Venus Fly Trap And Other Carnivorous Plants

[Richb2004v2]

Has anyone had any success with keeping of a Venus Fly Trap?

I had one a long time ago in the Uk and it didn't last that long. I bought one today which is much healthier looking and wonder what are the best conditions and location for it to prosper.

We also bought an interesting plant that grows 'containers' like jugs that trap insects and dissolve them. We had one a while ago that ceased to grow any 'containers' and eventually died. Again, I wonder, what are the best conditions for its growth as far as watering and sun exposure.

[sbk]

Well, the pitcher plants I have seen growing wild in Thailand (which is the jug plant you are talking about) all grew in swampy areas. Full sun was ok, but the ground was distinctly wet.

Floridata.com is an excellent resource for plant information:

Venus Fly Trap

Unfortunately they don't have anything on the pitcher plants, latin name nepenthes. But this page from the Tropical Carnivorous plant society is pretty comprehensive: Tropical Pitcher Plants

[rychrde]

I used to grow a venus fly trap in the UK and it did really well till I left it with my parents

Anyway, I assume it is already in one of these netting-like pots with lots of holes in - and best if kept wet all the time, so put it in a larger bowl (without holes). It doesn't particularly like tap water so if you have a source of rainwater all the better. I've seen them sold in the local market so should grow easily here. Just think wet and swampy!

oh yeah, and worth changing the water every few days unless you want algae as part of your feature.

rych

[burman]

Whatever you do, no tap water, it kills them quickly.

[zetec109]

Where did you buy your venus fly trap from? We have just moved here from UK and in UK my son had hundreds of various carnivorous plants which he had to leave behind. He has now started a new collection here and has about 14 monkey cups (pitcher plants). So far they seem to be doing ok. Rain water is best for them but you can also boil normal water but you must leave it to settle for a few days before using it. You also need to spray the plants daily in order to create humidity for the plants and also leave the container sitting in saucers of water. If you know of any garden centres in Thailand we could order different carnivorous plants from my son would be eternally grateful!

[burman]

There is one shop I know of in JJ market that sells carnivorous plants, I have seen venus fly traps there, pitcher plants, even sundews sometimes.

It's near the pet section, and in fact the guy runs an exotic animal shop mainly but has these plants. I have no idea how to direct you to him though.

[zetec109]

There is one shop I know of in JJ market that sells carnivorous plants, I have seen venus fly traps there, pitcher plants, even sundews sometimes.

It's near the pet section, and in fact the guy runs an exotic animal shop mainly but has these plants. I have no idea how to direct you to him though.

Thanks for reply, we are in Phuket. Where is JJ market?

[Knightsbridge]

Or you can use water treated for drinking ie bottled in the supermarkets or through a refining system bought by health conscious individuals (hate chlorine!)

Where did you buy your venus fly trap from? We have just moved here from UK and in UK my son had hundreds of various carnivorous plants which he had to leave behind. He has now started a new collection here and has about 14 monkey cups (pitcher plants). So far they seem to be doing ok. Rain water is best for them but you can also boil normal water but you must leave it to settle for a few days before using it. You also need to spray the plants daily in order to create humidity for the plants and also leave the container sitting in saucers of water. If you know of any garden centres in Thailand we could order different carnivorous plants from my son would be eternally grateful!

[sbk]

There is one shop I know of in JJ market that sells carnivorous plants, I have seen venus fly traps there, pitcher plants, even sundews sometimes.

It's near the pet section, and in fact the guy runs an exotic animal shop mainly but has these plants. I have no idea how to direct you to him though.

Thanks for reply, we are in Phuket. Where is JJ market?

Chatuchak, the weekend market. But there is a large plant market there on Wed. So, no luck for you unless you happen to be in Bangkok and are willing to hand carry your plant back.

[Richb2004v2]

I have been watering my plants with tap water. I have had 50% success. One died and one is going strong. However I suspect the one that died did so because my wife never watered it at all for a while.

I bought my plants in a local market at Satahip, near Pattaya.

[frodo]

I haven't been to JJ market in a long while. Has anyone had success in finding venus fly traps there? I'm out in the provinces and going to JJ to find nothing is there would be a waste of time. I would like to get some for my science classes.

Thanks,

FR

[frodo]

Update: Was able to buy a venus fly trap at JJ market. 230baht and looks healthy.

[AmeriThai]

I have been watering my plants with tap water. I have had 50% success. One died and one is going strong. However I suspect the one that died did so because my wife never watered it at all for a while.

I bought my plants in a local market at Satahip, near Pattaya.

Don't use tap water. Venus flytraps are very sensitive to chemicals that may be added to tap water. Rain water is best. Also letting them dry out can kill them. Another thought is do not feed them bits of store bought meats. The fed trap will turn black and die, though not necessarily the entire plant. Best to let them trap live insects on their own. Read the link on SBK's post for more info.

[Richb2004v2]

I have been watering my plants with tap water. I have had 50% success. One died and one is going strong. However I suspect the one that died did so because my wife never watered it at all for a while.

I bought my plants in a local market at Satahip, near Pattaya.

Don't use tap water. Venus flytraps are very sensitive to chemicals that may be added to tap water. Rain water is best. Also letting them dry out can kill them. Another thought is do not feed them bits of store bought meats. The fed trap will turn black and die, though not necessarily the entire plant. Best to let them trap live insects on their own. Read the link on SBK's post for more info.

I am now down to the last surviving plant bought. The Venus Fly trap died first, than the hanging pitcher died. The upright pitcher is still looking ok. I tend to think they died due to lack of water. They were all fine when I left to go to work but were dead when I returned. I suspect my wife failed to water them. The same thing happened with my Bonsai a while ago. Everything is green when I'm home watering it all but is always much the worse when I come back from work.

[AmeriThai]

I am now down to the last surviving plant bought. The Venus Fly trap died first, than the hanging pitcher died. The upright pitcher is still looking ok. I tend to think they died due to lack of water. They were all fine when I left to go to work but were dead when I returned. I suspect my wife failed to water them. The same thing happened with my Bonsai a while ago. Everything is green when I'm home watering it all but is always much the worse when I come back from work.

A lot of carnivorous plants tend to be native to swampy areas that provide the plants with high humidity. They regularly need plenty of moisture, but not so much that they drown. Make sure they have good drainage. Failing to water such plants can kill them. Check the air humidity as well. If the air it too dry it can cause a lot of stress to the plants to the point of killing them. If the air in your environnment is too dry, you might want to use a misting bottle to spray the leaves, but not to the point that they're soaking wet all the time. Water in early morning is best.

Terrariums can hold in the humidity for carnivorous plants, but they're not very good for drainage. Mineral salts can build up in the soil of terraiums which can result in killing the plants. There's a way around it though. Put a layer of gravel one inch deep at the bottom. That will allow the salts to leach out from the soil. But you'll still need to lift the plants out from time to time to clean out the terrarium. You might also consider installing a drain at the bottom of the container that can be opened and closed to periodically flush out excess buildup of minerals.

Bonsai plants need to be faithfully pampered with adequate moisture but also good drainage. Many bonsai owners will use a misting bottle to moisten the leaves regularly. They do best outdoors, although if you live where it gets too cold, you'll need to bring them in until the weather warms up again.

Another thought about both carnivorous and bonsai plants is to provide the right kind of sun exposure for them. Like most plants, they need sunlight, but in this case, not too much. Indirect sun or filtered shade is probably best. If that's not an option, then morning sun should be okay.

Although carnivorous plants and bonsai trees are pretty cool to have, but they both fall into the category of being very high maintenance plants that require a LOT of attention. It's usually more than most people have or want to spend the time on.

[Richb2004v2]

I am now down to the last surviving plant bought. The Venus Fly trap died first, than the hanging pitcher died. The upright pitcher is still looking ok. I tend to think they died due to lack of water. They were all fine when I left to go to work but were dead when I returned. I suspect my wife failed to water them. The same thing happened with my Bonsai a while ago. Everything is green when I'm home watering it all but is always much the worse when I come back from work.

A lot of carnivorous plants tend to be native to swampy areas that provide the plants with high humidity. They regularly need plenty of moisture, but not so much that they drown. Make sure they have good drainage. Failing to water such plants can kill them. Check the air humidity as well. If the air it too dry it can cause a lot of stress to the plants to the point of killing them. If the air in your environnment is too dry, you might want to use a misting bottle to spray the leaves, but not to the point that they're soaking wet all the time. Water in early morning is best.

Terrariums can hold in the humidity for carnivorous plants, but they're not very good for drainage. Mineral salts can build up in the soil of terraiums which can result in killing the plants. There's a way around it though. Put a layer of gravel one inch deep at the bottom. That will allow the salts to leach out from the soil. But you'll still need to lift the plants out from time to time to clean out the terrarium. You might also consider installing a drain at the bottom of the container that can be opened and closed to periodically flush out excess buildup of minerals.

Bonsai plants need to be faithfully pampered with adequate moisture but also good drainage. Many bonsai owners will use a misting bottle to moisten the leaves regularly. They do best outdoors, although if you live where it gets too cold, you'll need to bring them in until the weather warms up again.

Another thought about both carnivorous and bonsai plants is to provide the right kind of sun exposure for them. Like most plants, they need sunlight, but in this case, not too much. Indirect sun or filtered shade is probably best. If that's not an option, then morning sun should be okay.

Although carnivorous plants and bonsai trees are pretty cool to have, but they both fall into the category of being very high maintenance plants that require a LOT of attention. It's usually more than most people have or want to spend the time on.

I spent a lot of time outside the house sat by the plants and I was misting them several times per day. They were doing great like this for four weeks and growing well. I felt for work for four weeks and I don't think my wife was quite as attentive.

[AmeriThai]

I spent a lot of time outside the house sat by the plants and I was misting them several times per day. They were doing great like this for four weeks and growing well. I felt for work for four weeks and I don't think my wife was quite as attentive.

That might be the reason why the plants died. Not everyone has the same interest to care for high maintenance plants. Maybe you should think about some other kind of plants that don't require so much attention and won't quickly die if they're neglected a bit. If you're living in Thailand, maybe you could think about installing a small garden bog in your yard to plant the plants. Or maybe a terrarium would be a good solution for you. I don't think Venus Flytraps would die off quickly in a terrarium as long as they're given a bit of water now and then while you're gone. Then when you return, you can care for them more regularly, open the terrarium to air it out a bit, and put it outside to trap insects, etc.

Just a few possible thoughts.

[Tayaout]

According to this website: https://www.carnivorousplants.co.uk/resources/venus-flytrap-complete-guide/

Venus fly trap natural habitat is only the coastal bogs of North and South Carolina. They require a winter dormancy period (cold) between November and February and the foliage completely die during this period. I'm about to start some from seed and wonder if they will die without a cold period. I'm thinking about putting them in my fridge for 2-3 months if the foliage die. Anyway, I will report back if my theory is right. 

[PoorSucker]

I feed mine with wet fish food.