Venus Fly Trap

[lilchris_28]

Does anybody know how to care for a venus fly trap?

[opabinia51]

Well, they derive their nutrition not from the soil but, rather from insects that the plant digests. So, the best thing you can do for your plant is give it lots to eat.

[thisbattymom]

I once had a Venus fly trap that did so well it flowered and budded (? kinda like an aloe or peace lilly does) and eventually it grew to fill a hanging basket. Unfortunately, I let it get too dry one weekend and ...

Be careful not to use the typical soil when you transplant them. These plants come from damp boggy places w/ little nutrients in the soil. Use just Peat Moss, it holds moisture well. Do not fertilize.

Feed them flies, baby crickets (you can get them from pet stores), or other tiny soft bodied bugs. Use tweezers to drop the bugs in the open leaves. Each leaf will eat about 3 times. If the leaf closes on a bug too close to the edge, the digestion process may kill the leaf... so aim for the middle back area. Do not feed them pieces of meat despite popular recommendation... this often results in dead leaves.

Lots of indirect sunlight worked best for mine. The same kind of lighting as for an African Violet will do nicely.

Do not use faucet water - they are sensitive to the chemicals. I use spring water or rain water.