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Flytrap? Shockz
Sooo.. I bought myself a venus flytrap, but I have a light problem.
When I read the paper on how to care for it, the english paper said it likes sun and has to have the soil always wet, and never apply fertilizer.
The slovak (I´m from slovakia) tranlastion said it likes sun, and to water and fertilize it when needed....
So which one is actually right...? I don´t want the plant to die, because I killed it in some way...
And another thing is, do I actualy get to catch flies around the house and give them to my plant..? I gave it a big fat fly today, and it seemed to likey...
>> Anonymous
it needs water and indirect sunlight, it doesnt need fertilizer, it uses peat moss...yes you can feed it bugs but dont randomly trigger the traps cause thatll kill them.
>> Anonymous
Whatever you do, don't feed them splinters.
>> Anonymous
Also, be very, very careful about using bug kill chemicals about the house. If you feed an insecticide-killed bug to your flytrap, chances are the plant will be very ill. Same if you put it outdoors; if you're in an area where high levels of insecticide are used, for example, mosquito control or crop pest control then you may want to consider a net or something to protect it from contaminated little beasties, and feed it yourself.
>> Shockz
I live in a flat, all the way up so I think no instect-killer will be a problem.
But no flies fly this high -.-; So I´m having trouble getting some. A friend told me that in the winter when there are no flies I can feed it a little square of cheese, but I think that´s not true...
>> Anonymous
>>a little square of cheese, but I think that´s not true...

Yeah, it's kind of hard to cut cheese into two-dimensional shapes...

Anyway, you don't need to actually feed it with anything, the leaves die once they've snapped enough times.
>> Anonymous
Flytraps will survive in indirect sunlight but actually prefer direct sunlight; they won't develop the vivid reds in their traps and won't be as bright green otherwise. Just be careful to slowly acclimate it if it's been kept in indirect sunlight or it will burn.

The consumption of insects is actually an adaptation to the acidic, nutrient-poor peat moss they grow in so if they're not provided insects you should fertilize them with very diluted organic fish fertilizer. That's actually preferable to feeding insects, as unless they're a suitable size you risk them not being completely devoured and rotting in the traps.

The soil should always be kept damp to wet with distilled water. DISTILLED. That's extremely important. The minerals in tap or spring water will kill the plant. Humidity should be kept at over 50% and the temperature shouldn't drop below 50 (except to trigger dormancy) and between 80 and 95 F during the day.
>> Anonymous
>>256417
I've been told to water it with collected rainwater. In any case, no tap or bottled water, those contain too many minerals.

Also, my sister killed hers by feeding it a fly that must have been dead in a corner for some weeks. The leaves that took it rotted, and the rot spread until the whole plant was dead. Guess the fly must have been too rotten or something.
>> Anonymous
>>256676
Well, the tap water in my city has the lowest mineral content in the country (probably one of, if not, the lowest in North America). It's practically rainwater. It's so low that they want to add minerals to it (raise pH). Thus, I just use the dechlorinated water to feed my carns.