your house. If it’s not getting some indirect sun it will not live. The best places for them is in a window in a kitchen or bathroom. The kitchen or bathroom tend to naturally be the more humid rooms in the home. They can give the plant a little natural humidity.
If you put your plant in an area that gets enough indirect sun the odds are its also catching its fair share of bugs. Feeding these plants is not really needed unless you can tell with 100% certainty they are not getting any insects, ever.
Artificial Lighting
If you really want to put your nepenthes ventrata in a corner of your room that gets no natural lighting, you will need to purchase some artificial lighting. I personally use a 36W Sansi bulb that plugs into a standard E26 socket.
We decided to do just this for a couple of nepenthes ventrata we have in the corner of our dining room. We just purchased a clamp shop light and the Sansi bulb and clamped it to our curtain rod and pointed it at our plants. This should provide plenty of light for your nepenthes ventrata. Check out our set up below.
Try to keep your lights around 15 inches or so away from your plants. On our setup below, we rotate which plant goes on top to ensure they both get adequate light. It’s a little trickier with two plants vs just 1 plant.
Our setup in our dining room. This light is only on overnight, we do not turn it on during the day.
Keep in mind, we only have this light on during the night time. We mostly hide the clamp light when its day time. They do have some really nice fixtures you can get to put in a living room that would look beautiful! I’ll show you what we use for our setup below plus I’ll show you some really nice fixtures that would look great in a living room!
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Check out some of the more attractive fixture options below for a nice aesthetic look in your living space. All the options below plug into a standard 12V wall outlet making them easy to just plug in.
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Nepenthes Ventrata Temperature & Humidy
The nepenthes ventrata is very tolerant when it comes to both temperature and humidity. It’s able to survive and adapt to a wide variety of both temperatures and humidity levels. Keep in mind however, it is a tropical pitcher plant. This means it is used to at least some humidity.
Temperature
Make sure you try to keep it above 50 degrees and be sensible with high temperatures. Anything over 100 degrees I’d try to keep it out of the direct sun. The have been known to tolerate temperatures even below 50 degrees but I think at that point your gambling and could lose your ventrata.
The great thing about these plants is they thrive around room temperature. It’s one of the reasons they are a great indoor plant. If you keep your temperatures normal and your plant inside, temperature shouldn’t be a problem!
Humidity
In the most ideal situation, humidity should be around 70% or higher. They do like a lot of humidity but can live in much less. Right now, I have a hard time getting my humidity levels above 50% without any kind of encasement. My ventratas do fine even in that low of a humidity level.
If you live in an area with very little humidity you can keep the plant misted to to help. I mist mine twice a day, once in the AM and later on before bed. You can also put some fish tank rocks in a tray and fill it with distilled water. Set your plan on top of the tray (assuming it’s not hanging) and it will soak up some of that humidity.
You can also use a small humidifier close to your plant.
Something like the humidifier above can help keep the humidity up for your nepenthes x ventrata. I have had ventratas that grow really well without the extra humidity but the pitchers will grow larger and stay around longer with better humidity. Just remember, if you can’t meet the higher humidity, your plant should still do really well.
Nepenthes Ventrata Q & A
I wanted to take some time to answer some super common questions I see when people first buy their plant and reach out for nepenthes ventrata care tips. I’m in several different groups on social media and see people bringing these home from Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and other local nurserys and box stores.
A beautiful full grown nepenthes ventrata.
Often times, people have no idea how to grow a carnivorous plant so they reach out to these groups for help. Which is awesome! I’m really glad they are doing that instead of just killing the plant and moving on. Check out some of the common questions below.
Do Nepenthes Ventrata Pitcher Plants Need Direct Sun?
Having direct sun for part of the day will be beneficial to the nepenthes ventrata. It’s not 100% necessary though. Your ventrata can do really well with 8-10 hours of indirect sun coming from a window. It is easy to give them too much sun, so if you do leave them in direct sun try not to do more than 6-8 hours a day. Be sensible with super high temperatures, bring them in if it goes above 100 for long periods of time.
How Long Do Nepenthes Pitcher Plants Last?
They should last a long time as they can live domestically and in the wild for 10-20 years.
How Often Should I Water My Nepenthes Ventrata?
Make sure to keep your tropical pitcher plant moist but not soggy or water logged. It’s hard to predict how often you will need to water as your temperatures and humidity will dictate this. Make sure they never dry out and always keep the media moist.
You can also mist your plants twice a day if you find that your area has low humidity, anything under 60%. When misting the plant, it’s important to mist the main stem and some of the leaves but not necessary to waterlog the substrate.
Should I Fill The Ptichers With Water?
You should never fill the pitchers completely with water. If your pitchers already have liquid in the bottom there is really no need to add more water. If you have found they are completely dry, you can help them out by adding a little water to the pitcher. Try not to go over 1/4th of the size of the pitcher.
It’s pretty common to see them be completely dried out when you bring them home from the big box stores. Just add a little bit of distilled water to help the plant start to produce it’s own sweet nectar to attract insects.
Why Isn’t My Nepenthes Ventrata Growing Pitchers?
There are two very common reasons why your pitcher plant isn’t growing pitchers. The biggest reason is not enough sun or light. They do need a fair amount of light to induce photosynthesis to create pitchers. Often times, just giving them more sun can start the process of growing the pitchers. If you insist having them in a non sunlit area, you will need grow lights. They will not produce pitchers in low light conditions.
The second likely reason is they are not getting enough water or humidity. We already talked about how to water and keep them humid above. Check that out. If you aren’t growing pitchers, make sure your plant isn’t drying out and try to help create a little more humidity.
Are Venrata Pitcher Plants Toxic To Cats Or Dogs?
There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support that they are toxic in anyway. Like most house plants, if your animal ingests them, they may be in for an upset stomach but it isn’t toxic. When I did research on this topic, I couldn’t find one reported incident of a nepenthes pitcher plant harming any pets.
Why Are My Pitchers Turning Brown & Dying
Don’t panic! This is super common. Even the most healthy nepenthes ventrata pitcher plant will lose its pitchers. It’s also super common for many of the pitchers to die off during the acclimation period.
They need some time to acclimate to their new area and may lose a few pitchers along the way. Don’t panic though, if you are taking care of your nepenthes ventrata according to this care guide, your plant will recover and grow beautiful new pitchers.
In some more uncommon cases your plant may get a disease or fungal infection. If this is the case, you will need to do research on your specific case to see what you can do to help it. Posting in nepenthes communities can be a great way to share your photos and get good expert advice on your plants disease!
Should I Trim Off Dead Pitchers?
Yes, its definitely a good idea to trim off all the dead and dried up pitchers. Once they turn completely brown and shrivel up, you can cut it off right at the tip of the leaf it’s growing from. Do not cut the leaves off. Just because the pitcher died that the leaf produced doesn’t mean that leaf isn’t still beneficial to the plant.
Even though it’s pitcher died that leaf is still soaking up sun to help the plan with photosynthesis.
My Personal Nepenthes Ventrata Plants
I wanted to direct you to a couple of links and videos where you can watch me caring for my own personal nepenthes ventrata plants. Check out my plants below, I keep this page updated with my nepenthes I purchased from Lowes as a baby.
You can also check out a couple of my videos below highlighting my young nepenthes ventrata and my more mature plant I rescued from Home Depot. If you enjoy these videos be sure to subscribe to my channel so you can keep getting the updates! Just hover over my photo on the video below in the upper left, then hit subscribe.
Thank you so much for coming here to learn about these wonderful plants. I hope this ultimate nepenthes ventrata care guide will help you learn how to take care of this plant.
These amazing tropical pitcher plants will bring you joy for many, many years when taken care of properly. They give your home that incredible fresh tropical feel. If you really liked this guide and found it helpful, please share with your friends or on your favorite social media platform. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel fore more great content!
Today we are going to take a look at the best portable cold frame & mini greenhouses to help protect your carnivorous plant during dormancy. I suspect most people are here because you have a venus flytrap or a sarracenia that’s about to go through dormancy but your worried about the colder temperatures.
If you live in any zone that is a 9 or below, you may experience some freezing temperatures. The lower your zone, the better odds that there are consecutive days going under 32 degrees.
If this happens it puts your carnivorous plants at risk that are being stored outside during dormancy. Most people “overwinter” their plants by covering them with pine needles or mulch to help keep the plants out of the weather. This can work, but I have known people to lose their plants even when overwintering.
One of the best ways to ensure your carnivorous plants make it through dormancy is to keep them in a portable cold frame or a mini greenhouse. This keeps them from the wind that can increase the chill of the air.
Today I’m going to show you the best options for both a portable cold frame or the more affordable mini greenhouse!
The best 5 portable cold frames and mini greenhouses we are going to talk about today are as follows.
Gardman R687 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse
MCombo Wooden Garden Cold Frame
Giantex Garden Portable Wooden Cold Frame
DanJani Outdoor Raised Garden Bed With Drop Over Greenhouse
Last update on 2024-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Table of Contents
Gardman R687 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse
This is definitely the most affordable option. If you have an area where you can put this that stays mostly out of strong winds, it should do a great job keeping your carnivorous plants out of the elements. It’s super light and easy to move around.
It’s also a greenhouse, so it will double as a small greenhouse during the summer time. You can use it for planting seedlings or even giving your nepenthes more humidity! It’s pretty good sized and you should be able to get most of your venus flytraps or sarracenia in it for winter time.
If you put this next your home, the heat from your home will help keep it a little warmer than what the temps are outside. The only thing I don’t like about it is it’s pretty flimsy. If a strong wind storm comes and it’s not protected, the wind could pretty easily take this mini greenhouse down. It’s super light at only 9.6 pounds.
Click below to see user reviews, more photos and information!
The MCombo wooden portable cold frame is probably the best option on this list. When you combine value for maximum protection, it will be your best option for keeping your plants safe while not breaking the bank. Give your plants maximum protection while also allowing them to still see some sun when it’s out.
This unit is a little heavier at 22 pounds and will take a much stronger wind to affect it. If you set this against your home, it shouldn’t have any problem staying completely still during wind storms. The shelf it adjustable which makes this even better. If you have some tall sarracenias you need to throw in the bottom, this can accommodate that with the shorter venus flytraps at the top.
It’s also really attractive with the more natural wood finish. It would be super easy to stain or paint to your liking if you chose to. The only thing I’m not crazy about is that you have to assemble when you receive it and it’s a little more expensive than the mini greenhouses. That’s to be expected however as it offers a much higher level of protection.
If you really want to give your carnivorous plants the best option to live during winter dormancy, I would strongly suggest going with this cold frame. It will be a little more up front, but the protection it offers will be well worth it!
This is a great portable cold frame for your carnivorous plants. It’s a little more affordable than the last option and may suit you a little better. What really separates this cold from from the other two is it doesn’t have a bottom. You can place this anywhere in your current garden to cover carnivorous plants you may already have in the ground.
I know many people like to create small bog gardens with venus flytraps and sarracenia, this would fit right over the top of one of those. It may have a hard time fitting over some of the taller sarracenia but at almost 2 feet tall, it should house most.
The top is foldable and can be opened to allow in more sun or even some fresh rain if you would like. It has a fairly large capacity on the floor at 35.5 inches by 31.5 inches. You really should be able to fit quite a few plants underneath this cold frame. Even if your plants aren’t in the ground, you can place them anywhere you like and just set this cold frame right over them.
It’s made with heavy duty wood to ensure the structure stays solid. The panels are see through and made of polycarbonate so they should not break easily.
Even though you will have to assemble, it’s fairly easy and one person can handle it. It’s not very heavy and is easy to move around at only 13.5 pounds. With it being super low to the ground, the wind shouldn’t be able to move it around once it’s set in place.
It also has a great aesthetic and is going to look great in your garden without any enhancements. If you want to paint or stain it, it will be really easy to to do that as well. This is probably the most portable and flexible option, especially if your plants are already in the ground. Check it out on Amazon below!
DanJani Outdoor Raised Garden Bed With Drop Over Greenhouse
The Danjani outdoor raised garden box with drop over greenhouse cover is a little different option but will serve the same purpose. It will be extremely helpful keeping your carnivorous plants out of the elements when they are going through dormancy.
It’s probably the most flexible option since you can completely separate the greenhouse from the raised garden bed. You can put the garden bed wherever you like and leave the greenhouse part off until you need it. This would be perfect for making a bog garden in a permanent location. Plant the garden then drop the greenhouse top right over it when winter his.
If you combine this with overwintering your carnivorous plants it should be really easy to keep them warmer and out of the wind. Its also a little more affordable than some of the cold frame options but more expensive than a mini greenhouse. It won’t offer quite as good of protection as cold frames but should do the trick as long as there isn’t any extreme wind.
It’s pretty big and offers a pretty large area for your plants at 49.2 inches by 37.4 inches the greenhouse is 36 inches tall. This makes it one of the more spacious options on this list! There isn’t a bottom on this unit so you can either put it somewhere and add plants or put it right over an existing area.
If you want a great flexible option at keeping your carnivorous plants safe during dormancy in the winter months, check this option out on Amazon below!
The biggest difference between this one and the other standing cold fram is it’s larger and has another shelf. The shelves are adjustable and can be removed if you just need more space. This cold frame will hold and protect more carnivorous plants during dormancy.
It stands at 43 inches tall and is 30 x 22 inches total. Click the link below to see all the shelf dimensions to make sure this cold frame works for you. It has a very solid wood structure and a top that can be opened. This will allow you to let sun or even rain in if you please. It also has cabinet doors that open in the front.
Even as the largest cold frame on this list, it still only weighs 23.7 pounds and can still be moved around pretty easily. Although assembling an item isn’t ideal it’s actually pretty easy to put together, it should be easily completed by just one person.
If you want to give your carnivorous plants maximum protection during dormancy, I strongly suggest giving this cold frame a try, check it out on Amazon below!
Now that I have shown you some great options above, I wanted to talk a little bit about the benefits and disadvantages of both a cold frame and a mini greenhouse. It’s important to understand which is better for different situations so you can make the best informed decision for your carnivorous plants during dormancy!
A cold frame has many advantages over a mini green house. The main advantage is its going to much more protection to your carnivorous plants than a mini greenhouse. They are made from wood and strong polycarbonate material making them optimal for wind protection.
They can help bring temperatures up 10-15 degrees above the outside temperature which is extremely helpful during sub freezing temperatures. If it’s 20 outside having a cold frame could be the difference between your venus flytrap making it or not.
Cold frames are a little heavier and a lot harder to move around when compared to a mini greenhouse. They are also going to be more expensive, which is probably one of the biggest factors when people make a decision on this kind of thing.
If you are looking for optimal protection for your carnivorous plants during dormancy, a cold frame will likely be your best option. Even though they are a bit more expensive, it will be worth it when you see your venus flytrap or sarracenia growing strong come spring time!
Why Choose A Portable Mini Greenhouse
If you are in an area where the temperature rarely drops below freezing, a mini greenhouse may be the best option for you. Mini greenhouses do a great job keeping your plants out of the elements but won’t dramatically increase the temperature from outside.
They may be suitable if you do a great job of overwintering your carnivorous plants but probably isn’t the best option for a lot of sub freezing temperatures. They are extremely light weight and very easy to put together. They can also be used year round as a small greenhouse for seedlings or increasing humidity on other carnivorous plants like nepenthes.
Most importantly, they are extremely affordable. If this is all you can afford it’s a lot better option than not having any protection for your plants during winter dormancy. There are some benefits to using a portable greenhouse for dormancy but one of the main reasons to avoid them is if you have really cold temperatures or a lot of wind.
They are often made of cheaper materials and have a hard time staying together when in strong wind. It’s important for you to know what your area is like during winter. If you often have temperatures dropping below 20 and lots of wind, a cold frame is probably a better option.
If your winters are fairly mild with less wind storms, then the mini greenhouse should serve its purpose!
Other Great CarnivorousPlantHub.com Content
Final Thoughts
In order to make the best decision for your carnivorous plants during dormancy you should have a pretty good idea of what your facing during winter time. In every instance having a mini greenhouse or cold frame will give better protection to your carnivorous plant during winter than nothing.
For optimal protection I strongly suggest spending the money and getting a portable cold frame. This will last you years and years and make sure your carnivorous plants stay safe during colder temperatures and winter wind storms. If you just can’t spend that much money, then a mini greenhouse is considerably better than nothing and will give your plant a much better shot at surviving winter dormancy.
I hope this was helpful, please make sure you check out my YouTube channel, you can watch one of my unboxing videos below!
In short, yes, yes they can. A venus flytrap can eat mealworms. I’ll give you the short and sweet answer below, then we will discuss the proper techniques when feeding a venus flytrap mealworms.
Feeding Venus Flytraps Mealworms
A venus flytrap can eat mealworms. You can feed them both dried or live mealworms. It’s better to feed them live mealworms as the squirming insect will trigger the venus flytrap to seal and release its enzymes for digestion. Make sure the mealworm is no bigger than 1/3 the size of the trap or it will be too much for the venus flytrap to try and digest. Too much food will not digest correctly and can harm your venus flytrap. If you feed your flytrap a dried mealworm, make sure you lightly massage the outside of the trap to trigger the secondary seal so it will release the enzymes to digest the insect.
Mealworms make a great and nutritious snack for your venus flytrap. They make a great snack, but it’s important that you ask yourself the question, does your venus flytrap need to eat mealworms?
The answer to that is probably not. Especially if you are growing your venus flytrap outside. Odds are you do not need to feed your venus flytrap any insects at all. Odds are it’s getting all the insects it needs just by being outside. Even if they are inside, they are usually catching houseflies or spiders.
Maybe a better question is, do you need to ever feed your venus flytraps any insects? The answer is probably not. Many people like to do this to show their friends or do it for fun on occasion. The truth is however, most venus flytraps just need a healthy does of sun and feeding them mealworms or other insects just isn’t necessary.
If Not Mealworms Or Insects, What Do They Eat?
Venus flytraps can actually live just fine without insects. Someone explained this to me this way one time, since then it’s made way more sense.
Venus flytraps are native to the North and South Carolina area. They are very hardy as they survive in the hot sun during the summer and freezing temperatures during the winter. They are a perennial plant that goes into a dormancy period.
The reason they eat insects is the soil they thrive in is almost completely devoid of any nutrients. They have evolved to live without their soil. They get almost all their energy and growth from the sun. The best thing you can do for your venus flytrap is give it a full days worth of sun. Mealworms and insects can help, but you have to be careful.
An insect or mealworm is like the fertilizer. You can give your flytrap some fertilizer but too much can kill them. Too much fertilizer for any plant can cause a lot of harm. It’s the same if you feed your venus flytrap too many insects. One trap per plant should only be fed one insect per every week or two. This will give them all the extra nutrients they need to survive.
I Really Want To Feed My Flytrap Mealworms
Okay, okay… I totally get it, it’s really cool to feed venus flytraps insects. Mealworms are great because you can easily put them in the trap and they don’t get away. Which makes them almost a perfect candidate to feed to a flytrap. You can actually feed your venus flytrap live and dried meal worms. Each way though, will require a little different method.
To feed a venus flytrap a live mealworm you won’t have to do a lot. Grab a pair of plyers or your fingers and place the meal worm in the trap and let the venus flytrap do its thing. One thing that is very important is that you make sure the mealworm is not bigger than 1/3 of the venus flytrap. Anything larger can be hard for the venus flytrap to digest and can harm it.
Once you have the mealworm the right size (you might have to cut it in half depending on the size of your trap) you just place the wiggling worm into the trap. The worm will trigger the hairs that closes the trap. If the worm continues to wiggle, it will trigger the secondary response from the flytrap and it will close even tighter.
This secondary trigger is an evolutionary trait that prevents a false positive for the venus flytrap. They expel a lot of energy closing their trap and releasing the digestive enzymes. If it closes and releases the enzyme and it’s just a leaf on the inside, it can harm the plant. When the trap closes and nothing is moving that secondary trigger doesn’t happen and the trap opens back up.
This helps the trap only move forward with digesting a real insect. It will need the nutrients from the insect if it goes through the process of closing and releasing it’s enzymes.
Can you believe we live in a time where you can buy live and dried mealworms online and have them shipped to your home? Craziness!
To feed a venus flytrap a dried mealworm, you will have to work a little harder. It will be simple to trigger the initial trap closing but it can be a little harder to make the flytrap trigger that secondary response that sends the digestive enzyme.
Once the trap closes, you want to gently massage the outside of the trap head. You will want to gently squeeze it closed tighter. Do this every 30 seconds or so for the next several minutes. This should trigger the hair on the inside after the trap closes and it should release the digestive enzymes.
If you want to learn more about feeding a venus flytrap, I have an entire guide on it below.
Can venus flytraps eat mealworms? I know it’s really tempting to make our venus flytraps eat mealworms but sometimes the best thing we can do for them is to just let them be. They will eat all the sun they need and should catch enough insects when left outside.
If you want to show off to a friend from time to time, that’s 100% acceptable. Just make sure not to overfeed the flytrap and make sure the mealworm is 1/3 or smaller so the venus flytrap can digest it.
These rules pretty much apply to feeding your flytrap any kinds of insects, but mealworms do work great if your dead set on feeding your venus flytrap.
If you want to learn all about feeding a venus flytrap and overall care, make sure to check out my venus flytrap care guide below! You can learn everything you need to know about growing and caring for a venus flytrap.
Also, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page where I show you all my carnivorous plants. I like to rescue plants from Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart. You can follow me on my journey with updates and videos all about carnivorous plants, much of my content is about Venus Flytraps! Check it out below! Make sure to subsribe to my channel to support my dream of starting my own carnivorous plant nursery in my own community! https://youtu.be/j6UkfpWpe7U
You did it! You bought your first carnivorous plant and it’s a venus fly trap, or maybe you’re considering buying one? Either way, I’m really excited you are here. You have found the ultimate venus fly trap care guide. Caring for a venus fly trap isn’t that hard but it does stray from conventional planting wisdom.
This will be the most comprehensive venus fly trap care guide you will find on the internet. I have compiled all my data and information and put it all in one easy to access place for you. Most of the topics below do have their own dedicated posts. I will always link to my post in case you want to dig just a little deeper in each topic.
Many, MANY hours were spent putting this all together for you. If you find it helpful please do me a huge favor and share it! On Pinterest, Facebook, Instragram or your website. Anything is extremely helpful to me and I appreciate it soooo much!
If you are here because you want to buy your first venus fly trap, just bought one and need to know how to care or maybe you already killed one, either way, we have you covered! I hope you have a nice refreshment ready while you learn the ways of the venus fly trap!
Ultimate Venus Fly Trap Care Guide
I just real quick wanted to give you a quick blurp here on how this guide will work. If you are searching for something specific, I do have a table of contents just below. It will guide you to a certain section and help you navigate this fairly long guide. Remember, you can always use control F to search for certain words too!
Simply click any topic in the table of contents below and you will be taken right to that section. Also, you will see a little arrow in the bottom right part of the page, this will shoot you back up to the table of contents!
I truly hope you find this useful, I spent a lot of time preparing this post just for people who are eager to learn about these wonderful carnivorous plants!
How Does A Venus Fly Trap Work?
I figured we would start this venus fly trap care guide with an introduction to this amazing plan. If you just want the care goodies, keep scrolling or use the table of contents above to jump to a new topic!
The quick answer to how does a venus fly trap work is as follows. The trap or head will open up wide and invite it’s prey. The flytrap has small trigger hairs that grow on the inside of each trap. When the prey lands inside the trap it triggers the short hairs the venus fly trap will snap shut. The Fly Trap then releases an enzyme that breaks the insect down and takes what it needs!
Let’s dig just a little deeper into this process.
Why Do Venus Fly Traps Eat Insects?
To really understand everything you need to know about a venus flytrap it’s important to know where they come from. They naturally grow in bogs which can be incredibly hard for plant life to survive. The bog environment keeps the soil almost completely lacking in any nutrients and everything is always in a state of decay.
The venus flytrap is more likely to catch a spider or crawling critter than a fly.
The venus flytrap had to come up with a way to obtain it’s nutrients by some other means than just through its roots. This is how it developed the ability to catch and utilize insects. This process developed due to the basic need to survive. The plant realized it wasn’t going to survive or grow strong in the bogs, it needed to learn how to eat insects!
And evolve they did! Lets talk about what actually happens when a venus fly trap catches its prey.
How A Venus Fly Trap Catches Insects
Out of all the things I’ve learned about a venus flytrap this maybe the most incredible. These plants have really become efficient and super smart when it comes to catching insects.
When a trigger hair gets bent to stimulated the venus fly trap sets an internal 20 second clock. If the hair is not stimulated again within the 20 seconds the fly trap will not close.
The venus flytrap consumes a ton of energy closing it’s trap. This is a fail safe it’s put in place to avoid being triggered by a rain drop or falling leaf. Once the 20 second clock gets to 0, it resets and the hair must be stimulated twice to get the trap to close. The trap closes in less than a second to trap it’s prey.
If the trap is triggered and it misses it’s prey, it will reopen to try again in 5 to 12 days. That’s quite a bit of time to pass with no opportunity to catch any food. This is why it has evolved with the fail safes.
How Does A Venus Fly Trap Digest Food?
Once the trap closes it more or less turns itself into a stomach. It will release enzymes to help break down the insect. The insect is rich in nitrogen and once it is broken down the venus flytrap absorbs everything it needs.
The flytrap will then open and reveal the “shadow skeleton”. This is the dried up outside of the insect. The skeleton blows away or falls out of the trap to allow room for the next prey!
There is a little more to this entire process but that’s pretty much the jist of it. Please, if you would like to learn more about how a venus fly trap works, click the link below to be taken to a different page on this site!
Also, check out the cool video below on how the venus fly trap works on the inside!
Venus Fly Trap Dormancy
For the next part of the venus fly trap care guide were going to talk about dormancy. Most of the time when someone starts caring for a venus fly trap they have no idea that they go into a dormant period. It’s extremely important to understand how venus fly trap dormancy works for the long term health of your plant. I see many people complaining about the loss of a venus flytrap that didn’t even know these plants went dormant.
The misconception is that venus flytraps are tropical plants that need humidity and heat. This is not the case, they thrive in conditions that get cold in the winter time. They are a hardy perennial that go into a dormant stage when the temperatures get cold. Many people mistake a venus fly trap being dead vs dormant. We will get more into that below.
Hardiness Zones
Throughout this entire article I may refer to a different zone. The map below will display where you are in the US and what zone you live in. This will help you determine what type of care your venus fly trap will need during the dormancy period.
Now that you know which hardiness zone your in we can continue on with venus fly trap care during dormancy.
Dormancy Care For A Venus Fly Trap
First and foremost, the best venus fly trap care tip I can give you for dormancy is to see if there are any growers in your area. I’m going to try my best to give you certain care needs for most areas but it can vary from place to place. Finding someone in your area that understands how to successfully grow venus fly traps can really improve your chance of growing a healthy plant!
Methods for caring for a venus fly trap during dormancy range from creating a bog garden all the way to storing them in a refrigerator. I”m going to try my best to cover all your options!
Water
One of the first rules is that during dormancy the venus fly trap will require less water. The cold in the air will eat up less of the moisture and the plant will stay moist for longer. Be careful to adjust your watering routine as too much water can lead to crown rot or root rot.
You want to keep the soil damp but not soaked. The same rules apply for watering a venus fly trap, which we will get to later. The only difference is that the water will stick around longer now. Never let the plant completely dry out.
Sun/Light
A venus fly trap still photosynthesizes during the winter and will still require ample amounts of sun, if possible. No insects will be caught during the dormancy period so its important to get your venus fly trap as much energy from the sun as possible. If you can replicate their natural growing conditions they will still actually grow during dormancy.
There is an exception to the light rule. If your flytrap will be in conditions that are consistently below 40 degrees it can be in the dark. The plant will actually enter a state of suspended animation and although it won’t grow it will live during this period. It’s not the most idea for the plant so if you can avoid temps this low, it is recommended.
The best rule is to just keep giving your plants as much of that light and sun as possible, even when in a dormancy stage.
Is My Venus Fly Trap Dormant or Dead?
This is a really common question and many people that don’t understand dormancy assume that the drop in temperatures killed their plant. This is often not the case, they have just entered dormancy.
Is My Venus Fly Trap Dead?
The biggest tell for a dying venus flytrap is the speed in which it seems to enter this state. If the plants starts to turn black rapidly it’s likely that your flytrap is dying. If the plant looks really sick and turns a dark color over a couple of days, its likely that your plant is either dead or dying. None of the plant will keep green and it will turn into a mushy pile.
Is My Venus Fly Trap In Dormancy?
Venus fly trap dormancy will happen at a much slower pace than a dying plant. Dormancy can take a span of several weeks to fully kick in. Also, the entire plant doesn’t go black, it will keep some green leaves.
Probably one of the biggest signs of dormancy is considering the time of the year. Is it autumn or fall and the temperature going down a bit? If this is the case and you see the changes starting in your flytrap this is likely dormancy. If you see these changes in spring and summer there is definitely more reason to be alarmed as this is when these plants tend to flourish.
Always look for that little bit of green as a sign of life. The golden rule is, if you are unable to tell if the venus flytrap is dormant or dead, just wait. The best way to tell is to wait it out. If it was dormant it will snap out of it when the temperatures start to warm in spring/summer. If it’s dead, it will likely just stay that way.
Venus fly traps are in a very fragile state when they are dormant. It’s really important that you are not digging the plant up or re-potting during this time. It’s common for people to start digging around or consider re-potting because they think the plant is dying. If its in it’s dormant state it’s probably best to just leave it alone. Keep giving it the proper amount of water and as much sun as possible but do not mess with the roots or plant itself.
Venus flytrap entering dormancy.
Dormancy Time Is Here: Now What?
Were going to start talking about the hardiness zones we spoke about above. If you live in zones 8-11, congratulations! You have as close to the perfect growing conditions as there is for a venus flytrap. You really don’t have to do anything. Just leaving them alone during winter, keeping them watered is really all you need to worry about.
Outside Dormancy
If you find yourself in zones 4-7 and you want a venus fly trap you will be able to keep them outside, they just need a little more attention. To care for a venus fly trap during cold winter temperatures its recommended that you plant them in a bog garden. Being in a raised pot can make them more susceptible to harsh weather.
If you know temperatures will get close to freezing (in these zones it likely will) you will need to make sure to cover the plants with burlap or a shade cloth. Make very sure you secures the sides with something heave to ensure it doesn’t get blown off. Then cover the cloth or burlap with leaves, straw or pine needles. This will help keep the moisture in and the cold out!
If you get snow, this is totally fine! The snow will actually help insulate the venus fly traps and keep them from getting too cold.
If you want to avoid a bog garden you do have a couple of options. You could get a cold frame, which helps keep your plants insulated and out of the weather. Or you could get a mini greenhouse to keep your plants in. I have links to both on Amazon below!
If you reside in the colder zone 3 or lower you will probably want to bring your venus fly trap inside during the winter months. You will want to make sure that it’s put in a room that stays fairly cold, like a basement or garage. Make sure you keep your plant in a room that stays below the 55 degree mark.
A good rule to follow is that if there are people there it’s too warm. The temperatures that humans are used to being comfortable in are probably too warm. If the plant is heated up and brought out of dormancy too soon it can be trouble for it’s long term health.
Refrigerator Dormancy
No, that’s not a joke and yes, this is an option. If none of the options above work for you, you may want to consider dormancy in a refrigerator. Usually this option is reserved for areas that get way too cold or that stay too warm year round and never go below 55 degrees. Keep in mind, this should be the last option as it’s not as good for the plants long term health but it is an option.
This is kind of a rare option so I don’t want to go into super deep details but I have written an article that goes in depth on dormancy and provides steps for a refrigerator dormancy, click below!
To keep it simple, I strong suggest not skipping dormancy. It’s important to note that it’s possible to keep a venus fly trap alive for a couple years without going into dormancy. That’s why you see me reference “long term health” often when speaking about dormancy.
If you want your venus fly trap to last for the 20 years it should be able to it needs to go through a dormancy period. This is how these plants have evolved and it’s a very important part of its development and life cycle. I have done a lot of reading and studying on this very topic, anyone who knows what they are talking about promote always going through dormancy.
The short answer for whether you should skip dormancy is, nope!
To give proper venus fly trap care putting your plant through dormancy is going to be very important. It can be a little inconvenient depending on the zone your in, but if you really care for your plant you will do your best to accommodate a healthy dormancy period.
Check out the great video below on venus fly trap dormancy!
Venus Fly Trap Propagation & Growth
We’re going to go over how long it takes for a venus fly trap to grow and how you can propagate a venus fly trap. Let’s quickly talk about how long it takes a venus fly trap to grow then we will get into talking about propagation.
A venus flytrap will grow rather quickly at first. The seeds germinate in as little as twelve to fourteen days. It then slows down. It will take 2-4 years to grow three to six inches tall and about 5 years to get fully matured and grown.
Let’s break down germination and propagation going forward.
Germination
The overall growth of a venus fly trap is pretty slow but the germination period is actually pretty fast and easy! From April until June they will produce seeds. Most soil mixes made for carnivorous plants will work just fine for a venus fly trap. but the best is a sand and peat moss mix. If you want to read more about carnivorous plant soil mix, we will talk more on that later, or you can click the link below. You will be taken to my guide on the best soil mix for venus fly traps!
For a plant to sprout they need to be kept moist. After a few weeks the seedlings will be healthy enough to transplant. You can also wait to transplant until the plant develops its first trap leaves.
Flowering
Many people will grow venus fly traps with the intent to allow them to flower and collect their seeds to grow more plants. The problem is the venus fly trap takes up to 5 years to mature when grown from a seed. From the time you plant a venus fly trap from seed it will take 2-4 years to flower and produce seeds.
The flowers will appear in clusters of 4-10 and will grow on a large stem that can get as high as 12 inches tall. The flowers are white and shaped like small cups. After the flowers appear the small black pear shaped seeds will be released.
If you are not planning on growing a new venus fly trap from your own harvested seeds it’s actually a good idea to cut the flower off before it gets very big. The plant puts out a lot of energy to help the flower grow to release its seeds. If you cut it off, the plant can focus its energy back on the flytraps and not the flower.
I think that’s a pretty good lead into propagation, since you can actually create a new flytrap plant right from the flower stem.
Vegetative Propagation
Venus fly trap propagation is one of the cooler parts of owning one of these incredible little plants. You can rip parts of them off and grow a brand new one. That sounded a little harsh, please make sure you know where to rip before doing anything crazy!
Flower Stalk Propagation
To grow a new venus flytrap from a flower stalk, you want to cut the stalk off after it reaches about 4 inches tall. Cut it as close to the rhizome as possible, this is the part of the flower stalk that will sprout new growth.
Plant the flower stalk back into the soil and keep it watered well. You will want to be patient as it can take a couple months for new growth to show up. Try to give the plant as much light as possible while your waiting for the new growth.
It’s also a good idea to try and plant the new growth in it’s own pot. I know that’s kind of inconvenient but it will give it the best opportunity to be successful. You can grow it in the same pot as your current plant, it just has a better chance of success in it’s own.
Leaf Pullings
To get good leaf pulling specimens you will need to uproot the plant and expose the rhizome. Try to find the healthiest leaf on the plant and use it as your attempt to propagate a leaf pulling. Once the rhizome is exposed grab the leave and give it a gentle jerk down toward the roots.
You want to try and get as much of the rhizome (the white part) on the leaf pulling as you can. Cut off the trap and plant the leaf in a soil mix that is made for venus fly traps. Give the venus fly trap leaf pulling a lot of light and plenty of water and it should start new growth in about 2 months.
You can read more about propagation and how long it takes a venus fly trap to grow below!
You can also check out the cool video below that shows the growth cycle of a venus fly trap.
How And What To Feed A Venus Fly Trap
In the grand scheme of providing a venus fly trap care, feeding it insects is probably really low on the list. They do need to eat but the sun is the most important thing for them. When it comes to food making sure your venus fly trap gets as much as 5-12 hours of sun a day is probably the most important. We will definitely talk more about that in just a bit.
What To Feed A Venus Fly Trap
Maybe I’m beating a dead horse here but did I mention they need to eat sun? I did? Okay, sorry. I know that’s probably not the answer you’re looking for but don’t worry we are going to talk more about feeding your fly trap insects below.
If you are putting your venus fly trap outside on a regular basis it’s probably getting all the insects it needs to survive. The combination of being outside and naturally gather insects along with the sun its getting is probably enough, just make sure to focus on giving it the proper amount of water, more on that later!
I can literally hear you right now, “but I want to feed it bugs!!” Okay, okay lets talk about how often to feed your fly trap and some rules then we will get into what kind of insects you can feed your fly trap.
How Often To Feed A Venus Fly Trap
I know your eager to find out about what to feed the venus flytrap plants but it’s really important that you understand how often first. It’s easy to kill a venus flytrap plant if you feed it the wrong things or too regularly.
The general rule for feeding a venus flytrap manually is you should feed each plant every other week. More specifically, you want to feed just 1 head from the whole plant every other week. You do not want to feed every head on the plant. Just feed one and it will share the wealth.
Let’s go over some rules real quick before talking about what to feed your flytrap.
Feeding A Venus Flytrap Rules
Many things labeled as “plant food” will be bad for your flytrap. More often than not this is fertilizer and will burn the roots and kill your plant. ALWAYS avoid fertilizer.
Okay yes, they are carnivorous but no they don’t eat meat. This is a huge misconception with venus flytraps. People ask all the time if they can feed bit beef, raw and cooked. No, this is not good for your plant.
A venus flytrap loses a ton of energy when the trap closes. Teasing your plant to show off to friends or family is not a good idea. Every once in a while is fine but doing this often will hurt it in the long run. It uses a lot of energy with the expectation to catch an insect that will return what it used up if nothing is caught its just wasted energy.
Watch the size of the insect you feed your venus fly trap. You want to try and avoid any insects that are more than a third the size of your trap head. Anything bigger can sit for a long time and rot which is bad for the plant.
The inner workings of a flytrap are very complex. You can’t feed it a dead insect and expect it to complete the process of turning it into energy. Once an insect is caught to ensure the plant doesn’t waste it’s energy the plant will need to be triggered again by a struggling insect. This is the only way the enzymes get triggered and the breakdown and absorption begins. I will talk more about this below under feeding a venus flytrap dead insects.
Feed Venus Fly Trap Live Insects
Alright you ruthless bugger this is what you have been waiting for, ins’t it? You want to feed your venus flytrap a live insect. Okay, maybe I’m a hypocrite this was also what got me interested in these amazing plants. I’ll stop pointing fingers and deliver the goods!
If I feed my venus flytrap insects I do try and make sure it’s a live one. It makes for a great show with friends and it feels good to hear them ooo and awww over your venus flytrap. Just remember the rules above, no over feeding.
A great tip for feeding your venus flytrap live insects is to stash the little critter into the freezer for about a minute before serving. Not too long as it will kill them. This will slow them way down and they will start to wake up as the flytrap closes triggering the process of digestion.
You can get live and dead bugs shipped to your home right on Amazon, how cool! Check out the bugs you can feed your flytrap below and get more info by clicking the links and heading over to Amazon.
Live Mealworms For Venus Fly Trap
Mealworms are nice, they are fairly straight forward. They are also a very nutritious meal for your venus flytrap. Remember if the mealworm is too long you will need to cut it in half. This is important for the younger venus flytrap plants.
You can go down to a local pet store and grab some mealworms but you can also order live mealoworms right off Amazon. Just order and they show up in a few days, super simple! Check out the link below.
Crickets are another inexpensive but nutritious insect you can give to your venus flytrap alive. They are also super easy to buy right off Amazon, I’ll link below!
You can get them in two sizes, 1 inch and half inch, the half inch will likely be better for your venus flytrap. Check them out below!
This is definitely an option but will require you to do a little more than with live insects. It’s certainly possible that even though it’s a little more work that this is an even better option for beginner growers.
I have seen mealworms burrow out of a trap head and crickets are super quick. (Remember the freezer method!) It can be a frustrating ordeal to get your flytrap to eat a live insect.
Just keep in mind if you go this route you will need to use something to trigger the hairs to make sure the flytrap will begin to breakdown and eat the dried insect. Just like the live insects you can get your dried insects right off Amazon!
Now that you know what to feed a venus flytrap in this venus fly trap care guide were going to talk about how to feed a venus flytrap. Most people think you pop the insect into the head of the trap and the eating ensues. This is not true.
Feeding A Venus Fly Trap Live Insects
There are a few issues you will face when trying to feed your venus fly trap live insects. It’s a little risky since the plant will expel a lot of energy if the insect escapes after the trap closes.
One of the best ways to avoid the insect escaping is to put the insect n the freezer for a minute or two. This will basically stop the insects movement and leave them frozen. Usually by the time the insect can move again the fly trap has it in it’s grasp and the now moving insect will trigger the hairs to start the final part of the process.
Another thing you can do to reduce the risk of escape is to use tweezers. Just grab the insect by the tweezers and put it in the trap, once the trap is closed slide the tweezers out. Make sure you grab a part of the insect that won’t break off like a leg of a cricket.
Although, it’s not my style, you can also remove the legs from the insect that you put into the fly trap. This will make it so they can’t escape. I’m not here to judge, your plant your choice.
Feeding A Venus Flytrap Dried Insects
This is a tempting option considering the insect can’t escape but it’s important you understand how the venus flytrap works before trying this.
If you consider how they have evolved and catch their food you must consider that they are expecting the insect to be wiggling and moving. Another built in fail safe for the flytrap is if the trap closes around a prey and it never moves again, it actually won’t begin the process to digest and breakdown the insect.
This is another thing the venus flytrap has put in place to avoid wasting energy. If it closes around a leaf or something else, it knows not to release the enzymes to breakdown the false catch. No need to waste all that energy for something that’s not moving or wiggling.
If you would like to learn more about this specific process, check out another article I wrote all about how venus flytraps work! You can check it out below.
The trick to getting them to start the digestive process and releasing the enzyme is to stimulate the trigger hairs once the trap has completely closed. There are a couple ways you can do this.
You can gently (very gently) squeeze together a trap head with the insect inside to stimulate the trigger hairs. This is a good way to do it because it also helps the flytrap close down tighter around the insect.
The other thing you can do is to take a toothpick or paperclip and stick it inside the trap head to stimulate the hairs that way. You will know that the hairs were stimulated when the flytrap closes even tighter, initiating the release of the enzymes.
If your venus fly trap opens up a few hours later you will know this was not successful. To breakdown the insect and absorb all its goodness the flytrap will typically take 5-12 days. It will stay closed this entire time.
I do go into more depth on feeding a venus flytrap if you click below. It’s a little longer but has some great info!
You will definitely want to watch the video below showing a venus fly trap feeding on live insects!
How To Water A Venus Fly Trap
One of the most important things in this venus fly trap care guide is going to be learning how to water a venus flytrap. It’s very important that you are giving them not only the proper amounts of water but also the right kind of water.
How Often To Water A Venus Fly Trap
First we are going to talk about how often to water a venus fly trap but please don’t leave here until you also understand what type of water to give your plant. Normal tap water will kill it.
You want to make sure and water your venus flytrap until its moist but not soggy. One way people like to do this is by using a tray with a draining pot or planter. If you keep about 1 inch of water in the tray this will typically keep your plant perfectly hydrated.
This will help make sure the soil can breath and will keep the roots of the plant healthy. Keep in mind that the pot you pick is super important for a healthy venus flytrap. I have written an entire guide to picking out a pot or planter, check it out below!
It’s also extremly important that you have the correct soil for your venus fly trap. The soil will determine if the water gets clogged up or can drain easily. If the water doesn’t drain you can develop root or crown rot on your plant. Don’t worry, I’m going to talk all about venus fly trap soil mix below. If your not patient however and want to learn more, I have a guide on the best soil mix for a venus flytrap, check it out!
Sorry about that, we got just a little off track. The soil along with pot or planter are very important to ensure that your plant is being watered correctly. Let’s talk more specifically about how to water a fly trap before we get into which kind of water to give it.
How To Properly Water A Venus Fly Trap
You will want to keep a very close eye on your plant during the active growing season. It’s going to get a lot warmer and your soil mix will dry out much sooner. You never want your venus flytrap to dry out completely, so remember to keep a closer eye.
Make sure the soil is moist but not overly soggy or waterlogged. It’s actually easy to over water a venus flytrap so you will want to be careful. They are susceptible to root and crow rot.
What Type Of Water For A Venus Fly Trap
The kind of water you give to your venus flytrap is probably more important than how often you water it. If you give your flytrap tap water it will likely kill it. Unless your tap water is extremely pure and free of minerals.
I’m going to discuss briefly each type of water you can give your flytrap. If you want to read more about each water type, click below to my full guide on watering your venus flytrap. You have all the super important information here but there are some more tidbits on the main article.
Tap water is not good for most house plants but especially for carnivorous plants such as venus flytraps. It can contain sulfur, chlorine, calcium, sodium, magnesium and other harmful elements. The worst part is tap water won’t kill your plant right away, it will likely lead to a very slow death.
Keep in mind, if you get water from a well or your tap water is very pure, you can actually use your tap water. If you suspect you have super clean tap water there is a way you can test it. If your tap water measures below 50 PPM (parts per million) you should be able to water your plant fine.
I do not suggest gambling with this, a TDS meter to measure your tap water is super cheap and easy to use. You can actually buy one right off Amazon, click below to check it out! Honestly, measuring your tap water isn’t a bad thing even for your day to day life. It’s totally worth it.
Now lets talk about which kinds of water you want to use for your venus flytrap.
Distilled Water
The easiest water to get and to give your venus fly trap is distilled water. It’s free of all the minerals and it’s easy to run to the store and buy. And, if your like me, you can buy it right off Amazon and just wait for it to be shipped to your home! Check it out below.
We do our best to collect rainwater and use it as much as possible. We live in the Northwest so there is no shortage of rainwater for us to collect. I plan on making a post all about our rainwater collection process but its pretty straightforward.
We basically just spliced our gutter and put a spout on it that drains into a barrel with a keg style attachment. It makes it really easy! You can check out what we use below to collect rainwater.
This is definitely my goal. One day I would like to convert our tap water system with reverse osmosis. This isn’t just good for your plants it makes your tap water super clean and great for everyone to drink. This helps the environment and makes water more accessible. Its a major win win.
The systems are installed under your sink and are definitely the least convenient options for your venus flytrap. They can be a little pricey but for what your getting the price is justified. You can check the one out below on Amazon, when I pull the trigger it’s definitely the system I’m getting.
You can also watch the super in depth watering video below, it is really helpful!
Venus Fly Trap Soil Mix
Next for this venus fly trap care guide we are going to talk about what kind of soil you need for your venus fly trap. Again, unlike most house plants vensu flytraps do things just a little different. They grow in bogs where the soil is extremely poor in nutrients. We need to try our best to mimic that environment and give them a nutrient poor soil mix.
Like all my other sections, I do have an entire article completely devoted to just soil mix for a venus flytrap. I will cover everything you need to know below but you can definitely check that out as well!
Let’s not beat around the bush or traps? I don’t know, sorry, bad joke.
Best Venus Fly Trap Soil Mix
The best soil mix for a venus flytrap is 5 parts peat moss, 3 parts silica sand and 2 parts perlite. To have a healthy root system with good aeration the silica sand can really help.
The most important thing for this soil mix is to ensure that it’s nutrient poor. Any kind of soil from your yard or anywhere else will kill your plant. Anything that says it’s enhanced or has fertilizer will be bad.
Some experts out there will use a diluted fertilizer on the leaves but it’s super risky and not recommended for new or beginner growers. This may be a solution to help your plants grow in certain situations but not one you should explore unless it’s absolutely needed.
You will want to stick with the 3 main ingredients, keep it simple.
Peat Moss
It’s nutrient poor and is great for aeration. It’s also pretty inexpensive and can be picked up at any nursery or big box store. Try to get the variety with long fibered sphagnum as it’s even better for drainage. It also helps the perlite not float to the top.
Do beware as some companies that sell peat moss will enhance it with fertilizer, this is not good. You want to stay away from this type of peat moss.
Perlite
Perlite are those tiny white specs you often see in potting soil mixes. It’s great because it aids in water retention and helps keep the soil aerated. It helps keep the soil loose and less compact assisting with water drainage. It’s super easy to find and can be found almost anywhere selling plants or plant supplies.
Silica Sand
This is kind of the secret ingredient as it’s not necessary but will be great for your venus flytrap. It works with flytraps because it’s not soluble and is completely neutral. This means it wont leach any extra nutrients into the soil that can harm your plant.
It can really help your plant form a healthy root system as well as promote great aeration.
Now that you have all your ingredients. You will want to clean the Silica and Perlite in some distilled water to ensure it’s cleaned off of any extra minerals. Just put the water in a large container and dump in the sand and silica. Shake the container, and dump out the water. Rinse and repeat (literally).
Once you have cleaned your silica and perlite you can just mix all the parts together. Mix in some distilled water to get your soil mix moist and ready to plant. It’s going to take more distilled water than you think since everything will absorb the water.
Premixed Venus Fly Trap Soil Mix
Going to the store and getting all the ingredients and mixing it together is a lot of fun for a plant nerd like myself. But trust me, I understand that everyone is not like me. You have a life and just want to buy some soil mix that will be great for your venus fly trap. I completely understand! There is a great mix you can buy on Amazon that will come ready for planting. Check it out below!
A great venus flytrap soil mix you can find on Amazon!
Choose A Pot For A Venus Fly Trap
Choosing the right pot for your venus flytrap is super important. Having the right pot can make your job super easy or very difficult. In the ultimate venus flytrap care guide we are going to take some time to talk about the best planter or pots for venus flytraps.
Things To Consider When Choosing A Pot
There are some simple rules to follow when looking for a new venus fly trap pot or planter. When seeking the perfect pot or planter the first thing we often consider is looks. We want the planter that will match our home or other pots and planters. Luckily, being able to shop on Amazon for these kinds of things the options are almost limitless. There are a few things you need to consider.
Drainage
Picking a pot with drainage holes in the bottom are an absolute must. If you find the perfect pot and it’s made out of the right material (more on that below) and it doesn’t have drainage holes, you can always drill your own! Keep in mind this can be a little dangerous with ceramic as you always run the risk of breaking the pot.
Colors
People don’t often consider the color of their planter important. One of the most important things for a venus fly trap is ample amounts of sunlight. If you get a black or super dark planter often times this can bring in extra heat that can be harmful to your plant. Try to aim for something that is lighter in color, especially if your plan is in the sun often. The heat can bake the roots and kill them from the inside.
Pot Material To Avoid
The most important thing here is that you avoid terra cotta that is unglazed. They are super porous and can dry the soil out faster than the other materials. Terra cotta pots can also leach salts into the soil and over time can put a strain on your plant. It’s not likely to kill them but it can make them less healthy or grow smaller.
Generally speaking, I would avoid any pot or planter that are super breathable and porous. It dries out the soil too quickly and those types of planters can leach minerals into the soil.
Pot Materials To Look For
Lets talk for a little bit about the best pots and planters you can find. I’ll go over the types of pots and give you some examples. Feel free to go out and find the ones you really like on Amazon however. They have so many options from all the types I give you below. I’m sure the perfect pot or planter is out there waiting for you!
Plastic Planters
Plastic planters are the most afforable and easiest to manage. They work great! They are also super easy to drill more holes into if you decide you don’t like the drainage. If they break it’s not a big deal since they are really inexpensive.
They do have some really cool inexpensive and colorful plastic planters out there that work great for carnivorous plants and venus fly traps. I’ll put a link to some of my favorites on Amazon below. They are colorful and have lighter colors and have drainage holes. They are sold ready to go!
I saw that look on your face when I suggested plastic. You scoffed and quickly decided that plastic was not the route for you. I get it, I’m more of a resin person myself. Plastic makes the most sense, but who wants plain old plastic when you can get resin pots and planters that are beautiful and creative.
Well, the jokes on you. Resin basically is plastic just a thicker cooler version of it. There are some really cool resin planters out there and the options are basically limitless. If you can think of a color or design, it probably exists on Amazon. I’ll show you some of my favorites below then you can go check them out yourself!
Oh whiskey barrels, I’m so basic. I always love a good whiskey barrel and venus fly traps look great in them. Check out the cool whiskey barrel resin planter below. They have a couple of different sizes and options.
Maybe you are looking for something a little bigger and a little more fancy. Maybe you want to plant multiple carnivorous plants or multiple venus fly traps. You can actually take something like the planter below and create an entire bog garden. Which can be really neat with different types of venus fly traps or other carnivorous plants.
Just remember, the most important thing with resin planters is to make sure they have good drainage holes. If they don’t and you have to have the planter keep in mind that you will want to drill a couple of your own holes. The nice thing is that resin makes that super easy without the risk of ruining your entire pot. You can check out a multitude of other resin planters for your venus fly trap below.
If you really don’t want a plastic pot or planter for your venus fly trap then glazed will likely be the best option. The same rules apply, just find one that has drainage holes. Drilling your own holes in a ceramic pot is doable but a lot riskier. You also want to make sure the ceramic is glazed on the inside and out. If its only glazed on the inside the ceramic can leach minerals into the soil and be harmful to your plant.
The nice thing about glazed ceramic planters is you can obtain a look thats a little different than plastic. Check out the pot below as an example of what you can get!
I think this would look great with a small pitcher or medium sized venus flytrap!
There are so many great options when looking at all the really cool ceramic pots and planters on Amazon. If you can find the one you like that’s glazed and has drainage holes then you should be good to go! You can check out more really cool glazed planters below on Amazon.
With the next section of the venus fly trap care guide were going to talk about repotting! Now that you understand how to pick out the perfect pot and you know how to make the perfect soil mix for your venus fly trap, it’s time to learn out to pot and repot. It’s actually pretty simple and not all that different than other plants but I’ll definitely break it down for you below.
Before we jump in, lets talk about the Rhizome. I’ll be referencing it below so you should know what it is. Its the bulb-like white part that is just below the soil and just above the black roots. When it comes to plants and propagation the rhizome is something that will come up often. Leaves from the plant typically can be traced down to the rhizome and it’s where the plant stores most of its energy.
Steps To Repotting A Venus Fly Trap
I’ll break this down for you into some easy steps. It’s not an overly difficult process but it’s nice to know the steps to make it a little easier on your plant.
Get The New Pot Ready
You have your soil ready to go and it’s time to introduce your plant to it. Grab some soil and put it in the pot or planter. Fill it to the top then compress it a bit. Use your fingers or a tool to dig a fairly deep hole. Make sure the hole is deep enough to stretch the roots all the way out. Try not to loop the roots, give them a lot of room to stretch and grow.
Preparing And Uprooting
Give the planter it came in a gentle squeeze to help dislodge it. Turn the old pot over and remove the plant. Make sure you are holding it in a way you won’t drop it.
Break the soil away from the roots. During this process go very slow and be very patient. This is the time your plant is most likely to be hurt during the repotting process. You can also dip the roots into some distilled water to help remove the old soil.
Plant In New Pot
You already dug your hole and the plant is cleaned off, it’s time to put it in the new hole. The most important thing here is to make sure you use your finger to help the roots get as deep into the hole as possible. You can also use a stick or screwdriver to help with this. You might need to adjust the depth of your hole, which is perfectly fine. Make sure the Rhizome is just below the soil when you cover with the new mix.
Compact the soil around the rhizome very gently but snugly. You may need to grab a little extra soil mix to make sure that the rhizome is completely covered. It shouldn’t be very deep but none of the white form the rhizome should be exposed.
Water The Fly Trap
It has been a long and tiring journey for your venus fly trap. It’s time to give it a nice drink of water. Watering immediately helps eliminate any air pockets that have developed and can help reduce root shock that may have happened with repotting.
Try to make sure when you water the top of the plant that you do it very gently. If the water hits the soil too hard it can separate the peat moss and perlite and the perlize can rise to the top. You can even put the water on the plant it’self and let it drip down into the soil. Watering the plant directly does not hurt it. If you haven’t read the guide to watering yet, make sure you do! You will want to make sure you are using the right type of water.
Check out the great video below showing someone repotting a venus fly trap!
Venus Fly Trap Terrarium Care
I wanted to take a quick moment to cover caring for a venus fly trap in a terrarium. I strongly recommend that you don’t do this. Venus Fly Traps are not the type of plant that thrives in that kind of an environment. They are a hardy perennial that like to have all seasons and need a dormancy period. Terrariums are designed to simulate a humid jungle like environment. Venus fly traps are not tropical plants. This wouldn’t feel like a proper venus fly trap care guide without informing you of this.
If you have the option not to use a terrarium I would go that route. The vast majority of people who try to grow venus flytraps in a terrarium end up killing it. I talk about this in long length at the link below. Please go check it out for more information. Especially if you are considering using a terrarium.
Wow, that was a little long winded. I really hope this ultimate venus fly trap care guide has helped you out. Caring for a venus fly trap is important to me and all I want is for you to have a good experience and help your little (or big) plants thrive. They are really special plants and although they require a little special care, it’s 100% worth it.
I hope you go out and get your plant right now or at least have a better understanding of your plant you already own. Take great care of your venus fly trap and here’s to years of healthy growth and successful propagation!
Ultimate Venus Fly Trap Care Guide: Caring For A Venus Fly Trap
A quick shout out to some of the sites I have frequented over the years for knowledge and help.
