Grow Your Own Venus Fly Trap

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Whether you want to grow your own Venus flytraps from seed or want to harvest seeds for your friends, here’s how to accomplish both of those things. For many gardeners, the first plant they were given to grow and care for as a child was a Venus fly trap ( Dionaea muscipula). Sarah’s role as chief editor at DIY Garden is about more than just making sure we’re literally dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s (although she’s a stickler for detail, so it’s certainly about that too!

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The Venus flytrap grows from rhizomes, or bulb-like roots that go dormant underground through the winter, so it’s important to observe its natural life cycle when growing this species as a potted specimen. It will become weaker as it skips its dormancy period for two or three years in a row, eventually dying. This means that the plant does enjoy a little bit of extra humidity, but doesn’t require as much as many other houseplants do. It’s perfectly safe to touch, and you’ll want to wash it off as much as possible prior to transplanting.The suppression of wildfires in these areas is also impacting their habitat, as this species relies on the fires to clear away brush, allowing sunlight to penetrate the understory canopy. You won’t know whether or not you have succeeded until after your flower has died, so attempting to pollinate your venus flytrap multiple times is a good idea. A Venus fly trap will happily go for 1-2 months without any food, although this could end up impacting how large it grows. Caring for Venus fly trap has some added difficulty beyond most easy houseplants, however I would consider it a moderate difficulty level (you will see why below).

Venus Fly Trap, Grow Your Own Venus Flytrap in a 100% Self Venus Fly Trap, Grow Your Own Venus Flytrap in a 100% Self

They require high levels of humidity and moisture, but you want to ensure that there is still ventilation so that they do not mold. The easiest way to feed a Venus fly trap is to use a single bug that is at most 1/3 of the size of the trap you intent to feed. If you keep your Venus flytrap outside, it will catch spiders and insects on its own (unless your outdoor environment is unnaturally sterile). If you don’t have winter in your area and there is very little snow, you may need to consider dormancy, which is an alternative strategy to winter. If you are looking for an incredibly unique houseplant to grow indoors, consider growing a Venus fly trap plant – the houseplant with an appetite for much more than basic fertilizer!Be careful when adding water to avoid leaving droplets sitting on any parts of the plant, as these can lead to the development of mold, fungi, and bacterial infections. We’re going to discuss this quirky specimen, and by the time we’re finished, you’ll know how to grow, feed, and care for it like a pro. Pick a location that receives plenty of sun and, if you can, choose somewhere that’s surrounded by acidic soil. If you'd rather not worry about making sure it gets enough sun, you can also grow Venus flytraps using a fluorescent grow lamp.

How to Make a Venus Fly Trap Grow Big - DIY Garden

You are essentially moving pollen from the anthers to the stigma, which is how Venus flytraps are pollinated.

Before storing them for the winter, a fridge’s dormancy must occur naturally by allowing the plants to enter dormancy.

How to Grow a Venus Flytrap (with Pictures) - wikiHow

These pre-grown plants come in a nice container, and give you all the beauty of owning one of these plants without the work to grow one from a seed. This is a great choice because it also includes a drip tray that can be used to water your plants from the bottom. Usually, each trapping leaf grows to about 2-3cm in width, with one plant producing about 4-8 traps at one time.Simply catch an insect such as a fly and then gently lower it into one of the traps, using tweezers. The key is that a Venus flytrap’s soil needs is slightly different than most houseplants and you’ll need to plan accordingly. I have grown Venus fly traps for 5 plus years and will share key information so anyone can grow Venus fly traps at home with success.