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One very good thing about top dressing your pots is that a top dressing shades the soil surface and reduces the area of the soil exposed to the opening. This slows surface evaporation, so the entire soil ball is evenly moist. If you were to scrape off the top dressing after about six months, you will see that the roots of the plant are growing right up to and across the surface. If you look at a similar plant without top dressing, there will be almost no roots in the top inch of the soil. By the way, You might want to check out Rachel O'Leary's channel. She grows Venus flytraps, serracenia, and Drosera in an old industrial sink outdoors in Pennsylvania.
Emmit, that's super interesting, I honestly didn't even realize that as a benefit, super cool! With Rachel, you had me at "grows venus flytraps" but was definitely hooked when you said she grows them outdoors in an industrial sink! Lol, definitely going to check it out, thank you for the suggestion!
I think I might still have 1 or 2 of them. I've done some repotting since then and gave several away to make room. I know I had a couple die in the first month, but the rest were alive and well when I repotted and gave away.
This is super info, thanks for making this. I used to have a VFT when I was a kid that lasted about 2 weeks and now I know why, lol. I bought one last weekend from Lowe's and am learning tons about these plants. Going to be re potting mine next week and all this is very helpful. It's a shame the packaging care instructions of these plants are wrong. Thanks again, Jareth
Hey Jareth, don't feel bad. You just described like 90% of people who get flytraps for the first time. The rules are so different. Most people kill their first then if they still want to grow, come looking for info as to why. It's very common to kill your first 1 or 2. It's especially not your fault since the instructions on the death cubes are usually very surface level and in some instances just downright incorrect. They are great plants but you really need to research them a bit before you achieve success.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Squirrels somewhat, but especially raccoons, love to tip over and dig in posts. My sister had to build a mesh wire cage with a mesh top to keep them out.
I have four VFTs, two in each pot. Next year when I'm ready to repot them I want to put them in separate bigger pots since they got bigger themselves. Rn they are all in sphagnum moss/perlite, but there's two I would like to try putting in peat moss/perlite instead. Is it safe to do that or would it kill them since they are very much used to being in the original media? Btw, you did an amazing job trying to save these guys, hopefully they get better and stronger with the proper care they need!
I think either substrate works fine. As long as you repot them at the end of dormancy or right at the beginning of growing season, either substrate should work great! It really comes down to what you prefer. Growing your flytraps in one doesn't mean it won't grow well in the other. Thank you for your kind words, it really means a lot!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Yup, your right. I just want to experiment and give peat moss/perlite a shot and get some experience on growing CPs in that media. And your welcome! :D
I have two flytraps and I live in Indiana and it gets cold here in the winter, right now I have them inside I have not repotted them yet, so what I want to ask is should I put them in new pots now because it is starting to get cold here and yes we get snow here lol, anyways let me know what I should do.
They can withstand pretty cold Temps and actually need a dormancy period. Most times ypu repot toward the end of dormancy or at beginning of growing season. If Temps drop below 20 for too many days in a row make sure to overwinter them. Just don't allow them to get above 50 degrees during dormancy or it could confuse the plant. Let it naturally come put of dormancy in spring!
hello! Thank you for making this video! I have one question. I bought my venus flytrap in my local shop and I think I have three venus flytraps in one pot. I don’t know but it looks like it because they are separated. If so, then should I give each one their own insect or should i stick with one bug for the whole pot? (sorry for bad english😅)
By the way, there are no organic glazes on ceramics. All glazes are made of minerals. Organic or inorganic, that doesn’t have much to do with whether or not anything from your pot can dissolve and get into soil. To know that, you’d have to do tests, which I gather you have done, at least to the extent of measuring TDS.
Honestly, I'm not a glazed pot expert. I just avoid them personally but some people really love the style of ceramics. Calling out a natural or organic was more to avoid any gross chemicals. I tested the tds in my wives glazed pot before. Went from 0 to 3 on the TDS in over a week. Indoubt that was ever going to get over 10. I think it's probably safe with a glaze but it wouldn't be my first choice.
I've recently repotted a VFT and I was surprised to see a very high TDS reading when checking the water runoff from the pot. I used a 50/50 peat and perlite mix. Is this something to worry about or would the TDS reading go down over time?
Right on, flytraps are so amazing! Good luck, and remember. Almost everyone who is growing flytraps successfully now, killed several before they really figured it out. There are always exceptions, but don't give up if it doesn't go perfect. There are a lot of factors that you can't control.
My came via post. The poor thing has all its traps triggered by spillage of media. Will it now fade away? Also my pitcher plant arrived with cluster growths on the pitcher/plant pot...please advise.
Nope. Triggering the traps should not really hurt it. I try to avoid it but its really not that big of a deal. Just keep giving it the right care and the plant should be fine.
You can definitely add pebbles on top! However, as I have had these for a while now. You will want to be very careful at monitoring your water. The water will last longer in the pot since the substrate is not exposed to the air. It's easier to overwater when the pebbles keep the substrate covered. Just something to be mindful of!
It varies, it kind of depends how perfect your conditions are for your plant once they get settled. If your conditions are exactly like the conditions they have been in, the shock is significantly less. if they go from indoor lighting to outdoor right away, its a much bigger shock. If they go from 50s F, and are now in 100 plus F, it's a big shock. It's impossible to give a one size fits all answer to this. There are just too many factors. But, you can guess a bit by knowing the conditions they came from compared to the conditions they are now in. Usually, shock can last from a few days to a month or maybe even a bit longer.
Nice video, but too fiddly for my hundreds of VFTs and other American carnivorous plants. Also, the best time to trim off the dead/dying growth is just before potting them up - not afterwards. That way, the unwanted growth will not get in the way during the repotting.
I'm not a botanist, I don't claim to know everything about how they grow in the wild. But, they don't grow in the actual bogs. They tend to grow on the side of the bogs where it is more dry. The soil they grow in has almost no nutrients or natural fertilizers. What I can promise you though, is that if you water your venus flytraps with high PPM water, you will be killing them slowly. It won't happen right away, usually. It's usually a slow and agonizing death for them. I know, because I've done it. Wish I could explain better how the wild traps are a little more tolerant, but I can't. I just know the store bought and nursery grown are not. Maybe someone who knows more of the science behind the growth of wild venus flytraps can chime in a bit!
It worked pretty good, but I didn't like losing access to the top of my substrate. Made it hard to see critters and mildew. But, it loomed really nice and plants kept well in it.
@@frankho7095 Coir tend to have a lot of salt in it - which is very bad for carnivorous plants. I have heard of people soaking and washing it for a few days and used it successfully. However, it is not what I would consider a good choice.
I've been kicking around the idea of a Patreon, I'm trying to learn more about it. I've had a few people suggest it, I'm just not sure how to present it yet and what I could offer that makes sense for me right now. I'm open to suggestions!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Starting a CP nursery is expensive. One of those big expenses is a greenhouse, for propagating plants and possibly protecting young and small plants during really frigid weather. Another big expense will be a reverse osmosis water system - you won't want to rely on rain water and even 500 gallon totes delivered gets expensive over time.
I got vft during its dormancy and it wasnt cared for before hand. Purchased at walmart. I'm trying my best to keep it happy during its dormancy and hoping for good results in spring. All the traps died but I did recently notice a little bud growing. Is it okay for it to try to grow in dormancy?
The plant should be pretty healthy going into dormancy. If it's not healthy, I'll skip dormancy. Sometimes skipping dormancy and the plant being unhealthy is too much for it to overcome. However, I've had a few go into dormancy unhealthy, be revived over dormancy and wait until next dormant period and end up fine.
I did a little research on Garnets as we have a lot of them here. They seem to be inert and should work okay. I couldn't find the garnets big enough for what I wanted so I gave up on it. Just make sure the stone is hard and inert so it doesn't leech.
It's been an odd journey for this group of flytraps. I'd guess I'm at about 60% for survival rate right now. Squirrels for some reason loves the sand and knocked over both planters topped with sand. Those flytraps are still kind of alive but really struggling. Going into dormancy, I'm not sure they are going to make it. It the other pots most had at least one come out looking really healthy. By the end of it, I think maybe half will survive. Which isn't a great survival rate but with the squirrels doing damage, I'll take it. I'll likely give most of these away to friends once they are really healthy as I struggle to have room to keep them all until I get a greenhouse setup!
Significantly less, and if cold enough none at all! Once they go below a certain temp, like under 30 degrees F, they actually go into a suspended state and stop growing completely. Anything between 40 and 50 Degrees F, they continue to grow a bit and might need 3 to 4 hours of light a day. I do cover more of this in my dormancy video, check it out! ruclips.net/video/qz-TJW_TpQU/видео.html
Live food is a much better option, but not necessary. You can feed it dead bugs but you have to massage the outside of the trap to trigger the secondary response. If you don't do this, the trap won't send the digestive enzymes. It's a fail safe to make sure they don't use up energy on a leaf or a rain drop. I would gently massage for about a minute after the trap closes. It should then seal in the next 30 minutes or so and digest. If this isn't triggered, the trap will just reopen a day or so later.
I don't recommend vermiculture as some of it contains minerals that can be poisonous to venus flytraps. I can't speak to all brands and types of vermiculite but I know some is hazardous, so I wouldn't recommend.
Not a video, but most are still going pretty strong. I gave a few away to friends but so far, the ones I have kept seem to be doing well. Most of them are flowering right now! Maybe I'll do a video update soon!
I see you are just grabbing them out like that, arent you afraid of killing it by causing the traps to keep slamming shut? Mine is a low hanger, not sticking upwards like yours but hanging over the pot with thick leaves and very sensitive to closing. How can I get them out of their old pots and transplant without setting them off 100x?
That's tricky, not gonna lie. And I do try to avoid triggering any traps when I repot, but sometimes it's just not possible. Triggering the traps does eat up some energy but as long as you don't trigger it's secondary response it's probably fine. The plant is not going to die because you triggered a trap or two. It might die from other causes but thats probably not the reason.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thanks for the response. I found another video where someone uses long and skinny forceps down the sides of the pot and just pull it all out in one piece. I think that may be my only option since I have tons of heads its almost as fine as surgery! I guess I could cut down the sides of the pots as its thin plastic. Thanks again!
@@danndeelion You won't set them off 100x while repotting. Once they trigger, it takes about a day for them to reopen. Some growers intentionally trigger all the traps to make it easier to keep potting media out of the traps while repotting.
Ive merc'd many unsuspecting VFTs in my younger days. People like me ARE THE business model for big box retails. I bet if VFTs could speak (and we could hear/understand'em) they speak of horrible tales about me amongst their peers in their mini-community of plastic cups on a dimly lit arid/drafty shelf next to a stack of DVDs for $4.99
The horror doesn't stop there. Imagine being brought into a home where the owners put you in a dark corner and slowly kill you by pouring tap water (acid) and putting you in a miracle grow potting mix. All while they are shoving flies into your traps, but your not hungry. You don't even have the energy to close your trap. All of a sudden you are missing your buddies you sat next to by the DVD rack. My goal is... Help people learn how to take care of them so they aren't "repeat" customers. Hopefully one day the Rocket Farms and Gublers of the world will wonder why VFT sales have reduced. Its my dream that it reduced because people are now keeping their existing healthy and those plants are dividing, eliminating the need for them to go buy more. But then you have idiots like me that no matter how many they have, they still grab what they can! Lol.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub I buy a few of the $4.99 VFT every season from a box store and lost maybe one or two. I don't use distilled water but only rain water. I grow them indoors and out. I did have one grow 3 tiers in height . It looked like 3 stacked on top each other. I wish I would of taken a picture of it.
I am in the uk 🇬🇧 and recently been bought 3 carnivorous plants I have learnt so much from your video, I now know that poor Vinnie is planted in a pot that’s waaaaay to small and has most definitely got the wrong soil in him 😞 hate it when garden centres do this to plants.
The longer the trap is exposed to the light/sun the darker red it gets. A really green may be one that just shot up while the darker red has been there for a few weeks soaking up the sun. Definitely get the black traps off. I usually use a small pair of scissors or tweezers. Be careful with tweezers, sometimes the black traps are still connected pretty good and you can pull the whole plant up. I usually give a light tug, then cut if needed.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub the base is so full of tiny traps they are smaller than the cotton of a q tip so I can't get in there without tweezers. The longer ones were easy to trim. I have to use tweezers to lift the black ones and use tiny nose hair trimmers to clip them. Were going on the second week since buying them and new traps are starting to grow so I take that as a good sign. I'm not sure if I should repot it now or if it's too late in it's growing season and I should wait. I've searched for the right type of soil, I was originally looking for a carnivorous plant mix but it's not carried locally and after looking through RUclips video's on care it seems a homemade mix will work just fine, do you have a recommendation for how much peat/pearlite/sand to mix? I'm not sure yet if I can find silica sand but would peat moss and pearlite work temporarily? Can coconut coir be used in place of peat? The second day we had them I fed a single trap an ant and maybe 3-4 day's later all the larger open traps looked wet for maybe an hr or so, is that normal?
If it seems to be growing well I would probably leave it. If it's condition starts to get worse, I might repot. I don't really measure my peat and perlite for my personal collection anymore, but I shoot for like 1 part peat and maybe 1/2 to 1/3 part perlite. The sand isn't 100% necessary, it should be fine without it. Just make sure you rinse the peat as it can carry a lot of minerals and nutrients. I'm not sure why they appeared wet, thats something I don't see with mine. I'd have to see a photo to really know if it's normal or not.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Another thing is that I have sphagnum moss but I am not seeing any sale post of peat moss.I think it's rare to find peat moss in Bangladesh.Then what should I do now?
They are slightly different as they catch different sized insects. The obvious answer here is a fly. If the fly is small enough, the sundew will catch it and digest it. However, usually flies that are good size for flytraps are a little too big for most sundews. I recommend tiny insects like gnats and fruit flies and small house flies for the sundews. You can also feed the sundews fish foot.
Ya, they do just fine in water. I would remove it from a tray and just allow the water to soak through the plant. Try not to let it puddle up a lot. If it's just like a day of rain, leaving the tray is fine then you have some water left over for the next week. If it rains more than a couple days, remove from tray so the water doesn't puddle up too much.
I really like Flytrapstore.com for venus flytraps. They are fantastic. Predatory plants has some really good nepenthes. I also like California Carnivores. But for venus flytraps, I always try to go to Flytrapstore.com first. Matt is a stand up guy and I've learned so much from him and his website over the years. I highly recommend.
Not yet Louis, its still in the works but I've ran into a few road blocks. Working through it, I'll make an announcement when it's time! Thank you for checking!
Just found out the devastating news on my ‘death hole and a tube.’ It has been overwatered by the garden centre who I naught it from. It stinks of fish and I’m rushing to purchase Peat moss. I got a pot and am waiting for Saturday. Hopefully I repot before root rot has the chance to occur.
@@grandtheftgameryt I have never had problems with root rot, but used to have occasional crown/rhizome rot. Since I changed to taller pots and only bottom water, I no longer have rot problems.
Same here! My sister in law picked out the best looking one at walmart but the traps won't open at all. I immediately picked out about 6 or 7 dead traps. I'm headed to Lowes tomorrow and will be trying to save him!
Its usually better to transplant carnivorous plants that have a dormancy while they are dormant. Doing while they are actively growing can put them into shock they may not recover.
I agree. When I get my flytraps from reputable sellers I don't repot right away. But there is no way I leave all these in their current substrate. Especially the rocket farms. It was terrible.
Transplanting during the summer is not a great problem, as long as you disturb the existing soil around the roots as little as possible. It can set them back somewhat, but is a better alternative than having them die from bad soil/care before you obtained them. I have, when really desperate, even divided VFTs and Sarracenia in the middle of the growing season. It is far from ideal and sets them back seriously, but most of the divisions have survived. In such instances, I cut off ALL pitchers/traps, so the plant can concentrate on reestablishing its roots. It will put out new growth when it is ready to do so.
So I really want to keep my VFT inside, mainly because my kids leave the doors open all of the time, and I want to have fly control inside my house (it sounds like I am infested lol, but even 1 fly in my house is TOO many). Would putting it close to a window with full sunlight help, or should I put it outside until it matures more? Mine (an impulse buy from the grocery store like you mentioned) looks pretty much like the majority of your smaller plants. Thanks and best of luck in your soil venture!
Hello Lynda, I've heard a few people have success with window sills, but just being honest, most venus flytraps die when left in a window sill. They really like to have that full sun outside, most windows filter out a lot of the UV that the plant needs to live. What you could do though, is leave the plant outside during the day then bring it in at night to do it's hunting. I had a few pesky flies in my office, I brought my venus flytraps in at night to feast, within a few days, the flies were gone!
That does look really nice. I would like to move mine outside but it is constantly raining and I don't know if I have a place that will get full sun all day long. I don't want them beaten down by hard rains.
They usually do okay in rain but a really hard rain might be a bit rough on them. You can always move them outside in the sun then bring them back in. It's a pain but can be good for them!
I left all my plants outside one time. It was a hard down pour. Many of the traps did shut. The spagnum moss did compress some, but all the plants are still growing great and very beautiful. Using this medium for planting, you would have lost most of it due to the down pour.
Usually rain water is fine! There are parts of the world where the pollution has made the rain water not usable. But that is pretty rare. Also, if you are getting off a roof, the chemicals on the roof or in the gutter can also impact if the rainwater is usable.
My uncle had a place in SouthPort NC in the 70s. There were Venus flytraps all over the place and I would get a kick feeding them bugs!!! Now that I am older and have watched your videos… I do hope I didn’t kill any of them!??!?!😱
Yes, that's honestly the best way! Once you get the weight down, no more guessing how wet the plant is under the surface. The weight tells the full story.
For the most part, during summer that's probably fine. I do have some weeks that get down into the 60s where I live. I wouldn't keep it full during that time. It's more Spring/Fall and winter that you need to be very careful.
Yeah, weather does affect my watering schedule. Sometimes I check by the fourth day just to be sure they're fine, but on average I water between the fifth and sixth day.
I did have a week where I was at 105 - 110 F, mine did just fine. I'd only suggest limiting sun if that was your temps all summer. For a week or two, these plants should be fine. They are more resilient than most people realize. As long as they are getting the right care, they can survive from 10 degrees all the way up to 110!
Well, it would make it much harder for them to photosynthesize. But, I think with the right care, they would just produce new flytrap heads and they would end up fine. Not something I recommend though. Lol.
Using the TDS neter for rain water is a valuable piece of advice. When I first started trying to grow flytraps, I watered all my plants with rain water as i was told that was the best thing to use. a few years later I learned why you want to use rain water. in the community where I lived, our tap water had about 10ppm the rain water test at about 3500ppm.
Wow, that's insane Paul! I would not use rain water unless I could test it first. I know a lot of people recommend rain water but some areas have rain water that is really high TDS.
Hey Mark, the pebbles do work great. They are really nice looking and help insulate the plants during winter dormancy. The cons are... It's harder to gauge pot weight, which I use for watering. You also have a hard time seeing if there is any mold or critters on the surface. Other than that though, the toppings are great and nice to look at!
I have a couple of black pots too, I think it's better to stay away, but I don't get many hot days throughout the year. If you live where it's warm year round, probably best to just avoid. But ya, they are okay if your temps are moderate!
I am weening mine to be out side for about thee hours a day or so, It has gotten bigger but it seems to be a lighter green. But is really seems to thrive outside in the sunlight and fresh air. It has gotten taller and there are quite a few baby leaves cropping up. I hope that is a good sign. This is my first fly trap plant. Should I put it in the green house for the winter?
Hi Sally! That is definitely a good sign! They truly do thrive outside in full sun! Good call on acclimating them. I'm not sure where you live but they need to be kept below 50 degrees F and no lower than 30 degrees F in the winter. They can take a few times going lower than 30 just not all the time.
It depends! If you keep it under 40 degrees, you really don't. They go into a suspended state and don't really need light. I always try to give them a little light all winter, but thats just me. If you keep them over 40, they still grow a bit and will need the additional light. Not as much, but maybe 6-8 hours a day. Not a stupid question at all, this is a common question!
Really important question about outdoor aclimation. Instead of doing increasing intervals of sun exposure a day, would putting them directly into a green house like setting be sufficient to omit the acclimation process?? Or is that pretty much the same thing??
Hey Mason, I plan on getting a greenhouse soon, but to be honest, I don't have a ton of experience right now growing in green houses. The best advice I can give with acclimation is just watch the plant. You will see them starting to burn if they have been exposed to too much sun. If you see signs of burn, just reduce the amount of sun. I know some people just throw them out there and the existing growth burns a bit but the plant eventually acclimates and takes off. But if the plant is really weak, it can kill it. So, just keep an eye on it. I would think in a greenhouse the sun would be just a bit less harsh and it might acclimate a little quicker than if it were just in full sun.
Ive been keeping mine indoors with grow light. It is a new walmart one, it lost a few traps and is now sending like 3 out! Have in peat and perilite, i sat it outside today its mid 40s, will it be ok and trigger dormancy?
Yes, mid 40s will definitely trigger dormancy! Ideally, you want to keep temps between 35 F and 50 F. It can get colder and even freeze. You don't want it to be frozen a lot over the winter, but it can sustain a few freezes. Anything under 20 F I'd try overwintering or moving to an unheated indoor location.
Someone made a suggestion a while back that they use sand and small pebbles/rocks. But they didn't physically come from them. I bought the sand and rocks.
If given good care, they can definitely grow back. It makes it a little harder for the flytrap to recover and you might have a longer repotting shock period, but it should recover!
Look up the video by Sarracenia Northwest of propagating VFTs. One method is using root cuttings. You could have obtained more plants by properly replanting those broken off roots. On the other hand, I prefer to propagate using the baby plants that are offsets from the mother plants.
would the small pebbles damage the growing plantlets. I have notice very small plantlets on my VFT and would the stone restrict or damage their growth?
So far, mine have popped through. Not all of these venus flytraps made it but I don't think the pebbles were much of a factor. I have several growing really strong now that grew right up through the pebbles.
If you keep them indoors, it does help them to feed them insects occasionally. IT's not necessary but does boost the health of the plant. During winter however, it's not nearly as necessary. They should be dormant during winter, when dormant their growth slows way down, making the extra food not really necessary. During the growing season it definitely helps them to be fed.
The answer to this question is rather long winded. However, I made a video totally dedicated to answering this questions. The answer really does just depend. Watch the video and you should have better insight to make the best decision for your plant! To Cut Or Not To Cut Flower Stalks - ruclips.net/video/VzFezjtKOac/видео.html
I’ve watched a few of your videos now all full of such good info I’m not sure how you don’t have more subscribers or views!!! Keep it up I’m sure this Chanel will grow!!
I got my plant a few weeks ago but it's not growing anymore and the traps won't open 😕 thanks for all the tips turns out I been doing the complete opposite care
Been given a venus fly trap it's in a bit of a state potted in garden mud and roots where all bunched up managed to find big pot and loosen up all roots which luckily still look healthy I don't have the right soil for him at mo so had to stick him in multi compost till my order for the right soil come though followed your video which has helped load but do you think my plant will be ok until soil arrives. From the UK
I wouldn't put them in compost, I might just sit them in distilled water for a few days. The compost will burn the roots but the distilled water will not. They can't live forever in distilled water only, but can last a few days while you are waiting for soil!
Wont the stones get really hot and burn them? I put mine in the fridge in a ziplog bag last November and when I pulled them out this month, mine was growing back nice and pretty. I repotted in new soil and hoping for the best.
I didn't have any issues with them getting too hot. Actually, I kind of thing the stones might absorb the heat and prevent the soil from overheating. You really want to protect the roots and the stones don't go down far enough to impact roots. Something I'll keep an eye on this year though, worth monitoring.
Ok, so I've gotten my little plant-baby in some carnivorous dirt which I mixed a bit of long fibered sphagnum moss (is it ok to do that?) for the most part he's looking ok, but sometimes he looks a bit yellow-ish. Too much water retention? Also a few of my traps have turned black, and I was wondering where and if I should trim those. Do I need to trim the whole trap stalk or just the trap itself? I'm guessing it won't put out another trap on the same stalk?? Sorry for the newbie questions. Love your videos though! I've already subscribed!!
Jamie, no worries at all, happy to answer the best I can! You can absolutely mix in LFSM with the peat moss mix, thats no problem. Yellowish could be a result of a lot of different things. Not enough light, too much/not enough water are among a few. Are you also using distilled, RO or rain water? Bad water could also be the problem. Black traps are common and happen all the time, once the leaf turns black, just trim it off close to the rhizome. Flytraps will not put out multiple heads on one leaf. (It will happen occasionally with mutations, but thats not common.). Thank you for subscribing, it really means a lot! Hopefully this at least gives you an idea of where to start!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub hmmm... Ok so yeah for the most part he sits on my back patch which gets morning sun from about 7 till 11:30ish (I was fearful of putting him anywhere else since he was a tender Walmart plant before. Since I've had him for a little over a week now, maybe he's craving more sun? And yes he's only given distilled water except for the occasional tropical storm rain we get here in NC. I usually bring him in at night because there are creatures that roam around my house and I don't want them mistaking him for food. Since I keep my indoor temp set at 65 (well below the balmy 90 plus temps he's getting outside), could that also be a factor of his occasional yellow-ish-ness? Another note on the water. He does sit in a tray, but the tray really doesn't have much water in it. Just a little that has drained from where I watered him and then what Ida gave him.
I understand the concept of the stones, and it does look awesome, but doesn’t it prevent new growth of the plant, and it interferes with the weight of the pot to see if it needs to be watered.
Yes, 100%. It's the actual reason I didn't continue to do this. It looks really nice and they can grow great but it threw the weight of the pot off and I ended up enjoying the natural look of the soil and moss more than the rocks. To each their own though, if you adjusted to the weight and liked this aesthetic, you can definitely grow them this way!
I’d like your soil mix sample. I’m no longer a fan of perlite, because I hate that with the water it eventually floats up to the surface of the soil. So I am transitioning away from it. But as a follower I’m up to try your mixture. Tip on potting . . . I struggle less with ensuring the roots go straight down by soaking the roots in the water, and as the roots are soaked I place them in the hole.
I will definitely be sending out some samples once I get to the version that I feel good about selling. Did you see in this video using the rocks or sand as a topper to avoid the sand and perlite from floating to the top?
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Yes, I just finished that video right now like a minute ago. Looks good. I noticed with some of my plants that were not doing well because the perlite would float up and directly on top of the new growth, so they were frequently damaged. But . . . then I saw Another growers bog without perlite and WOW! Check it out below. ruclips.net/video/OHcv75saJSE/видео.html
Oh ya! I watched when she originally set that bog up but hadn't seen that video before. Such an amazing setup for a big garden. That fountain structure she has is so cool. If I remember right I think it was an old drinking fountain out of a school or something.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Yes, you are correct. It by far is one of my favorite home bog gardens I’ve seen, maybe the favorite. Her mixture appears to work well too, and I’m sure her experience had to do with it as well lol. We learn as we grow brother.
I've been wanting to put together a bog garden, her videos inspired me but I've been so busy with other projects this year I just don't know if I'm gonna fit it in.
Yes, no flytrap should be indoor only? That's insane. Just make sure you very slowly acclimate it to the sun. Start with a few hours, work your way up until it's getting full sun. Watch this video for some context, ruclips.net/video/qTEC8hxoO3k/видео.html
Glad to see ur gonna sell soil mix, im having to spend like 15bucks for sphagnum since if i buy perilite and peat they come in huge bags and i only have like 3 vft so its not worth it to spend 30$.
Right on! I'm hoping to have it ready to go in the next few months! Hopefully sooner than that. I just want to test adequately before releasing it to others!
If you take good care of the plants, in a few years you will have 20 -30 plants. Even more if you let a flower mature and successfully propagate the seeds. The peat moss and perlite will be good in the bags for years. The large bag investment is well worthwhile.
That's not a bad place to grow one! You might need to do some research on overwintering, depending on where you keep it for dormancy. However, I will have some videos coming out toward the end of the summer/begging of fall with some dormancy content!
I wish I could, I probably would. However, if I put them in the ground here in the pacific northwest, they would die almost instantly. The ground has too many nutrients and minerals, the roots would just burn and die. They only grow natively in North and South Carolina where they have very specific conditions. Even if I wanted to, there would be no way for me to get them back into nature directly. At this point it's live with me or die at Walmart. Lol...
In all probability, none of the plants are anywhere close to being native any more. Almost all VFTs sold these days are propagated by tissue culture - many millions of them every year, just in the US alone. Most don't live long due to improper care, with often the retail packaging instructions being incorrect.
I bought a TDS and my water tested 170! I definitely thought it was going to be way higher! We drink bottled water, I use distilled water for cooking. I let water set out in plastic jugs for a few days before using them on my other plants. I got plenty of distilled water for my grandkids VFT! Lol
The Rhizome is the at the base of the plant where the traps grow. The Rhizome is the part of the plant that stores the energy so the plant can grow. It's usually while and easy to identify when you are repotting. When repotting, the soil should come just to the top of the rhizome.
I remember watching another video saying to cut the stalk as soon as you see it it grow, I actually thought the flower was "pretty". About a month or two later all the traps where dying off then we hit a cold snap. The one I left inside it's bought-with substrate actually survived and is doing well.
Ya, cutting the flowers is really debated. For me, I almost always cut and propagate. If the plant is healthy, you can let the flower grow. If the plant is struggling, I recommend cutting. If you want new baby flytraps, cut and propagate!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub watching this video I was also using terra cotta planters and although it was deep enough my clear trays started growing algae so I switched to a 3 inch bowl. Turns out it might have been me after all...
I really like the idea of growing some kind of moss with my pitcher plants, what kind of moss would you recommend/where could I find some? I grow my plants in a sphagnum/perlite mix.
I'm not super familiar with the mosses. I know sometimes they can be a problem due to the root systems intermixing with your plants. With that being said, I've seen some really nice flytraps sitting in moss. The only one I know of specifically is live sphagnum moss. Brads Greenhouse out of Canada sells live sphagnum moss and has some good care tips. Other than that, I'm not sure which mosses are best for venus flytraps. I try to keep the moss out of mine just to avoid the headache of trimming and repotting.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I'll definitely be checking out Brads Greenhouse - I don't mind the extra effort involved in maintaining moss, I've got the time for it (thankfully).
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One very good thing about top dressing your pots is that a top dressing shades the soil surface and reduces the area of the soil exposed to the opening. This slows surface evaporation, so the entire soil ball is evenly moist. If you were to scrape off the top dressing after about six months, you will see that the roots of the plant are growing right up to and across the surface. If you look at a similar plant without top dressing, there will be almost no roots in the top inch of the soil.
By the way, You might want to check out Rachel O'Leary's channel. She grows Venus flytraps, serracenia, and Drosera in an old industrial sink outdoors in Pennsylvania.
Emmit, that's super interesting, I honestly didn't even realize that as a benefit, super cool! With Rachel, you had me at "grows venus flytraps" but was definitely hooked when you said she grows them outdoors in an industrial sink! Lol, definitely going to check it out, thank you for the suggestion!
After going to her channel, I have definitely seen some of her videos before. This bog garden is truly epic, one of my favorites I've ever seen!
Did you do an update to these plants to show their progress?
I think I might still have 1 or 2 of them. I've done some repotting since then and gave several away to make room. I know I had a couple die in the first month, but the rest were alive and well when I repotted and gave away.
This is super info, thanks for making this. I used to have a VFT when I was a kid that lasted about 2 weeks and now I know why, lol.
I bought one last weekend from Lowe's and am learning tons about these plants. Going to be re potting mine next week and all this is very helpful.
It's a shame the packaging care instructions of these plants are wrong.
Thanks again,
Jareth
Hey Jareth, don't feel bad. You just described like 90% of people who get flytraps for the first time. The rules are so different. Most people kill their first then if they still want to grow, come looking for info as to why. It's very common to kill your first 1 or 2. It's especially not your fault since the instructions on the death cubes are usually very surface level and in some instances just downright incorrect. They are great plants but you really need to research them a bit before you achieve success.
Very Nice Video 👍👍 Thanks for Sharing
Big Like 👍👍💯💯
Thank you!
Another thing that bothers me is my plants need protection from birds and squirrels that try to dig up my soil and exposing the rhizomes.
I wonder if using the pebbles as a top layer would stop that. It's not something I have an issue with so I didn't even think about it.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Squirrels somewhat, but especially raccoons, love to tip over and dig in posts. My sister had to build a mesh wire cage with a mesh top to keep them out.
I have four VFTs, two in each pot. Next year when I'm ready to repot them I want to put them in separate bigger pots since they got bigger themselves. Rn they are all in sphagnum moss/perlite, but there's two I would like to try putting in peat moss/perlite instead. Is it safe to do that or would it kill them since they are very much used to being in the original media?
Btw, you did an amazing job trying to save these guys, hopefully they get better and stronger with the proper care they need!
I think either substrate works fine. As long as you repot them at the end of dormancy or right at the beginning of growing season, either substrate should work great! It really comes down to what you prefer. Growing your flytraps in one doesn't mean it won't grow well in the other. Thank you for your kind words, it really means a lot!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Yup, your right. I just want to experiment and give peat moss/perlite a shot and get some experience on growing CPs in that media. And your welcome! :D
I have two flytraps and I live in Indiana and it gets cold here in the winter, right now I have them inside I have not repotted them yet, so what I want to ask is should I put them in new pots now because it is starting to get cold here and yes we get snow here lol, anyways let me know what I should do.
They can withstand pretty cold Temps and actually need a dormancy period. Most times ypu repot toward the end of dormancy or at beginning of growing season. If Temps drop below 20 for too many days in a row make sure to overwinter them. Just don't allow them to get above 50 degrees during dormancy or it could confuse the plant. Let it naturally come put of dormancy in spring!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Ok thank you very much
hello! Thank you for making this video! I have one question. I bought my venus flytrap in my local shop and I think I have three venus flytraps in one pot. I don’t know but it looks like it because they are separated. If so, then should I give each one their own insect or should i stick with one bug for the whole pot? (sorry for bad english😅)
One for each growth point would probably be fine!
By the way, there are no organic glazes on ceramics. All glazes are made of minerals.
Organic or inorganic, that doesn’t have much to do with whether or not anything from your pot can dissolve and get into soil. To know that, you’d have to do tests, which I gather you have done, at least to the extent of measuring TDS.
Honestly, I'm not a glazed pot expert. I just avoid them personally but some people really love the style of ceramics. Calling out a natural or organic was more to avoid any gross chemicals. I tested the tds in my wives glazed pot before. Went from 0 to 3 on the TDS in over a week. Indoubt that was ever going to get over 10. I think it's probably safe with a glaze but it wouldn't be my first choice.
I've recently repotted a VFT and I was surprised to see a very high TDS reading when checking the water runoff from the pot. I used a 50/50 peat and perlite mix. Is this something to worry about or would the TDS reading go down over time?
I would flush it several times until TDS is well under 50.
I’ve had some super tiny divisions make it
I get baby distilled water is that ok for my carnivourous plants?
I'm not sure what baby distilled water is but if it's distilled it should be fine!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub its called parents choice distilled water,
but thanks!
I plan on repotting. my first Venus flytrap soon. I didn’t know much, I really appreciate the info!
Right on, flytraps are so amazing! Good luck, and remember. Almost everyone who is growing flytraps successfully now, killed several before they really figured it out. There are always exceptions, but don't give up if it doesn't go perfect. There are a lot of factors that you can't control.
My came via post. The poor thing has all its traps triggered by spillage of media. Will it now fade away?
Also my pitcher plant arrived with cluster growths on the pitcher/plant pot...please advise.
Nope. Triggering the traps should not really hurt it. I try to avoid it but its really not that big of a deal. Just keep giving it the right care and the plant should be fine.
i was wondering if adding the pebbles on top would affect the growth of new venus fly traps that sprout via rhizome?
You can definitely add pebbles on top! However, as I have had these for a while now. You will want to be very careful at monitoring your water. The water will last longer in the pot since the substrate is not exposed to the air. It's easier to overwater when the pebbles keep the substrate covered. Just something to be mindful of!
how much time vtf need to recover from repoting? i recently repoot my vtf and shes seems to bem weakened and start producing small traps.
It varies, it kind of depends how perfect your conditions are for your plant once they get settled. If your conditions are exactly like the conditions they have been in, the shock is significantly less. if they go from indoor lighting to outdoor right away, its a much bigger shock. If they go from 50s F, and are now in 100 plus F, it's a big shock. It's impossible to give a one size fits all answer to this. There are just too many factors. But, you can guess a bit by knowing the conditions they came from compared to the conditions they are now in. Usually, shock can last from a few days to a month or maybe even a bit longer.
Nice video, but too fiddly for my hundreds of VFTs and other American carnivorous plants.
Also, the best time to trim off the dead/dying growth is just before potting them up - not afterwards. That way, the unwanted growth will not get in the way during the repotting.
That's a good point! I should have trimmed off the dead stuff first. And yes, lol... not efficient for 100s of plants!
These things grow in the swamps of South Carolina with distilled water flowing through it all the special stuff in the soil really
I'm not a botanist, I don't claim to know everything about how they grow in the wild. But, they don't grow in the actual bogs. They tend to grow on the side of the bogs where it is more dry. The soil they grow in has almost no nutrients or natural fertilizers. What I can promise you though, is that if you water your venus flytraps with high PPM water, you will be killing them slowly. It won't happen right away, usually. It's usually a slow and agonizing death for them. I know, because I've done it. Wish I could explain better how the wild traps are a little more tolerant, but I can't. I just know the store bought and nursery grown are not. Maybe someone who knows more of the science behind the growth of wild venus flytraps can chime in a bit!
Question: Isn't the river rocks going to block new growth from the existing vft plant?
Nope, it's a pretty thin layer of rocks. The flytraps will pop right through there!
Why didn’t I think of that with the sand? Genius. I think I’ll do that with a condiment bottle
It worked pretty good, but I didn't like losing access to the top of my substrate. Made it hard to see critters and mildew. But, it loomed really nice and plants kept well in it.
You packed a lot of great information into this video. Thanks a bunch! Hope your plan to sell potting soil goes smoothly and prospers.
Thank you Leslie, I really appreciate that!
Can you use coco coir?
@@frankho7095 Coir tend to have a lot of salt in it - which is very bad for carnivorous plants. I have heard of people soaking and washing it for a few days and used it successfully. However, it is not what I would consider a good choice.
Greetings from Sweden!
Great upload, i learned a lot!
How are the traps doing?
Due to room issues, I've given a some of these away, but last I checked they are doing awesome!
You should start a patreon to start the nursery
Or a gofundme
I've been kicking around the idea of a Patreon, I'm trying to learn more about it. I've had a few people suggest it, I'm just not sure how to present it yet and what I could offer that makes sense for me right now. I'm open to suggestions!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub makes sense
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Starting a CP nursery is expensive. One of those big expenses is a greenhouse, for propagating plants and possibly protecting young and small plants during really frigid weather. Another big expense will be a reverse osmosis water system - you won't want to rely on rain water and even 500 gallon totes delivered gets expensive over time.
I got vft during its dormancy and it wasnt cared for before hand. Purchased at walmart. I'm trying my best to keep it happy during its dormancy and hoping for good results in spring. All the traps died but I did recently notice a little bud growing. Is it okay for it to try to grow in dormancy?
The plant should be pretty healthy going into dormancy. If it's not healthy, I'll skip dormancy. Sometimes skipping dormancy and the plant being unhealthy is too much for it to overcome. However, I've had a few go into dormancy unhealthy, be revived over dormancy and wait until next dormant period and end up fine.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thanks 😊
can i use natural gemstones? i can soak them for two days as well
I did a little research on Garnets as we have a lot of them here. They seem to be inert and should work okay. I couldn't find the garnets big enough for what I wanted so I gave up on it. Just make sure the stone is hard and inert so it doesn't leech.
Another aMazing video!!! it would be interesting to see if they made it.. I know there was at least one you were not sure about. thank you again!!!
It's been an odd journey for this group of flytraps. I'd guess I'm at about 60% for survival rate right now. Squirrels for some reason loves the sand and knocked over both planters topped with sand. Those flytraps are still kind of alive but really struggling. Going into dormancy, I'm not sure they are going to make it. It the other pots most had at least one come out looking really healthy. By the end of it, I think maybe half will survive. Which isn't a great survival rate but with the squirrels doing damage, I'll take it. I'll likely give most of these away to friends once they are really healthy as I struggle to have room to keep them all until I get a greenhouse setup!
Just found your channel thanks for the very informative video. Watching from Scotland U.K.
Welcome from Scotland, I so want to visit Scotland some day. Looks like such an amazing place!
this is late but hello fellow grower in scotland!
How much light per day during dorment period?
Significantly less, and if cold enough none at all! Once they go below a certain temp, like under 30 degrees F, they actually go into a suspended state and stop growing completely. Anything between 40 and 50 Degrees F, they continue to grow a bit and might need 3 to 4 hours of light a day. I do cover more of this in my dormancy video, check it out! ruclips.net/video/qz-TJW_TpQU/видео.html
When is the best time to transplant my venus fly trap?
Best time for repotting is at the end of dormancy/beginning of growing season.
Do I have to feed my plant live food? Thank you.
Live food is a much better option, but not necessary. You can feed it dead bugs but you have to massage the outside of the trap to trigger the secondary response. If you don't do this, the trap won't send the digestive enzymes. It's a fail safe to make sure they don't use up energy on a leaf or a rain drop. I would gently massage for about a minute after the trap closes. It should then seal in the next 30 minutes or so and digest. If this isn't triggered, the trap will just reopen a day or so later.
Is it ok to use vermiculite instead of perlite?
I don't recommend vermiculture as some of it contains minerals that can be poisonous to venus flytraps. I can't speak to all brands and types of vermiculite but I know some is hazardous, so I wouldn't recommend.
Is there an update on how these are doing.
Not a video, but most are still going pretty strong. I gave a few away to friends but so far, the ones I have kept seem to be doing well. Most of them are flowering right now! Maybe I'll do a video update soon!
I see you are just grabbing them out like that, arent you afraid of killing it by causing the traps to keep slamming shut? Mine is a low hanger, not sticking upwards like yours but hanging over the pot with thick leaves and very sensitive to closing. How can I get them out of their old pots and transplant without setting them off 100x?
That's tricky, not gonna lie. And I do try to avoid triggering any traps when I repot, but sometimes it's just not possible. Triggering the traps does eat up some energy but as long as you don't trigger it's secondary response it's probably fine. The plant is not going to die because you triggered a trap or two. It might die from other causes but thats probably not the reason.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thanks for the response. I found another video where someone uses long and skinny forceps down the sides of the pot and just pull it all out in one piece. I think that may be my only option since I have tons of heads its almost as fine as surgery! I guess I could cut down the sides of the pots as its thin plastic. Thanks again!
@@danndeelion You won't set them off 100x while repotting. Once they trigger, it takes about a day for them to reopen.
Some growers intentionally trigger all the traps to make it easier to keep potting media out of the traps while repotting.
Great video! I learned a lot and hopefully I can be successful too keeping my Venus flytrap happy. Thank you for all the great information. Good job!
Thank you Kathy, I really appreciate the kind comment! I hope your flytrap does amazing!
Ive merc'd many unsuspecting VFTs in my younger days. People like me ARE THE business model for big box retails. I bet if VFTs could speak (and we could hear/understand'em) they speak of horrible tales about me amongst their peers in their mini-community of plastic cups on a dimly lit arid/drafty shelf next to a stack of DVDs for $4.99
The horror doesn't stop there. Imagine being brought into a home where the owners put you in a dark corner and slowly kill you by pouring tap water (acid) and putting you in a miracle grow potting mix. All while they are shoving flies into your traps, but your not hungry. You don't even have the energy to close your trap. All of a sudden you are missing your buddies you sat next to by the DVD rack. My goal is... Help people learn how to take care of them so they aren't "repeat" customers. Hopefully one day the Rocket Farms and Gublers of the world will wonder why VFT sales have reduced. Its my dream that it reduced because people are now keeping their existing healthy and those plants are dividing, eliminating the need for them to go buy more. But then you have idiots like me that no matter how many they have, they still grab what they can! Lol.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub I buy a few of the $4.99 VFT every season from a box store and lost maybe one or two.
I don't use distilled water but only rain water.
I grow them indoors and out.
I did have one grow 3 tiers in height . It looked like 3 stacked on top each other. I wish I would of taken a picture of it.
Lol
I am in the uk 🇬🇧 and recently been bought 3 carnivorous plants I have learnt so much from your video, I now know that poor Vinnie is planted in a pot that’s waaaaay to small and has most definitely got the wrong soil in him 😞 hate it when garden centres do this to plants.
Yes, I'm sorry. This can be really frustrating! At least you know now and can correct it! Good luck and thank you for watching!
Man I’m so neglectful I need to step it up
Hahaha, it can be hard with the crazy day to day. I have 3 kids all in after school activities and sports, it's really hard to keep up!
Why are some traps purple while others are green on a single plant? Also is it ok to pull off blackened traps with tweezers or should I cut them away?
The longer the trap is exposed to the light/sun the darker red it gets. A really green may be one that just shot up while the darker red has been there for a few weeks soaking up the sun. Definitely get the black traps off. I usually use a small pair of scissors or tweezers. Be careful with tweezers, sometimes the black traps are still connected pretty good and you can pull the whole plant up. I usually give a light tug, then cut if needed.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub the base is so full of tiny traps they are smaller than the cotton of a q tip so I can't get in there without tweezers. The longer ones were easy to trim. I have to use tweezers to lift the black ones and use tiny nose hair trimmers to clip them. Were going on the second week since buying them and new traps are starting to grow so I take that as a good sign. I'm not sure if I should repot it now or if it's too late in it's growing season and I should wait. I've searched for the right type of soil, I was originally looking for a carnivorous plant mix but it's not carried locally and after looking through RUclips video's on care it seems a homemade mix will work just fine, do you have a recommendation for how much peat/pearlite/sand to mix? I'm not sure yet if I can find silica sand but would peat moss and pearlite work temporarily? Can coconut coir be used in place of peat?
The second day we had them I fed a single trap an ant and maybe 3-4 day's later all the larger open traps looked wet for maybe an hr or so, is that normal?
If it seems to be growing well I would probably leave it. If it's condition starts to get worse, I might repot. I don't really measure my peat and perlite for my personal collection anymore, but I shoot for like 1 part peat and maybe 1/2 to 1/3 part perlite. The sand isn't 100% necessary, it should be fine without it. Just make sure you rinse the peat as it can carry a lot of minerals and nutrients.
I'm not sure why they appeared wet, thats something I don't see with mine. I'd have to see a photo to really know if it's normal or not.
Is putting pebbles on the top okay? Won't it be a problem to the future baby plants?(From Bangladesh 😊)
Nope. Just put them on super thick. The babies will work their way up!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Another thing is that I have sphagnum moss but I am not seeing any sale post of peat moss.I think it's rare to find peat moss in Bangladesh.Then what should I do now?
Next best thing would be long fiber sphagnum moss.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thank you so much...😃
What can I feed both a Venus Fly Trap and a Sundew? Thanks
They are slightly different as they catch different sized insects. The obvious answer here is a fly. If the fly is small enough, the sundew will catch it and digest it. However, usually flies that are good size for flytraps are a little too big for most sundews. I recommend tiny insects like gnats and fruit flies and small house flies for the sundews. You can also feed the sundews fish foot.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thank you
Will britta filtered water work?
No! Britta does not filter out all dissolved solids. The only one I know of for sure is the Zero water pitcher. I have a full review on my channel.
Your terracotta pots link directs me to a light? 🤷🏻♂️
Shoot! Thanks for the heads up, it sure did! It's fixed now.
I made my own mix with Canadian sphagnum peat moss and perlite.
That should work well! If you can, throw some course sillica sand in there, that's the perfect mix, in my opinion!
Thank you for a great video! May God Bless You!
Thank you Matthew, God Bless!
When it rains I take VFT pot outside and let it get watered , is this ok to do ?
Ya, they do just fine in water. I would remove it from a tray and just allow the water to soak through the plant. Try not to let it puddle up a lot. If it's just like a day of rain, leaving the tray is fine then you have some water left over for the next week. If it rains more than a couple days, remove from tray so the water doesn't puddle up too much.
Thank you for your reply
What's the best online store to order carnivorous plants from?
I really like Flytrapstore.com for venus flytraps. They are fantastic. Predatory plants has some really good nepenthes. I also like California Carnivores. But for venus flytraps, I always try to go to Flytrapstore.com first. Matt is a stand up guy and I've learned so much from him and his website over the years. I highly recommend.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub awesome, thanks
I'm a new fly trap owner and I'll definitely be using this video to keep my little guy alive! Thanks for all the helpful tips 😊
Of course Iceyqueen! I'm glad you found it helpful!
is it still alive? and how long before these guys hybernate?
What is the ratio of pot mix ??
I usually do something close to a, 50 peat, 40 perlite and 30 sand.
Are you selling your soil yet?
Not yet Louis, its still in the works but I've ran into a few road blocks. Working through it, I'll make an announcement when it's time! Thank you for checking!
Just found out the devastating news on my ‘death hole and a tube.’ It has been overwatered by the garden centre who I naught it from. It stinks of fish and I’m rushing to purchase Peat moss. I got a pot and am waiting for Saturday. Hopefully I repot before root rot has the chance to occur.
Oh man! I hope that it makes it out okay. Keep me updated.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub will do. Just hoping it holds on for a few more days... root rot is a worst nightmare of mine
@@grandtheftgameryt I have never had problems with root rot, but used to have occasional crown/rhizome rot. Since I changed to taller pots and only bottom water, I no longer have rot problems.
Same here! My sister in law picked out the best looking one at walmart but the traps won't open at all. I immediately picked out about 6 or 7 dead traps. I'm headed to Lowes tomorrow and will be trying to save him!
Its usually better to transplant carnivorous plants that have a dormancy while they are dormant. Doing while they are actively growing can put them into shock they may not recover.
I agree. When I get my flytraps from reputable sellers I don't repot right away. But there is no way I leave all these in their current substrate. Especially the rocket farms. It was terrible.
Transplanting during the summer is not a great problem, as long as you disturb the existing soil around the roots as little as possible. It can set them back somewhat, but is a better alternative than having them die from bad soil/care before you obtained them.
I have, when really desperate, even divided VFTs and Sarracenia in the middle of the growing season. It is far from ideal and sets them back seriously, but most of the divisions have survived. In such instances, I cut off ALL pitchers/traps, so the plant can concentrate on reestablishing its roots. It will put out new growth when it is ready to do so.
How much is the watter tds
I usually only use distilled or zero pitcher water which is a 0 TDS.
So I really want to keep my VFT inside, mainly because my kids leave the doors open all of the time, and I want to have fly control inside my house (it sounds like I am infested lol, but even 1 fly in my house is TOO many). Would putting it close to a window with full sunlight help, or should I put it outside until it matures more? Mine (an impulse buy from the grocery store like you mentioned) looks pretty much like the majority of your smaller plants. Thanks and best of luck in your soil venture!
Hello Lynda, I've heard a few people have success with window sills, but just being honest, most venus flytraps die when left in a window sill. They really like to have that full sun outside, most windows filter out a lot of the UV that the plant needs to live. What you could do though, is leave the plant outside during the day then bring it in at night to do it's hunting. I had a few pesky flies in my office, I brought my venus flytraps in at night to feast, within a few days, the flies were gone!
That does look really nice. I would like to move mine outside but it is constantly raining and I don't know if I have a place that will get full sun all day long. I don't want them beaten down by hard rains.
They usually do okay in rain but a really hard rain might be a bit rough on them. You can always move them outside in the sun then bring them back in. It's a pain but can be good for them!
I left all my plants outside one time. It was a hard down pour. Many of the traps did shut. The spagnum moss did compress some, but all the plants are still growing great and very beautiful. Using this medium for planting, you would have lost most of it due to the down pour.
Can I use spring water?
It depends, sometimes spring water has additives in it. I wouldn't trust it unless you can measure it with a TDS meter first.
Oh ok rain water ?
Usually rain water is fine! There are parts of the world where the pollution has made the rain water not usable. But that is pretty rare. Also, if you are getting off a roof, the chemicals on the roof or in the gutter can also impact if the rainwater is usable.
Can you reuse the media again or you just throw them away?
My uncle had a place in SouthPort NC in the 70s. There were Venus flytraps all over the place and I would get a kick feeding them bugs!!! Now that I am older and have watched your videos… I do hope I didn’t kill any of them!??!?!😱
They are tricky to care for, but once you know how to do it, they aren't that bad!
I water my carnivorous plants every 5 to 6 days depending on how heavy they feel to me.
Yes, that's honestly the best way! Once you get the weight down, no more guessing how wet the plant is under the surface. The weight tells the full story.
I always keep the saucer full in summer and 1cm in winter
For the most part, during summer that's probably fine. I do have some weeks that get down into the 60s where I live. I wouldn't keep it full during that time. It's more Spring/Fall and winter that you need to be very careful.
Yeah, weather does affect my watering schedule. Sometimes I check by the fourth day just to be sure they're fine, but on average I water between the fifth and sixth day.
Same. I feel for weight and it becomes super light when it has little to no water
Lol this year all my CPs survived 40+C
Edit: New Zealand Long Fibre Sphagnum moss FTW. No brown leaves in full blasting sun outdoor.
I did have a week where I was at 105 - 110 F, mine did just fine. I'd only suggest limiting sun if that was your temps all summer. For a week or two, these plants should be fine. They are more resilient than most people realize. As long as they are getting the right care, they can survive from 10 degrees all the way up to 110!
What would happen if you cut every trap off
Well, it would make it much harder for them to photosynthesize. But, I think with the right care, they would just produce new flytrap heads and they would end up fine. Not something I recommend though. Lol.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Yes, new traps would grow. The rhizome contains quite a bit of sugar stores for the needed energy.
Using the TDS neter for rain water is a valuable piece of advice. When I first started trying to grow flytraps, I watered all my plants with rain water as i was told that was the best thing to use. a few years later I learned why you want to use rain water. in the community where I lived, our tap water had about 10ppm the rain water test at about 3500ppm.
Wow, that's insane Paul! I would not use rain water unless I could test it first. I know a lot of people recommend rain water but some areas have rain water that is really high TDS.
New to trying the Venus Flytraps after some newbie problems. Like the idea using pebbles. Subscribed !
Hey Mark, the pebbles do work great. They are really nice looking and help insulate the plants during winter dormancy. The cons are... It's harder to gauge pot weight, which I use for watering. You also have a hard time seeing if there is any mold or critters on the surface. Other than that though, the toppings are great and nice to look at!
black pots work fine here in nyc, probably not for the desert 🤣
I have a couple of black pots too, I think it's better to stay away, but I don't get many hot days throughout the year. If you live where it's warm year round, probably best to just avoid. But ya, they are okay if your temps are moderate!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub I use the common pots, either black or green, on Western Oregon. They are not nearly as sensitive to warm soil as Darlingtonia.
Can we replace soil with sphagnum moss?
You can. A long fiber sphagnum moss is a fine choice!
I am weening mine to be out side for about thee hours a day or so, It has gotten bigger but it seems to be a lighter green. But is really seems to thrive outside in the sunlight and fresh air. It has gotten taller and there are quite a few baby leaves cropping up. I hope that is a good sign. This is my first fly trap plant. Should I put it in the green house for the winter?
Hi Sally! That is definitely a good sign! They truly do thrive outside in full sun! Good call on acclimating them. I'm not sure where you live but they need to be kept below 50 degrees F and no lower than 30 degrees F in the winter. They can take a few times going lower than 30 just not all the time.
this might be a stupid question, but during dormancy are they still needing to be in sunlight or what?
It depends! If you keep it under 40 degrees, you really don't. They go into a suspended state and don't really need light. I always try to give them a little light all winter, but thats just me. If you keep them over 40, they still grow a bit and will need the additional light. Not as much, but maybe 6-8 hours a day. Not a stupid question at all, this is a common question!
Planting tweezer make this a ton easy
Good tip!
Use care. Tweezers can damage the roots. They are wiry, but will tolerate only so much abuse.
Really important question about outdoor aclimation. Instead of doing increasing intervals of sun exposure a day, would putting them directly into a green house like setting be sufficient to omit the acclimation process?? Or is that pretty much the same thing??
Hey Mason, I plan on getting a greenhouse soon, but to be honest, I don't have a ton of experience right now growing in green houses. The best advice I can give with acclimation is just watch the plant. You will see them starting to burn if they have been exposed to too much sun. If you see signs of burn, just reduce the amount of sun. I know some people just throw them out there and the existing growth burns a bit but the plant eventually acclimates and takes off. But if the plant is really weak, it can kill it. So, just keep an eye on it. I would think in a greenhouse the sun would be just a bit less harsh and it might acclimate a little quicker than if it were just in full sun.
Ive been keeping mine indoors with grow light. It is a new walmart one, it lost a few traps and is now sending like 3 out! Have in peat and perilite, i sat it outside today its mid 40s, will it be ok and trigger dormancy?
Yes, mid 40s will definitely trigger dormancy! Ideally, you want to keep temps between 35 F and 50 F. It can get colder and even freeze. You don't want it to be frozen a lot over the winter, but it can sustain a few freezes. Anything under 20 F I'd try overwintering or moving to an unheated indoor location.
QUESTION: did the "new toppers" of the pebbles and the sand come from one of your subscribers?
Someone made a suggestion a while back that they use sand and small pebbles/rocks. But they didn't physically come from them. I bought the sand and rocks.
I live in northern Florida, so I can leave mine outside. It gets into the 20's but nothing to harsh.
That's awesome! It's crazy how plants react differently in different parts of the country. I think it also comes down to overall health of the plant.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Florida is semi tropical. The further south you go the more tropical it gets. I think it's more temperate in northern Florida.
Question: while i was repotting my flytrap i accidentally ripped of all the roots except for one will they grow back?
If given good care, they can definitely grow back. It makes it a little harder for the flytrap to recover and you might have a longer repotting shock period, but it should recover!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thanks!
Look up the video by Sarracenia Northwest of propagating VFTs. One method is using root cuttings. You could have obtained more plants by properly replanting those broken off roots.
On the other hand, I prefer to propagate using the baby plants that are offsets from the mother plants.
would the small pebbles damage the growing plantlets. I have notice very small plantlets on my VFT and would the stone restrict or damage their growth?
So far, mine have popped through. Not all of these venus flytraps made it but I don't think the pebbles were much of a factor. I have several growing really strong now that grew right up through the pebbles.
Need timestamp for lighting
do i have to feed them insects when they are indoors? and when all year or just winter?thanks
If you keep them indoors, it does help them to feed them insects occasionally. IT's not necessary but does boost the health of the plant. During winter however, it's not nearly as necessary. They should be dormant during winter, when dormant their growth slows way down, making the extra food not really necessary. During the growing season it definitely helps them to be fed.
I'm about to finally repot my traps! I'm excited . However it is fall season and I noticed my traps growing flowers...any advice to what I should do?
The answer to this question is rather long winded. However, I made a video totally dedicated to answering this questions. The answer really does just depend. Watch the video and you should have better insight to make the best decision for your plant! To Cut Or Not To Cut Flower Stalks - ruclips.net/video/VzFezjtKOac/видео.html
I’ve watched a few of your videos now all full of such good info I’m not sure how you don’t have more subscribers or views!!! Keep it up I’m sure this Chanel will grow!!
Thank you Jim, that means a lot to me! Hoping to keep the channel growing!
I got my plant a few weeks ago but it's not growing anymore and the traps won't open 😕 thanks for all the tips turns out I been doing the complete opposite care
Don't beat yourself up, it's hard to know how to take care of these unless you specifically look it up. Now you know!!
Been given a venus fly trap it's in a bit of a state potted in garden mud and roots where all bunched up managed to find big pot and loosen up all roots which luckily still look healthy I don't have the right soil for him at mo so had to stick him in multi compost till my order for the right soil come though followed your video which has helped load but do you think my plant will be ok until soil arrives. From the UK
I wouldn't put them in compost, I might just sit them in distilled water for a few days. The compost will burn the roots but the distilled water will not. They can't live forever in distilled water only, but can last a few days while you are waiting for soil!
Wont the stones get really hot and burn them? I put mine in the fridge in a ziplog bag last November and when I pulled them out this month, mine was growing back nice and pretty. I repotted in new soil and hoping for the best.
I didn't have any issues with them getting too hot. Actually, I kind of thing the stones might absorb the heat and prevent the soil from overheating. You really want to protect the roots and the stones don't go down far enough to impact roots. Something I'll keep an eye on this year though, worth monitoring.
Maybe a dumb question, but do you reuse the substrate you get with the death cubes or just dump them?
Not dumb at all! I do not reuse. Most of the time the death cube soil is pretty gross. I always toss it.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thank you! ^___^
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thanks!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Plus, there is no way of knowing what types of pests or fungi the plant may have picked up at the retailer.
Good idea. Might do it on mine. Thanks!
You should! It looks really nice!
Ok, so I've gotten my little plant-baby in some carnivorous dirt which I mixed a bit of long fibered sphagnum moss (is it ok to do that?) for the most part he's looking ok, but sometimes he looks a bit yellow-ish. Too much water retention? Also a few of my traps have turned black, and I was wondering where and if I should trim those. Do I need to trim the whole trap stalk or just the trap itself? I'm guessing it won't put out another trap on the same stalk?? Sorry for the newbie questions. Love your videos though! I've already subscribed!!
Jamie, no worries at all, happy to answer the best I can! You can absolutely mix in LFSM with the peat moss mix, thats no problem. Yellowish could be a result of a lot of different things. Not enough light, too much/not enough water are among a few. Are you also using distilled, RO or rain water? Bad water could also be the problem. Black traps are common and happen all the time, once the leaf turns black, just trim it off close to the rhizome. Flytraps will not put out multiple heads on one leaf. (It will happen occasionally with mutations, but thats not common.). Thank you for subscribing, it really means a lot! Hopefully this at least gives you an idea of where to start!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub hmmm... Ok so yeah for the most part he sits on my back patch which gets morning sun from about 7 till 11:30ish (I was fearful of putting him anywhere else since he was a tender Walmart plant before. Since I've had him for a little over a week now, maybe he's craving more sun? And yes he's only given distilled water except for the occasional tropical storm rain we get here in NC. I usually bring him in at night because there are creatures that roam around my house and I don't want them mistaking him for food. Since I keep my indoor temp set at 65 (well below the balmy 90 plus temps he's getting outside), could that also be a factor of his occasional yellow-ish-ness? Another note on the water. He does sit in a tray, but the tray really doesn't have much water in it. Just a little that has drained from where I watered him and then what Ida gave him.
I understand the concept of the stones, and it does look awesome, but doesn’t it prevent new growth of the plant, and it interferes with the weight of the pot to see if it needs to be watered.
Yes, 100%. It's the actual reason I didn't continue to do this. It looks really nice and they can grow great but it threw the weight of the pot off and I ended up enjoying the natural look of the soil and moss more than the rocks. To each their own though, if you adjusted to the weight and liked this aesthetic, you can definitely grow them this way!
I’d like your soil mix sample. I’m no longer a fan of perlite, because I hate that with the water it eventually floats up to the surface of the soil. So I am transitioning away from it. But as a follower I’m up to try your mixture.
Tip on potting . . . I struggle less with ensuring the roots go straight down by soaking the roots in the water, and as the roots are soaked I place them in the hole.
I will definitely be sending out some samples once I get to the version that I feel good about selling. Did you see in this video using the rocks or sand as a topper to avoid the sand and perlite from floating to the top?
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub
Yes, I just finished that video right now like a minute ago. Looks good. I noticed with some of my plants that were not doing well because the perlite would float up and directly on top of the new growth, so they were frequently damaged. But . . . then I saw Another growers bog without perlite and WOW! Check it out below.
ruclips.net/video/OHcv75saJSE/видео.html
Oh ya! I watched when she originally set that bog up but hadn't seen that video before. Such an amazing setup for a big garden. That fountain structure she has is so cool. If I remember right I think it was an old drinking fountain out of a school or something.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub
Yes, you are correct. It by far is one of my favorite home bog gardens I’ve seen, maybe the favorite. Her mixture appears to work well too, and I’m sure her experience had to do with it as well lol.
We learn as we grow brother.
I've been wanting to put together a bog garden, her videos inspired me but I've been so busy with other projects this year I just don't know if I'm gonna fit it in.
Woah cool! Im sure you will achieve your dream!
Thank you Gacha, I will achieve!! Thank you for your kind words!
I’ll definitely make sure to buy from Your nursery
My flytrap says indoors only will it be ok to put outdoors when its sunny
Yes, no flytrap should be indoor only? That's insane. Just make sure you very slowly acclimate it to the sun. Start with a few hours, work your way up until it's getting full sun. Watch this video for some context, ruclips.net/video/qTEC8hxoO3k/видео.html
Ace hardware, or hardware stores have good distilled water for appliances
Good callout, I didn't realize that!
Glad to see ur gonna sell soil mix, im having to spend like 15bucks for sphagnum since if i buy perilite and peat they come in huge bags and i only have like 3 vft so its not worth it to spend 30$.
Right on! I'm hoping to have it ready to go in the next few months! Hopefully sooner than that. I just want to test adequately before releasing it to others!
If you take good care of the plants, in a few years you will have 20 -30 plants. Even more if you let a flower mature and successfully propagate the seeds.
The peat moss and perlite will be good in the bags for years. The large bag investment is well worthwhile.
great videos!
Thank you!!
Would have been nice to mention the ratio of different materials in your potting mix.
I don't measure anymore, but it's something near... 60 Peat/40 Perlite/25 Silica Sand.
Thank you for your informed and respectful reply.
I live in NH first time trying to keep one alive!
That's not a bad place to grow one! You might need to do some research on overwintering, depending on where you keep it for dormancy. However, I will have some videos coming out toward the end of the summer/begging of fall with some dormancy content!
I don't know why, but the cut at 23:10 scared the shit out of me.
Haha. Dang. I had to go back and look. That was a jarring cut... Oh man.. My bad.
Did you release them back into their natural environment since you've rescued them?
I wish I could, I probably would. However, if I put them in the ground here in the pacific northwest, they would die almost instantly. The ground has too many nutrients and minerals, the roots would just burn and die. They only grow natively in North and South Carolina where they have very specific conditions. Even if I wanted to, there would be no way for me to get them back into nature directly. At this point it's live with me or die at Walmart. Lol...
In all probability, none of the plants are anywhere close to being native any more. Almost all VFTs sold these days are propagated by tissue culture - many millions of them every year, just in the US alone. Most don't live long due to improper care, with often the retail packaging instructions being incorrect.
I bought a TDS and my water tested 170! I definitely thought it was going to be way higher! We drink bottled water, I use distilled water for cooking. I let water set out in plastic jugs for a few days before using them on my other plants. I got plenty of distilled water for my grandkids VFT! Lol
170 isn't too bad! You could get a lot of pure water from a zero water pitcher too. Probably 30-40 gallons per filter.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub we have extremely hard water. It smells like bleach too. I really thought the TDS would be way higher!
Explain risezone
The Rhizome is the at the base of the plant where the traps grow. The Rhizome is the part of the plant that stores the energy so the plant can grow. It's usually while and easy to identify when you are repotting. When repotting, the soil should come just to the top of the rhizome.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thankyou, I'm a Venus flytrap newbie.
No worries! Glad you found the channel, hopefully you can learn some stuff. These plants are amazing!!
I remember watching another video saying to cut the stalk as soon as you see it it grow, I actually thought the flower was "pretty". About a month or two later all the traps where dying off then we hit a cold snap. The one I left inside it's bought-with substrate actually survived and is doing well.
Ya, cutting the flowers is really debated. For me, I almost always cut and propagate. If the plant is healthy, you can let the flower grow. If the plant is struggling, I recommend cutting. If you want new baby flytraps, cut and propagate!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub watching this video I was also using terra cotta planters and although it was deep enough my clear trays started growing algae so I switched to a 3 inch bowl. Turns out it might have been me after all...
Don't beat yourself up, there plants can be a little high maintenance. Takes a while to get a good cadence with them.
I live in Texas (Dallas specifically) any reccomendations during dormancy?
Hey Luis, I think we spoke on Instagram!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub yes, the comment was before I found you on Instagram. Thank you for the response sir ❤️
I really like the idea of growing some kind of moss with my pitcher plants, what kind of moss would you recommend/where could I find some? I grow my plants in a sphagnum/perlite mix.
I'm not super familiar with the mosses. I know sometimes they can be a problem due to the root systems intermixing with your plants. With that being said, I've seen some really nice flytraps sitting in moss. The only one I know of specifically is live sphagnum moss. Brads Greenhouse out of Canada sells live sphagnum moss and has some good care tips. Other than that, I'm not sure which mosses are best for venus flytraps. I try to keep the moss out of mine just to avoid the headache of trimming and repotting.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I'll definitely be checking out Brads Greenhouse - I don't mind the extra effort involved in maintaining moss, I've got the time for it (thankfully).
Of course!!