Venus Fly Trap HELP?

Question

I've been wanting to get a Venus fly trap for a week or so now and I have been doing some reading but I still have a few unanswered question.

1. How do I go about feeding it? Just let the bugs fly around in the terrarium until it lands on the plant or drop it in the trap?

2. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and I read that if you live in a colder climate you can just put the plant near a window sill for the dormant season. Is this a good idea? If so do I take it out of the terrarium or leave it in? If it's not a good idea what is?

3. Do i feed during dormant season?

4. How much do I water it?

I was also thinking of a 2 L pop bottle for a terrarium do these work?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS!!

Answer 1

1. refer to site listed below
2. No. VFTs need to experience freezing temps to go dormant. Forced hibernation site below.
3. No, you don't feed during hibernation. VFTs die back for dormancy.
4. Keep soil moist at all times, but not soggy.

If you are going to grow carnivorous plants then you need to do it right from the start so welcome to the wonderful world of carnivorous plants. First, you need to decided where you want to keep them. You can keep them outside in full sun or in a terrarium, but I recommend that you not keep them in a pop bottle because their roots need room to grow and there is not enough air. Also, if you are going to keep them in a terrarium then make sure you do not put the terrarium in direct sunlight. What a lot of people do not know is that carnivorous plants do best outside in the open air and in full sun. They are cold tolerant up to 20 degrees and actually need to be winterized and go into hibernation in order to do well next season. If your temps drop below 20 then you can keep them in an unheated garage or garden shed. If you keep them in a terrarium then you can force them into hibernation or dormancy and I will give you the site that explains how to do this. As for your watering question, carnivorous plants are bog plants and their soil needs to stay moist all the times. If you grow them in a terrarium this should not be a problem, however, if you grow them outside you will need to place them in a saucer of water and make sure you keep the saucer full at all times. As for feeding them, check out the expertvillage video I've included and it will answer all your questions.

carnivorous plant NoNos:
No meat of any kind. Meat rots and it will kill them
No fertilizer of any kind. Pot carnivorous plants in a 50/50 mix of peat moss and perlite only.
No straight tap water. Use filtered tap, aged tap or distilled (preferred)

Here are some sites that will help you with just about everything you need to know about growing carnivorous plants. Good Luck and have fun.

Information:
http://www.cobraplant.com/sitemap.html
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/carnivorousplants?starvote=2&pid=153840

Contains a Section on dormancy: VFTs die back for dormancy.
http://www.the-venus-flytrap.com/venus-f...

Expertvillage videos all about carnivorous plants:
Feeding and more:
http://www.expertvillage.com/videos/pitcher-feeding.htm
Building a terrarium: http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/videos/terrariums-selecting.htm
Propagation and more:
http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/videos/carnivorous-plant-propagation-division.htm

Answer 2

These plants like warmth, and do not like been moved once planted.The Pop bottle would be ideal.They require very little water.Just a thimble full when dry.If you can't get bugs, try Dried Blood. You can get Blood and Bone from garden center. Just feed a tiny spoonful.Don't remove from container, and don't have it in too much light.Be careful it doesn't get too big, it might decide you look yummy. Good Luck!

Answer 3

are you beneficial you place the fly a methods sufficient down? there are tiny hairs that are delivered on while touched and reason the seize to close. generally i've got seen the for roughly $5-7. it quite is weird and wonderful that they offered it for purely a dollar. i'm no longer too beneficial. i might purely go away it there for a rapid time make beneficial the fly isn't too massive and don't close the seize along with your palms, that reasons the plant to lose means or something

Answer 4

Just research the topic on the internet or ask your local planatrium.