FLY TRAP!!!

It's a great article & makes me want to buy one, although I'm really good at killing plants. And I guess you can't keep them indoors, or what would they eat??

Thanks for noticing, Elaine! I was surprised that Elaine K. Howley was interested in the story when she contacted me. It was a fun interview and I enjoyed the final product too! I'm really into both swimming and flytraps so it was really fun for me to be afforded this opportunity! It's a great article & makes me want to buy one, although I'm really good at killing plants. And I guess you can't keep them indoors, or what would they eat?? Unfortunately Venus flytraps do not make good indoor pets. They do best outside in full sun. However, they can survive, even thrive, without ever "eating" anything. The occasional bug they do catch makes them grow much more quickly, but they are green and thus have chlorophyll for getting energy the old-fashioned plant way through photosynthesis :) Here in southern Oregon where FlytrapStore is located, we have very few bugs so our flytraps often go hungry. But we do have lots and lots of sun during the summer months, so that keeps them growing pretty well.

Do they survive frost in the winter and high temps in the summer (like coastal SE US)?

Do they survive frost in the winter and high temps in the summer (like coastal SE US)? Yes! That's where they're native to! They are natively found in ~100 mile radius of Wilmington, NC. We grow ours outside most of the winter here in Oregon. When it's going to freeze, we move them into the lightly heated greenhouses at night. And if there is frost, we either cover them or move them in, though sometimes we don't. Otherwise, they're outside most of the year. I have grown them outside year round too, in sufficiently large pots. They can stand being frozen but prefer that the soil doesn't freeze solid, though they can survive even that.

Yes! That's where they're native to! Thanks!

My "fly trap" was getting DQed at nationals by a turn judge ???

Unfortunately Venus flytraps do not make good indoor pets. They do best outside in full sun. However, they can survive, even thrive, without ever "eating" anything. The occasional bug they do catch makes them grow much more quickly, but they are green and thus have chlorophyll for getting energy the old-fashioned plant way through photosynthesis :) If I read correctly, the bugs are a source of nitrogen in their native climate, correct? So, if you don't have a lot of bugs, you probably have to make sure their soil is decent quality, I suspect.

If I read correctly, the bugs are a source of nitrogen in their native climate, correct? So, if you don't have a lot of bugs, you probably have to make sure their soil is decent quality, I suspect. It is correct that insects are a source of nitrogen for carnivorous plants. But if they don't catch any bugs, it doesn't harm them. They just don't grow as quickly. However, potting them in a "quality" soil (one that is high in nutrients and minerals) will kill most carnivorous plants. Flytraps are especially sensitive to minerals in their soil and their water. For that reason, they are most easily grown in sphagnum-based soils, either long fiber sphagnum (like orchid moss) or in sphagnum peat, which is naturally low in minerals. They must also be watered with rain water, distilled water or reverse osmosis water. Tap water in most areas of the country will kill flytraps in a matter of days or weeks.