50 points question:how to plant a venusflytrap in live sphagum moss?

Question

i currently bought live spahgum moss and i don't know how to make a mini terranium with it.i also have peat sphagum moss soil and perlite that i bought at homedepot. i want to know if i should use 50% peat/spaghum moss and 50%perlite then put some live spaghum moss around the plant root/bulb. all i know is that i don't have any idea how to plant my venusflytrap i tough about putting the mixture in a big fishbowl then planting my 3 VNF traps and my pitcher plant together in a bowl to keep the moisture in but i also tought about using the live sphagum moss by itself .does anyone have any idea how should i use the live sphagum,sphagum/peat moss soil and the perlite together.?any percent estimation for each?should i use only live sphagum or Should i use the dead sphagum/peat moss and perlite only?how do i keep the live spahgum alive?do u hav any idea for a mini terranium or pot where i could plant my VFT?wat do i do with the live spaghum moss????

any answer will be appreciable however if u answer all i will choose u as best answer in five other questions that ill post.all i want to know is how to plant my venus flytrap with dead or the live sphagum moss or the perlite so that it will live long and grow well,any ideas for a good planting medium a pot fishbowl or plastic container covered.remember tough it has to have good moisture thank u .

Answer 1

It's very easy. Pictures and information at the below link.

I just put the moss in the sink, soak it, then put it in the container.

Then unpot your flytraps from the containers they are in, remove excess soil and moss. Make a little hole in the moss, same as you would if you were planting it in dirt. Then just drop it in the hole.

They do very well just in moss, nothing else is needed.

Answer 2

A good peat moss also has a bit of bark in it which provides the plant with more than enough air for the root system to grow.

If you live in Florida, then, you can be able to go to the back yard and pick up some silver sand, wash it very good, and use it in the mixture of peat. This is the only sand that I have seen that does not affects the PH of the soil in a significant manner, for it is the sand that VFTs naturally grow in.

Perlite, even though it is a bit alkaline, can be mixed, half and half, with peat moss, and the peat moss will dominate the soil's PH so that it will stay acidic.

Answer 3

You can see some simple growing tips at
http://californiacarnivores.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=3

Been growing carnivors since 1970. I've found Venus fly traps to be the hardest to grow since I don't have the guts to put them out in full to part sun in our dry climate. If you have climate like in the Carolinas, their native habitat, then your plants will be happy outside. Some I have bought have had their roots in pure spagnum moss, live on top & dead below. Others were planted in peat (1-7 parts) with perlite (1 part), while still others came from the grower in only peat.

Our terrarium in which our carnivores sundews, pitchers and butterwarts have thrived since 1974 has perlite for drainage at the bottom and peat moss as the growing medium. We put live moss on top as a top dressing but don't let it crowd new plantings. But Venus Flytraps just got moldy and died in that environment.

Venus Flytrap tips:
~Never fertilize - their natural habitat is nutrient poor (thus catching their neutrients is what they do), so nutrient rich soil is bad for them.
~Never feed them meat - 1 bug a year is enough keep them going.
~A Trap/leaf will only close 3 times, then they will proceed to die.
~They like air circulation.
~Don't make an effort disturb their roots while transplanting, try to carefully remove the roots & dirt (or what ever) together (it usually trys to fall apart).
~Enjoy them! They are one of the coolist plants on the planet.

Answer 4

the first poster seems to know of which she speaks.... when I lived in Carolina, just outside Wilmington, I had 55 acres of tall pine forest out behind the house... the forest floor was littered with little SunDew's and pitchers and a few flytraps here and there.... our soil was sandy, and of course , being at the base of the pines, acidic and dry.... I really don't see the high humidity of a terrarium as being a good place for them.... ???.... won't say any more, since I never tried to keep them inside, but the few that we moved from the woods to the rock garden did very well.... good luck to you....