Hey everyone! I recently bought a Venus fly trap on impulse without digging into the care details first. I currently have a purple passion plant named Aglaia, but that's my only other houseplant. From my research, I found that Venus fly traps need a lot of water and about 12 hours of direct sunlight daily—neither of which I have in abundance at my place. My mom has an unused hydroponic kit that she gave me, and I was thinking of using just the basin for water and the UV plant light that comes with it, while keeping the Venus fly trap in soil. Has anyone tried this setup? What kind of routine works for you when using a plant light with Venus fly traps? Also, any general care tips for these plants would be super helpful!
1 Answer
I wouldn't recommend using that hydroponic kit as a whole. Venus fly traps have specific needs, especially for soil acidity. Also, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it's almost time for them to go into dormancy. Keep the plant moist by setting it in a tray with about 1-2 inches of water, but avoid waterlogging it. Only use distilled water, like rainwater or old aquarium water without minerals. The soil should be a 50/50 mix of peat/sphagnum moss and perlite, without fertilizers or dyed materials. Mine thrives in an eastern-facing window following these guidelines! As for feeding, there's mixed info on whether they need bugs, but I do give mine a house fly every couple of months in the spring and summer for good measure.
Would aquarium water from a turtle tank work, or is that too risky with the chemicals?
Dormancy? So I shouldn’t worry if I don’t see it growing much soon? Can I just use the light part of the setup?