House plants need the natural sunlight
Dionaea, more commonly known as the Venus flytrap, are one of the most popular house plants in the UK.
They are part of the carnivorous plant family as they actually eat insects such as flies with their mouth-like traps which close when a fly or other small insect lands inside them.
This unique ability to catch live prey makes them very popular and great for children to have, as well as being a natural pest control in your home.
Place your plant where they will receive lots of natural sunlight. In general, this is one of the biggest mistakes made when growing house plants as the artificial light from your home is not the same as the natural light that your plant requires to grow.
A window ledge or shelf nearby is the most ideal place. If you see your traps going slightly red in colour it means they are healthy and receiving enough light.
Unlike most other plants the type of water you give them is crucial. Only use pure rain water or if that is not available distilled water works fine.
Tap water contains chlorine that will build up inside your plants over time leading to poor health and even death.
Between October and March, your plant will go through a dormant stage. This is when the plant should be left alone.
Many fly traps die as a result of this as a lot of the time people continue to care for their plants as they would in the growing season when they should be left uncared for.
Never let the soil dry out completely during this phase but don’t over water either.
Although they are best known for eating flies you don’t have to feed them flies yourself, you’ll be glad to hear. Venus flytraps actually get most of their nutrients from the sun and so only catch flies as a last resort or if one happens to land on them.
I hope you have found these tips helpful. If you have any gardening questions you would like answered you can email me: jordan1trainer1@gmail. com and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
If you want to buy your own Venus flytrap, visit my website: www. GreenGrowersGlasgow.com, where you can order them.