I just wanted to help out all those people who have a dying VFT on their hands. They happen to be easy plants to grow, as long as the instructions that came with them are thrown in the fire. All you need is a sunny window, some distilled water, and a little understanding of how these plants grow in their natural habitats, North and South Carolina, and other places where they have been naturalized.
Stuff/materials:
A sunny windowsill +
That poor, sad-looking VTF you got at -insertstorehere-
Some distilled or R.O. water**
A sacrificial Tupperware container
+ if you don't have this, these plants will be happy under a CFL with a 6-10 hour photo period.
** RO means Reverse osmosis, and filter units have gotten considerably cheaper over the years. Some of the better ones cost around $300 and can be installed under the sink or with a spigot in the backyard.
You usually won't need to get a RO unit unless you end up using more that a couple of gallons of pure water each week.
Ok, so you probably will never find these particular types of VFTs at the store, but these are two I set outside a week or so ago. The one on the left is Dionea muscipula "B52" selected by breeders for it's vigor and large trap size. The one on the right is my brother's VFT, and is Dionea muscipula "Dente"- called as such for it's short, tooth-like margin-hairs.
Stuff/materials:
A sunny windowsill +
That poor, sad-looking VTF you got at -insertstorehere-
Some distilled or R.O. water**
A sacrificial Tupperware container
+ if you don't have this, these plants will be happy under a CFL with a 6-10 hour photo period.
** RO means Reverse osmosis, and filter units have gotten considerably cheaper over the years. Some of the better ones cost around $300 and can be installed under the sink or with a spigot in the backyard.
You usually won't need to get a RO unit unless you end up using more that a couple of gallons of pure water each week.
Ok, so you probably will never find these particular types of VFTs at the store, but these are two I set outside a week or so ago. The one on the left is Dionea muscipula "B52" selected by breeders for it's vigor and large trap size. The one on the right is my brother's VFT, and is Dionea muscipula "Dente"- called as such for it's short, tooth-like margin-hairs.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Understanding the Plant
As many people know, these plants do eat bugs, thus having a "Cool" factor with little kids and Carnivorous Plant (CP) enthusiasts. But one misconception people have is that they are jungle plants. They aren't, and grow in low-mineral soils in N/S Carolina as mentioned earlier.
They require LOTS of water as well.
They have 3 basic requirements:
Lots of sun
Pure water w/o chlorine
Stuff to eat
They also have a winter "dormancy" during which they usually loose their leaves and turn into a small underground "bulb." This usually lasts from late September into early January, but sometimes earlier or later.
They can be fed any bugs you can find, as long as they are within 1/3 the trap's size. One or two small crickets a month from the pet-store is usually enough. Note: In order for the plant to actually eat the bug, it must be alive and moving. The continued struggle of the victim after the trap closes is what signals the digestive process to begin.
Here is a picture of a flower, but you will be lucky to see it until a couple of years after you buy the the plant, as the plants at the store are usually only a year or so old.
They require LOTS of water as well.
They have 3 basic requirements:
Lots of sun
Pure water w/o chlorine
Stuff to eat
They also have a winter "dormancy" during which they usually loose their leaves and turn into a small underground "bulb." This usually lasts from late September into early January, but sometimes earlier or later.
They can be fed any bugs you can find, as long as they are within 1/3 the trap's size. One or two small crickets a month from the pet-store is usually enough. Note: In order for the plant to actually eat the bug, it must be alive and moving. The continued struggle of the victim after the trap closes is what signals the digestive process to begin.
Here is a picture of a flower, but you will be lucky to see it until a couple of years after you buy the the plant, as the plants at the store are usually only a year or so old.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
Hello. I have VFT trap, and it was small during it's dormancy, but started to grow beginning of January(i was back from almost 2 month abroad too:)and since I live in Norway - it's CHALLENGE to get ANY sun for the plant, other than lamp light. Now, all the tips/edge of the plants' leaves and the 'brach'(flower to be) has black tip, or edge. I ordered 6500 Kelvin lamps from Amazon.com coming next week. My question-is there any way those black marks will leave the plant once they get the light needed?? pls answer me soon, im desperate..tnx!
best of luck :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnLpQNyI6g&mode=related&search=
Must be a tiny frog.