FREE DELIVERY
ON ORDERS OVER R1500
Know the correct lighting requirements for your plant. This will be the difference between growing and THRIVING!
Venus Fly Traps need FULL UNFILTERED SUN.
They will be just ok with a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight a day, but to get them to thrive, and display those beautiful vibrant colours, they need MAXIMUM exposure to Sunlight. (Think Suntanning on a Tropical Beach!)
They can never get enough Sun, so make sure these plants are placed in an area that gets direct sun all day from sunrise to sunset! They will NOT survive long if kept on a windowsill with a few hours of sun in the morning.
These plants do BEST outdoors!
For more info on light types, refer to the HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page
When you bring your new babies home, help them to acclimatize by following this simple step.
It is common for several existing traps to burn and die when you place them in their new home. This is quite normal and they will quickly grow new ones.
Considering the “stress” the plant has gone through during shipping, placing them in an area that gets bright dappled light or morning sun only for a week before moving them to their new spot is always advised.
By acclimatising the plant, although trap death still occurs, it’s not as severe and a lot less stressful on the plant.
I always spray new plants with Novion, to give them that extra boost. (A free sample vial is sent with every order to assist with acclimatization and ease Abiotic stress.)
ALWAYS USE PURE WATER such as Rain, Distilled or R.O Water.
Venus Fly Traps like lots of water but do not like being in water-logged soil.
Keep them sitting in a tray of pure water, but never allow the water to go past 50% of the height of the pot.
Depending on the size of the pot, it is best to let it sit in about 1 to 2cm of water. (Around 20% of the pot height maximum.) This will prevent the soil from becoming anaerobic, and thereby prevent root/crown rot.
It is highly recommended to let the tray dry out and leave it dry for at least a day, between waterings, as this allows air into the soil. However, NEVER let the soil become dry.
For more information on Watering, refer to our HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page.
A nutrient-deficient soil is a must for all carnivorous plants.NEVER use soil with fertilizers.
Venus Fly Traps grow well in your standard Carnivorous Soil mix. (1 part peat to 1 part perlite)
Venus Fly Traps only need to be repotted when the pot overflows with plants or roots are growing out the bottom through the drainage holes. However changing soil every two years will also benefit the plant by providing a fresh airy mixture for the roots.
Carnivorous Soil Mix for Venus Fly Traps can be purchased from the Accessories page.
For more info on Soil & Potting refer to the HOLY COMMANDMENTS Page and my BLOG ON REPOTTING.
Carnivorous Plants are formidable hunters and do not need to be fed, but if you REALLY cannot resist...
When grown outdoors they will catch all the food they need. (Sunlight is more important than food as they get most of their energy from Photosynthesis.)
If you simply cannot resist the urge to feed, feed live flies, bugs or live mealworms ONLY. Feeding a Venus Flytrap a dead insect will do nothing for the plant except waste valuable energy.
Refer to my blog on feeding carnivorous plants for more interesting information on this.
Fly Traps will only close about 4 to 5 times before they die, so be careful not to play with the traps too many times, as this wastes valuable energy.
They will also benefit from a mild foliar fertilizer spray like Novion, which can be sprayed directly onto the leaves.
Novion can be purchased from the Accessories page.
Just like any other plant, Carnies are sometimes prone to Pests and Diseases. However there are very effective ways to help them.
Aphids are the most common pests for Venus Fly Traps. This results in twisted and deformed new leaves. They are effectively controlled by pyrethrin-based insecticides such as Cypermethrin.
Check plants weekly for new attacks and repeat if spotted.
In hot, dry climates, spider mites may also attack flytraps, and can be treated the same as above.
Some like Warm Sunny Days, others prefer cool night time temps.
These are warm-temperate plants meaning that they need warm summers and cool winters. They can tolerate temperatures ranging from 20 to 35 degrees Celcius in summer and as low as 4 degrees in winter.
They can be kept outdoors all year and will survive light frosts. However, if you live in an area with extreme cold and hard freezes, it is best to store your plant indoors over winter.
While some plants grow all year round, for others that Winter Snooze is an absolute necessity.
Venus Fly Traps do require a winter dormancy.
The plants will die back to a few low-growing, ground-hugging traps only or may even die back completely. It’s important to let them have this winter rest, as it allows them the strength to grow back bigger and better the next Summer. The traps will start to grow back again in Spring, but will only push out those massive big traps and tall leaves again in Summer.
Reduce watering by allowing the tray to dry out for a few days before refilling, but never let the soil dry out completely. Let the surface of the soil get damp, before filing the tray again, but only fill the tray half what you normally would. This will allow the soil to be more damp than wet during winter, which is perfect.
Nursery visits are by arrangement only
I’d love to connect with you
Follow me on social media
Copyright © 2024 Curry's Post Carnivores & Leon Nieuwoudt - All Rights Are Reserved