Here is my grow guide:
How to grow & care for Venus Flytraps
By Tommy R.
Flytraps are not houseplants. They are perennials and have needs that must be met or they will weaken and eventually die if grown indoors. They MAY last about 4 years indoors but will weaken each year. Forget terrariums. 99% of the time when someone is having a problem with their flytrap on the forums they are growing it indoors. There are a few people who say they can be grown indoors under bright enough lights and regular feedings. Feel free to try it. Good luck. See this document:
https://www.flytrapcare.com/ph...
Grow them in FULL ALL DAY SUN OUTDOORS. This means at least 6 hours or more a day. The more the better. If your plant is new acclimate it slowly to full all day Sunlight OUTDOORS. Look up (Google) "Hardening off". Sit it in a shallow tray of rain water, distilled water or reverse osmosis water ONLY during the growing season. NO TAP WATER unless the TDS reading is below 50ppm. TDS meters are cheap and can be found on Amazon or eBay. You could use up to 100 ppm water but if you do use it that high you need to repot every year according to California Carnivores.. The solids build up over the course of the year. In cases of extreme heat in summer, let's say over 100 F. provide some shade or use shade cloth during the hottest time of the day and make sure they're sitting in a shallow tray of water.
There is NO NEED to remove insects from the traps. Leave them. Attempting to remove them will just set off the traps and weaken the plant. It takes energy for the plant to set a trap off, setting it off without a reward is bad for the plant.
In the fall when night time temperatures approach freezing they are going into their dormancy period. THEY MUST have 3-4 months of winter dormancy. Drain off excess water from their pots and place somewhere where the temps. can be maintained between around 33F and 45F for the next 3-4 months. 3 months minimum. Keep them moist only, not waterlogged. Keep them from freezing solid. They can take a brief freeze but not repeated freeze/thaws.
They HAVE to have winter dormancy despite what some people say to the contrary. Listen to what California Carnivores says about it:
https://youtu.be/HofnbF5Nr8A?t...
For VFTs I do fridge dormancy. What I do is I drain off excess water from the pots, hit them with a sulfur based fungicide and place in zip lock bags and pop them in the fridge for 3 - 3 1/2 months. I occasionally check them (once a month) for fungus and hit with a SULFUR based fungicide if needed. Late winter around February 1st I take them out hit them with SULFUR based fungicide again, clean them up (removing all the dead traps) re-pot and place under "Daylight" rated florescent or LED lights until night time temps. regularly stay above freezing then slowly acclimate them to full outdoor Sun. I've been using this method for 15 years with no losses.
These plants multiply and will fill their pot in a year or 2. Repot every 1-2 years in late winter/early spring in a 50/50 mix of peat moss and perlite. This is the standard CP mix. You could also substitute silica sand for the perlite. DO NOT USE any peat moss or perlite that contain added fertilizers or other additives, these will kill the plants! The plant gets it's fertilizer from insects. There is no need to feed them. Use plastic pots, do not use Terra cotta pots (unless they are completely glazed inside and on the bottom) as it leaches minerals into the soil which is BAD for the plants.
You can repot during the growing season IF you really have to (emergencies) but it will set the plant back a few weeks (transplant shock) and is typically not a good idea.
100% Long Fiber Sphagnum moss is also fine to use as soil, some people prefer it and add some perlite to it. I prefer peat/perlite as it's easier to remove during re-potting. It basically just falls off the roots. With LFSM you have to untangle it from the roots very carefully and you risk damaging them. It's a real pain in the butt quite frankly.
Repotting Venus flytraps (from a pro!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
In spring they will send up a tall flower stalk. Healthy plants can be allowed to flower if you want seeds. Seeds will be shiny black and tear shaped when ready to harvest. If your plant is sickly looking or very small or you don't want seeds cut the stalk as soon as you notice it starting to grow in early spring. Avoid buying seeds from Asia, they are often NOT flytrap seeds. Buy from a reputable CP dealer.
Seeds do not come true to their parent. Example: If the seeds are from DCXL they will not produce DCXL plants. If you harvest them you can sow them right away. If you want to wait until next year to start them they will need stratification. Which means they need about 6-7 weeks of cold treatment.
Remember, Flytraps are not pets or toys. There is no need what so ever to fawn and fuss over them. Just acclimate them and keep them in full all day Sun and make sure they have water and leave them alone! Trap imperfections happen, IT'S NORMAL. Holes in traps happen, IT'S NORMAL. Traps half closed happen, IT'S NORMAL. Just leave them alone to do their thing. They know what they're doing.
Feel free to copy and save this guide.
Updated: 9/3/2022
