A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Venus Fly Trap

Hi I finally got a vanus fly trap after years of wanting one. My next door neighbours used to have one and it was always healthy when I saw it. However I bought 2, an all green one and a green one with pinkish spikes, and having brought them home, the first one's leaves have all turned black, and it has not eaten one fly. We have tried giving them flies, as we have a book which said it would also eat dead ones. The second one we bought a couple of days later, and it has started doing the same. I read that they can be fed a little bit of un cooked meat, so should we try this? As the trap doesn't seem to shut. There was a fly walking in the biggest healthiest looking trap and it didn't shut. So please someone help me!

Do not feed them meat... this is toxic to the plants. Don't try to force feed these plants... they only need one or two flies per month. Main thing is you have to replicate where they come from. They have to stay moist and humid. They do good with some direct light... but they really need constant indirect light. Also later on you must recreate a dormant period for them. Usually I simply stick the plant in my refrigerator for about two months (NOT FREEZER). I will water ocassionally.. once a week.. if that when in the refrigerator. All the leaves will die. After about two months, I take the plant back out and it slowly introduce it back to its normal environment. The stems start to grow back... You are now good to go for 10 months. Also, I don't remember but I think the number is 6. If your plant has more than 6 stems, it has divided itself and is now two plants. Which means, technocally you can separate the plant and create two.

Let me know if I was any help... also if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask.

Hi thanks for your help. I meant to say on the tag that was in the plants pots it said they needed to be kept moist all the time. There are now sitting in a sauce of water, and I have already given them plenty of light. I will try your advice of putting it in the fridge, though I'm not too sure what my parents will say about that! Do I put it in in a tub? Or do I just leave it open or does it not matter?

Make sure that the plant is not constantly soaked in the water. You will get root rot. Just make sure is it constantly moist, not soaked. If you want to place a saucer under it with water to try to add to the humidity that is cool... but don't set the plant into the water. Perhaps get a partially open lid for the plant... like the top half of a 2 liter soda bottle. Put that over the plant and remove the cap. This will help keep the moisture in and with cap off allow it fresh air.

Also... I want to make sure that other forum members agree with putting the plant in the fridge.... just because I do it doesn't mean that is the correct thing to do...

I want to tell that these are the things that I have learned to do that kept my plants alive. I am hoping that someone else will chime in and agree with what I am telling you, add to it, or give you other advise as well.

You want to keep it moist but don't over water...additionally you want to water it with distilled water and not tap water. Keeping your plant in a terrerium (sp?) would be best. I planted mine in a medium to large fish bowl and have it in a window that gets indirect sunlight. You don't want it directly in the sun or the plant will burn inside the bowl. Now when it comes to feeding it you want to give it a bug every so often..don't feed it everyday. You know you have a healthy Venus Fly Trap when the insides of the trap are a pinkish red color..that means it's getting enough light and food and is thriving in the mock environment you gave it.

I've had my plant for over a year and never put mine in the fridge and it seems to be doing just fine.

Thats cool... but you have heard about the dormat period? A lot of sources suggest there is a dormat period.... I do this and the plant does fine also.... but maybe I will keep one out this year and see what happens.

One of mine is a pinkish red, and it has pinkish spikes. Does that mean its healthy? Its looks healthy. It hasn't eaten a fly yet though.