The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant, originally from the marshlands of North and South Carolina. This mysterious plant feeds on spiders and insects that fall into the trap between two pink leaves. Venus flytrap can be grown at home if it gets enough sun and moisture. To learn how to grow this amazing plant, see step 1.

Steps

Part 1

Plant a Venus Flytrap

    Buy the onion of Venus flytrap.  The easiest and most common way to start growing Venus flytrap is to order an onion (or several bulbs) from a company that specializes in home plants. You can choose from several plant varieties that differ in shape and color. You may also be lucky to find a greenhouse in your area where Venus flytrap bulbs are sold.

    • You can also grow a Venus flytrap from seed, although this method is less popular. Consider: it may take up to 5 years for a grown plant to grow from a seed. Order seeds online and plant them in deep pots with a seed substrate consisting of peat moss (sphagnum). To create a warm and humid environment, cover the pots with plastic bags. As soon as sprouts appear, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

  1. Select a container for the plant.  A glass container is ideal, as a Venus flytrap needs a lot of moisture. This is especially important if, where you live, the temperature in winter drops to -10 ° C and lower, which is too cold for a Venus flytrap.

    • If you live in a climate with cold winters, consider planting a plant in a terrarium. The high walls of the terrarium will keep heat and moisture, so that the Venus flytrap can grow. Air flow is also important, so do not plant the plant in a container with a lid. An aquarium or other open-top glass container will do.
    • If you live in a warm climate with mild winters, then both a glass pot and an ordinary clay one with drainage holes will be equally suitable.

  2. Prepare an earthy mix for a Venus flytrap. Usually this plant grows on barren soil and receives most of the nutrients, feeding on insects and spiders. To make the soil look like the one in which the Venus flytrap grows in natural conditions, mix 2/3 of peat moss and 1/3 of sand.

    • If you plant a Venus flytrap in ordinary soil for houseplants, it will not germinate. There are too many nutrients in normal soil.
    • Never add lime or fertilizer to the ground for Venus flytrap.
    • If you plant the plant in a terrarium, fill it with gravel on the bottom, and top it with a mixture of soil to ensure good drainage.

  3. Plant the bulb roots down.  Dig a small hole in the ground and plant the bulb so that its top is flush with the ground. If you grow a Venus flytrap from a seed, plant the sprout so that the root is in the ground and the green stalk remains open. After you have planted a Venus flytrap, the right conditions and nutrition will help it grow and grow.

    Part 2

    Provide light and water

    1. Keep the ground moist.  In nature, the Venus flytrap grows in the wetlands of Carolina. It is very important that the soil in a pot or terrarium, in which the Venus flytrap grows, always remains moist to imitate the natural environment. At the same time in the pot should not be standing water; so that the plant does not rot, there must be good drainage in the pot or terrarium.

      Water with distilled or rainwater.  Tap water is usually too alkaline or contains too many minerals to water a Venus flytrap. For full watering the plants the easiest way is to collect rainwater. Put a container outside to collect rainwater, and may you always have it in stock. Or you can buy distilled water - it is usually sold in auto shops.

      Provide a plant with sufficient lighting.  During the warmer months, you can keep the plant outside (until the night temperature is too low) or put it in a sunny place by the window. Constantly, especially in summer, water the Venus flytrap so that the sun does not dry the soil.

      • If your Venus flytrap grows in a glass terrarium, make sure that it does not burn in the sun. If it seems to you that the plant has started to wilt a little, expose it in the sun only for a few hours a day.
      • If you do not want to worry about how long you need to keep the plant in the sun, you can grow it under a fluorescent lamp. Set it in 10-18 cm from the plant. Turn on the lamp so that it provides the plant with the daily norm of light, and do not forget to turn it off at night.
      • If the leaves of Venus flytraps are not pink, the plant most likely lacks sunlight.

    2. For the winter, bring the Venus flytrap to the house.  In winter, the Venus flytrap hibernates. Usually this period lasts from September-October to February-March - the time when it is winter in Caroline. During this period, the plant must be maintained at a temperature of from +2 to +10 ° C. Compared to the summer months, the plant should receive less sunlight.

    Part 3

    Feed Venus Flytrap

      Let the Venus flytrap catch food for herself.  If you keep a Venus flytrap on the street, it will catch spiders and insects itself (unless, of course, your yard is completely sterile). If you see that the leaves are closed, most likely, the Venus flytrap caught someone.

      Feed the Venus flytrap with larvae or insects.  If you want to feed Venus a flycatcher — because it grows in the house or simply because you want to see how it eats — you can give it larvae, insects, or spiders small enough to fit in a leaf trap. Put the food into a leaf trap or just release it in a terrarium. The trap will shut when the little hairs on the leaves react to the movement of the insect.

      Watch the trap open again.  As soon as the trap of the Venus flytrap shut down, it needs at least 12 hours to digest the food. Digestive enzymes dissolve the soft entrails of insects, leaving the exoskeleton intact. After 12 hours, the trap will open and the empty exoskeleton will blow away or wash away.

      • If a pebble or other indigestible object falls into the trap, it will open in 12 hours and it will fall out.

    1. Do not feed the plant meat.  You may be interested in giving the plant a piece of ham or chicken, but the Venus flytrap does not have the necessary enzymes to digest the meat of animals. If you feed the plant with something besides insects and spiders, it can rot and die.

    Part 4

    We grow new plants

      Every few years, transfer the Venus flytrap to a new pot.  Be sure to replant it in a mixture of sand and peat moss. It is possible to replant a plant at any time, except the flowering period.

In nature, there are predatory plants. Venus flytrap or dionea (Dionaea muscipula) - one of them. This herbaceous perennial of the dewed family has a rosette of 4-7 bright leaves with prongs along the edges and digestive glands. When touched, each leaf may close like oyster shells. An insect or other creature that was attracted by a leaf, touching the hairs in its center, almost instantly becomes trapped. Both halves will close and will be closed until the victim is digested. This process can last from five to 10 days. If the sheet of Dionei misses, or something inedible falls into it, it will open again in half an hour. Each leaf trap during its life is able to process up to seven insects.

A flower behaves in this way, since its habitat in the wild is in barren soils, and insects become for it an additional source of nitrogen, phosphorus and other substances it needs.

  The Venus flytrap lives only in the USA, on wetlands in North and South Carolina.  However, with success and with some hassle it can easily settle on the windowsill of your apartment. How to grow a Venus flytrap and about the peculiarities of caring for it at home, read in our article.

Did you know? The flycatcher takes about 30 seconds to recognize the victim.

Choosing a place for a flycatcher

Immediately make a reservation that the process of growing this plant will not be easy, since it will be necessary to ensure natural conditions for it. So, the flycatcher needs to be watered with rainwater, watch that the ground under the plant is constantly wet, take care measures, and also periodically feed them.
  But first things first. And we begin with the recommendations on the choice of habitat for the flycatcher.

Temperature

Dionea is a heat-loving plant. At the same time, all year-round being only at room temperature, she will not be able to live long. Temperature regime must be maintained artificially.

The optimum temperature for its growth in the fall and spring will be + 22-28 ºС.  The highest temperature limit for the plant in summer will be +35 ºС. In winter, for 3-4 months, the flycatcher is at rest, at this time it is necessary to ensure the temperature from 0 to +10 ºС.

Since the plant reacts very sensitively to changes in temperature, most often it is planted in glass greenhouses, florariums. It is also easier to maintain optimum humidity for the plant - 70%.

Did you know? At home, Dionea is under threat of extinction, since its collection for illegal trade is widespread there. Venus flytrap is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Lighting

  Exotic carnivorous loves well-lit places, but not in direct sunlight. It is better if the light to it will come scattered. For its cultivation suitable windows, balconies, loggias, facing west or east. This may be the south side, but in this case it will be necessary to take care of shelter from direct rays. It is important that the light source is constantly located on one side. Do not rotate the pot with the flycatcher - she does not like it.  With insufficient natural light, it is possible to use artificial lighting. For a well-being, a flytrap requires access to light at least four hours a day. Artificial lighting during the growing season will need to be used for 12-14 hours per day.

Important! If suddenly the trap leaves of your flycatcher changed color to dimmer, stretched out and became thinner, then, most likely, the plant is deprived of sunlight.

Choosing dishes for planting

The best place for landing Venus flytrap will be an aquarium or other glass container.  They will protect the plant from drafts and at the same time give access to fresh air. The capacity in which the planting of the flower is planned should be at least 10-12 cm deep and have drainage holes. It is desirable to have a pallet in which to maintain the necessary moisture you need to put the moss.

Soil for Venus


  In order for the Venus flytrap to please you at home as long as possible, you must follow certain rules on lighting, watering and selection of soil for planting.

We have already written about the fact that in nature a predator plant grows on poor soils. Therefore, in the apartment it will also be able to live in similar soils, however, if there is good drainage. The best option would be a mixture of quartz sand and peat (1: 1) or a mixture of perlite and peat (1: 1). Perlite seven days before planting must be soaked in distilled water, changing it twice during this time.

You can also use the substrate in this composition: peat, perlite and sand (4: 2: 1). It is recommended to change the soil every two to three years.

Important! When choosing peat, it is necessary to pay attention that the natural acidity of the soil in which the flycatchers grow is 3.5-4.5.

Planting, reproduction and transplantation of Venus

  Dionea, acquired in the store, it is better to immediately transplant in the prepared in advance soil. To do this, the plant must be carefully removed from the pot along with a clod of earth. Next, the roots of this land must be cleaned, you can rinse them in distilled water. After that, the flycatcher is planted in a container prepared for it with the substrate, having previously made a small hole. The stalk of Venus flytrap needs to be sprinkled with earth, you do not need to tamp the soil when transplanting.

In the future, carnivorous replanting is better in the spring, but transplantation is also allowed in the autumn. The plant gets used to the new soil for five weeks.

Dionea reproduces in three ways:seeds, bulb division and cuttings.  We describe the features of each of them in more detail.

The method of dividing the bush

The older the plant becomes, the more it will have affiliated bulbs. Onions can be carefully, without breaking the roots, separated from the mother flower and planted in a new container, which is desirable to be placed in the greenhouse. Using this method is better not more than once every three years.

With the help of cuttings

For growing taken stalk without a trap.  It is necessary to put it at an inclination into a container with wet peat with the bottom part of white color. Put the container in the greenhouse, where to maintain one hundred percent humidity and lighting. Sprouts should appear within a month. Plants that can be used for planting will grow in two to three months.

Seed method

Seed method is more complicated than vegetative. To grow dyon from seed, you need to buy seed in a specialty store, prepare a substrate (70% sphagnum moss and 30% sand) and a greenhouse. Greenhouse is made from any container of small size. It is covered with a lid or film.

Seeds before planting in the ground should be treated with a solution of "Topaz" (add two or three drops to distilled water).  Then they must be placed in the substrate, not covered with earth. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle. Capacity to put in the sun or under artificial lighting. The optimum temperature for seed germination is + 24-29 ºС. The term for which should appear seedlings, is 15-40 days. During this time you need to maintain the required level of humidity.

After the appearance of the first two leaves, the lid will need to be periodically removed in order to harden the plants. A little later, after a month or two, the seedlings can dive into the pots.

An even more labor-intensive way will be the breeding of a flycatcher with the help of independently obtained seeds. Flowering should be expected from dionei two years of age and older. It blooms with beautiful white flowers. In order to get seed, flowers will need to be pollinated manually.  A month after flowering the flycatcher will give fruit in the form of a box. The seeds extracted from the dry box should be planted immediately (within two days) in the ground, because over time they lose the ability to germinate.

Plant Care


  Adult Dionea, or Venus flytrap, requires special care. Firstly, the soil in the pot should be constantly wet, its drying is unacceptable. However, in the winter, overmoistening can lead to rotting of the roots, so watering should be moderate.

Watering Venus Flytrap

Watering should be carried out using distilled or rainwater.Tap water, even when separated, is prohibited.

The flycatcher is watered under the root or water is poured into the pan. It is important to prevent stagnant fluid. The flower also requires regular spraying.

Scientific classification: Area:
Kingdom: Plants
Department: Flower
Class: Dicotyledons
Order: Carnations
Family: Rosyanka
Rod: Dionea
View: Predatory

Care and maintenance of Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula, Dionea Muscipula)

Venus flytrap (lat. Dionaea muscipula) is a species of carnivorous plants from the monotype Dionea genus of the Rosyanka family (Droseraceae).

It grows in a humid temperate climate on the Atlantic coast of the United States (Florida, North and South Carolina, New Jersey). Flowering time: from May to July.

This is the only species in the genus. Dionea is a perennial herbaceous insectivorous plant with a short underground stem. Stem - lucovice rhizome. It blooms with white nondescript flowers, gathered in inflorescence on a high peduncle. To obtain seeds, pollinate flowers must be manually. Leaves ranging in size from three to seven centimeters, depending on the time of year, the species, long traps usually form after flowering. Grows in nitrogen-deficient soils such as sphagnum bogs. Lack of nitrogen is the cause of the appearance of traps: insects are the source of nitrogen needed for protein synthesis. The Venus flytrap is a member of a small group of plants capable of quick movements.
The leaves are elongated, at the end there is a clapper consisting of two shutters at the edges of which the cloves are located. On the surface of these plates are sensitive hairs that react to the victim and give the command to collapse the trap. After the trap is closed, the juice is released and the digestion process begins, which, depending on the size of the insect, can last from several days to several weeks. Each trap works several times (about 4-7 times), and then dies.
By winter, the Venus flytrap falls into a dormant period, stops its growth and gives the impression that it dies. Remove dried leaves and carefully water the plant; in spring it will grow again.

Growing by Venus Flytrap Step by Step (Dionaea muscipula):

Watering. Watering the plant is carried out only in the pan (through the bottom). Water for irrigation should only be distilled (H20), or reverse osmosis (super purified without mineralization).

Water from the tap, boiled, frozen, from the usual filter, cooler, etc. - can not be used in any case - because of this, the plant will die.

Distilled water can be purchased. on tap in pharmacies,  in which they prepare the drugs themselves. Also this water can be found in chemical and medical laboratories. Distilled water is sold in car shops, gas stations, but keep in mind that the quality of water is somewhat worse than pharmacy, so if possible try to use the pharmacy.

Venus Flytrap is a marsh plant and it does not tolerate drying out of the soil. Do not be afraid to pour the plant - it will happily survive it. Be careful not to dry the plant - it will not tolerate drought.

For watering it is necessary to use high pallets in which a large amount of water is placed. In summer, watering should be intense. The water level in the pan can reach two thirds of the height of the pot (ground level in the pot). In the cool season - in the fall and spring, watering should be reduced slightly, and the tray should be filled to one third of the pot. As the water level drops, top up again. In winter, during the rest period, watering is moderate as the earth’s coma dries out.

Sometimes it is possible to sprinkle Dionei’s leaves from the top with a dispenser with distilled water, quite a bit so that this does not count as watering from above. In the summer it is allowed once a day, in the cool season - once every 5 days, but this is not a mandatory procedure at all.

The soil . should be prepared on the basis of acid peat with an acidity of 3.0-4.0 pH. Perlite, before preparing the substrate, must be soaked in distilled water for one and a half to two weeks, draining and replacing water 3-4 times a week. The substrate is prepared in a ratio of 2: 1 or 1: 1 (sour peat: perlite). Perlite very well passes water and air, also does not allow to develop a mold. If you do not have the opportunity to prepare such a substrate yourself, then you can purchase it from us. You can also add dry sphagnum to the substrate. Sphagnum will help the substrate to retain moisture longer and will prevent drying, and it also acts as an antiseptic, disinfecting the soil.

Flowerpot. For growing Dionei, you only need to use a plastic pot or so that water can easily circulate. Planting in ceramic pots is prohibited. The basis of the substrate for Dionei - high acid peat. Ceramics interacting with such peat allocates harmful salts, which are very detrimental to the plant. Therefore, use only plastic or glass pots. The diameter of the plastic pot is 8-9-10 cm. Very large pots are not needed, since the root of Dionaea muscipula is not large. The roots of the plant only drinks, all the food gets through the leaves. The diameter of the flowerpot for florarium is limited only by the size of the plant and your imagination.

Lighting. Dionaea muscipula loves sunshine very much. Therefore, a flower pot should be placed on the south window, south balcony, on the south side of the house. In the summer, when the sun becomes very intense, it is possible to make dissected lighting for the plant, that is, to use mesh material so that the sun's rays are dissected. For this you can use light pritenyayuschie nets, gauze, mosquito nets and the like, otherwise the habit of a plant can be burns, but it gradually adapts itself to the sun's rays, will be strong and in the second half of summer, these nets should be removed. With a lack of light, Dionei’s sheets can be over-drawn, and eventually the flycatcher can stop growing crackers, will be exhausted and die. Allowed dissected sunlight, but not shading. The minimum plant per day should receive 4-5 hours of direct sunlight and the rest of the daylight-scattered bright light. But the more time the plant will stand in direct sunlight - the better.

If it is not possible to grow a plant on the south side, then it is possible to illuminate with very bright lamps, daylight or flora, with a minimum power of 3,500 lumens - a full light day - 12-16 hours with a lamp, 8 hours - night, without a lamp. Quality lamps for Venus Flycatcher you can find.

Predatory plants do not like when they are twisted around the axis, so it is advisable to make some marks on the pot relative to the direction of the world and always try to stick to this direction.

Feeding. For any predatory plants, insects are fertilizers. In order for Venusina the Flycatcher to live well and develop, it needs to eat not so much, only 3-4 insects per year. If there is a desire to feed the plant, then you need to remember that it can not be overnourished, because it can be overwhelmed with fertilizer from eaten insects. You can feed it only with live insects. The insect should move, stimulating the sensors inside the flapper. Only in this case, the plant will produce an enzyme that will pull all the useful substances out of the insect. In no case can not be fed meat, cottage cheese, etc., from this plant will die. Feed the Venus flytrap need no more than 1 time in 3-4 weeks - just one insect in one cracker! If the plant caught an insect on its own, violating the feeding schedule, then it is not necessary to select prey. The prey is usually digested from 2 days to a month, depending on the size and density of the insect. The plant from the insect sucks the necessary nutrients, and chitin remains. After the plant has pulled out all that is useful from the prey, the flapper opens and only the insect crust remains in it. If the insect is very large and does not fully fit into the cracker or there was a very high temperature at the time of eating, then this cracker may darken, but you shouldn’t worry, the plant will have time to get food and grow many new crackers.

Humidity and air temperature.  Humidity 45-70%, as well as for most houseplants. Home conditions are acceptable. The air temperature in summer is 25-35 ° C, in winter +2 ... + 7 ° C. Needs a rest period (wintering).

Wintering. Dionaea muscipula requires wintering (dormant period). Dionea is a plant of a temperate climate, therefore the change of seasons is inherent in it by nature. Without this rest period, the plant will be weak and may die. Best of all, wintering takes place on the shortest sunny days (late autumn-winter). You can also be guided by the weather - with the arrival of cold, you can prepare for the winter. Up to this point, all these plants can live remarkably in the open air for the whole season (on the street, in the courtyard, on the balcony, on the window). When the temperature drops to +7 ... + 5, it means it's time to winter. This is usually November. We treat the plant with a fungicide so that no mold is formed - Fundazol is a very good fit. To do this, sprinkle the plant and the soil intensively with a spray bottle. A pot with a plant without a pallet can be packed in a plastic bag, a zip-bag or in a plastic bag, you must leave or make small holes for oxygen to flow a little. About once every 2 weeks you need to check the state of soil moisture and the absence of mold. The substrate in the pot should be slightly wet. Do not dry out. If the moisture becomes not enough - a little pour some water on top of the root. For wintering plants can be placed in the cellar, basement, on the glazed balcony, etc. The main condition for wintering is a low temperature ranging from +2 to +7 degrees. Higher temperatures are not suitable, since at high temperatures the plant does not slow down the growing season and it does not fully rest. The fridge is usually stable at +5, so this is the ideal temperature. Illumination during the wintering period for Dionei is not necessary at all, provided that the temperature is below + 7 ° C. During the rest period, Dionea can lose all of their opened leaves - it is not scary. The most important thing in a plant is the health of the rhizome (onion). As soon as it gets into the heat and good lighting, it will begin to release new crackers.

The wintering period of the kidney is 1.5-4 months, the adolescent is 2.5-4 months, the adult plant hibernates 3-4 months,
  Getting out of the wintering area - as soon as the plant has spent the necessary period at rest, we get them into heat, put it in a pan with water to a bright light and continue to care as usual.

Transfer. Predatory plant must be replanted once a year. It is most convenient to do this immediately after the rest period. Transplantation is needed in order to update the soil with the necessary acidity, as over time soil deoxidation occurs. If over the past year the plant has given children, then you can deposit them in separate pots.

Bloom. In the spring of adult Venus the Flycatcher blooms. The first peduncle must be cut when it is just starting to grow. The first bloom takes away too much power from a young plant, and it can die. Let the plant grow as strong as possible, grow a larger rhizome, and the next year the flowering will not be so exhausting for Dionea. The second peduncle can be left, but then you will not have a very large plant, as the flowering andseed formation takes him a lot of energy. If the peduncle is cut, then the plant will be powerful with large sheets;

crackers.

Change sheet. Dionea is constantly changing sheet. Old leaves from the bottom die off, and new ones grow from the center. Leaves, which have slammed their reserve of claps, also die off. Each sheet-slam is triggered 4-7 times, then dies off. Therefore, it is not necessary to force the plant to clap for the sake of fun. When the leaves die, they turn black and dry out. You don't have to cut them, but you can do it so that the plant looks more aesthetically pleasing. It is useful to know that you can not pluck the blackened leaves, because the leaf may come off with a part of the rhizome, so it is damaged and will not give kids. Blackened leaves must be precisely cut, leaving 0.5 cm from the beginning of growth.

The color of a healthy leaf in Dionaea muscipula can range from completely green to reddening of the "mouth" of the flapper. It depends on the time of year, the lighting, the composition of the substrate and the temperature, in some cases the variety Dionei. The temperature regime in this case is the fluctuation of day and night temperatures. The greater the temperature drops, the greater the likelihood of redness of the inside of the flapper.

Diseases. Dionea is constantly in a humid environment, therefore it is susceptible to various types of rot and fungi.

Biofungicide for plant protection against fungal and bacterial diseases.

Fungicide and protravitel with a wide range of action against a large number of fungal diseases.

Insecticide enterocontact action. Very effective against small insects that have settled in the substrate.

If you grow Dionaea muscipula in accordance with the above conditions, then you will have strong healthy plants that will please you for many years. With proper care, Dionaea muscipula lives for 20-30 years and during this time it multiplies many times.

Growing from seed

Plant seeds are very small and special care is needed when working with them.
Dionaea seeds require cold stratification for 4-6 weeks (temperature + 2 ° ... + 7 ° C).
Seeds are placed on a cotton pad or cloth moistened with fungicide solution, placed in a closed container or zip-package, tightly closed, so that the humidity is as high as possible and the seeds are in a moist environment. They are placed in the refrigerator and make sure that there is no mold, periodically add a weak solution of the fungicide, or you can sprinkle the container from the sprayer to prevent mold fungi. During this period, the seeds do not externally change, do not germinate and do not swell.
At the end of the stratification, the seeds must be placed on the substrate surface in, previously spilled with a fungicide. Seeds from the top do not bury. Close the mini-greenhouse with a lid and place it in a pan with distilled water on a southern sill, or under a fitolamp (minimum 3500 lumen) for 14-16 hours / day. Germinate at a temperature of 20-25 ° C, with high humidity and good lighting for 4 - 6 weeks, germination can take up to several months. It is necessary to water only in the pallet. The plants are marsh, so it is necessary that there is always a little water in the pan, about 1 -1.5 cm. After the seedlings reach a size of 1-2 cm, they must be transplanted into separate pots. Tweezers and a toothpick can be used for transplants.

Planting a plant

1. Wet the substrate thoroughly with distilled water or a solution of a fungicide based on distilled water.
2. Place the moistened substrate in a plastic pot, filling it to the brim, to the top. It is not necessary to tamp the substrate very tightly.
3. Make a deep hole in the center.
4. When transplanting plants from a pot or from a mini-greenhouse with tweezers, loosening the substrate, carefully remove the plant with its roots. Carefully, the roots are thin and long.
5. Carefully lower the entire root system and the rhizome of the plant (onion, light part) in the center of the pot into the hole made in the substrate. It is very important that the rhizome of the plant is well buried. Try to touch the root of the plant as little as possible. For these purposes it is very convenient to use tweezers or medical gloves.
6. Bury the remaining hole near the root and rhizomes. Spud plant is not necessary. The substrate should be placed horizontally at the very edge of the pot. written permission from the administration. Otherwise, any reprint, copying and use of materials of the site (even with the established reference to the original) is a violation of the “Law on Copyright and Related Rights” and entails a trial in accordance with the Civil and Criminal Codes of Ukraine.

Venus flytrap or dionea is considered one of the most exotic plants that can be grown at home. First, this plant is carnivorous. Secondly, despite its small size, the flycatcher looks very original and aggressive.

Caring for her is simple, but, as they say, not without frills: picky and capricious. She will like those flower growers who love to watch the plant. In this case, the original process of obtaining food and its absorption.

Some novice flower growers confuse Dionea with, sometimes with Rosyanka. Both of these plants are also carnivorous, but this is where their similarity ends. Externally and care they are very different.

Location and lighting

Dionea dislikes shadow and needs bright sunshine. Compliance with this condition is one of the most important in its cultivation. Some sources of information on the care of this plant stipulate that its favorable development requires at least 4 hours a day of bright light. This is true. However, it is worth considering one nuance: the roots of this exotic plant do not tolerate the warmth of the soil. If your beauty “lives” in a dark pot, there is a risk of it heating under the rays of the sun. From the surface of the pot heats the soil, which does not like its roots.

To avoid this, either put Dionee in a light pot, or follow the heating of her “home”. There is also a third option - place it on the east or west windows. Do not put the pot with Dione on the north window, it will be dark there.

Another feature: the flycatcher does not tolerate stagnant, stale air. If this condition is not observed, it literally withers. Therefore, the room where she "lives" should be regularly aired. In the warm season, the plant can be safely moved to the balcony or to the garden, to the open space. This is also relevant from the point of view of its “feed”.

It remains to add that the Venus flytrap does not like "relocations", permutations and movements. For her, this is stress. Therefore, in advance, select a place for the summer dislocation of the plant, put the pot and do not touch it anymore.

If your plant is solely at home, indulge in a highlight. It will be sufficient to use a pair of the most common fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 W, placing them no closer than 20 cm from the plant.

Watering mode

No matter how exotic Dyonya is, she still remains a plant and needs watering. True, there is not without features. The fact is that the flycatcher is picky not only in relation to the composition of the air, but also extremely sensitive to the composition of the water.

Impurities that are inevitably present in tap water, even distilled water, are completely safe for other plants and are destructive to it. You should not risk and use rainwater: in our time, ecologically unfavorable time, it is not always clean.

But the rest - everything, as for all indoor plants:

  • The frequency of irrigation is determined by the state of the topsoil.
  • It is important to avoid both over-drying and over-drying.
  • It is possible to water both from above, and from below, using the pallet.

Feeding the flycatcher

Nutrients necessary for vital activity, like a true plant, the flycatcher synthesizes independently. The exception is the nitrogen-containing "dessert", but it also produces it on its own: it catches and eats. The process of feeding the flycatcher is very funny.

She eats organic food only when she is hungry (lacking nitrogen). The rest of the time, flies and mosquitoes do not care about her. Moreover, if you try to provoke a plant for lunch in the absence of appetite, it can simply ignore your attempts at feeding it, because it is full.

Do not tease this plant for fun! It is very energy-intensive for her process of "catching" and "swallowing" food: the slamming of a mouth-trap. Moreover, each trap (mouth) has a three-time use, and then dies. Given this fact, it is worth remembering which mouth you fed the plant and use another next time. It is not necessary to feed in turn in all traps, it is quite enough in one or two.

Do not experiment and do not feed the plant from your table. Dionea responds only to live food. Nature endowed her with a special device - especially sensitive hairs or triggers. They react to perturbation and "give" the command to slam traps and secretions of digestive juices, so the plant does not react to ingress of nonliving organics.

Remove the parts of the food not eaten by the flytrap, otherwise rotting will start, which can lead to the death of the plant.

For the green "predator", the size of the food also matters. Too big "piece" she just will not master. Remains will begin to decompose and rot, which is risky for her life.

Venus flytrap eats quite rarely - about 1 time in one and a half, or even in two months. The process of food intake is characterized by duration and gradualism: lunch lasts up to 10 days. It is important to remember that "overeating", or rather, an excess of nitrogen, for this plant is destructive. The overburdened Dionea becomes ill, becoming weak and lethargic.

The Venus flytrap does not feed in winter. At this time of year she rests, including from hunting and digestion.

The plant refuses to eat and in any stressful situation: during transplantation, illness, lack of light and just a sudden change of environment. By the way, its buying and settling with such stress is, therefore, do not try to feed Venus a flytrap as soon as it was brought home from the store.

It remains to add that the flycatcher, located on the street, is able to “feed” itself. The fact that the plant has eaten, indicate closed mouthpieces. But you will have to take care of the home specimens of this plant by yourself, not forgetting the feeding features.

Wintering and rest period

In the fall, Dionea prepares for rest: its leaves begin to dry out and turn black, then fall. The plant itself shrivels, acquiring an unpresentable, unhealthy appearance. Inexperienced flower growers can panic and try to reanimate the plant, watering vigorously and placing it in the most bright and warm place.

There are no reasons for excitement, the flycatcher is resting in such an unsightly form. She does not need light and heat at all, rather the contrary. Put the plant pot in a cool, but not necessarily dark place. It may be just a window sill, where the temperature is below room temperature, or the bottom shelf of a refrigerator. If you have a cellar, it will also work.

Dionea should "sleep off", for her it is not a whim, but a necessity. Leave it alone until mid-February, occasionally checking the condition of the soil: it should be slightly damp. In late February, the Venus flytrap wakes up: slowly and lazily. And only by the end of spring, with the arrival of summer, it begins to grow actively.

Transfer

But if you still decide to do this, consider the following rules for the fit:

  • Pot: choosing a "home", remember that the flycatcher has long (up to 20 cm) growing deep into the roots. In addition, its roots are delicate and fragile - this also needs to be taken into account during transplantation. We have already talked about the color of the pot.
  • Soil: peat or its mixture with sand or perlite. There are no other options for this plant.
  • After planting, place the plant pot for 3-4 days in the shade and provide it with regular watering.

Reproduction of Venus Flytrap

Children

The process of reproduction by children is quite simple and is used much more often, but in this process Dione also has its own nuances: this type of reproduction can be used once every 3 years. The plant prefers to grow "family", next to the children and noticeably weakens with their frequent separation. Given this fact, it is convenient to combine the procedure for separating kids with transplant.

We separate the baby carefully, trying to minimally injure the fragile roots of the flycatcher. It will be better if you make it with a sharp knife. After separating the babies from the mother bulb, be sure to disinfect the cut points using crushed activated charcoal or fungicide.

Seeds

No less exotic than the plant itself reproduction using seeds. This is a rather complicated and peculiar process, the effectiveness of which depends on the experience and patience of the grower. Simply put, this breeding method is only suitable for professionals.

Propagation with the help of seeds is carried out in the spring, during the flowering of Dionei. The flycatcher blooms also very original: throws a long (especially in comparison with the size of the plant itself) peduncle. He can "fly out" up to half a meter in height.

Of course, such a “product” requires a lot of energy from a plant, and therefore not every instance can master it, especially if you have a young plant. Such a bloom is fraught with pain and loss of power for the flycatcher. For weak and young flycatchers, flowering often ends very sadly. If you doubt the power of your flower or have already purchased a flycatcher with a peduncle, then do not risk the life of the plant - immediately cut off the peduncle.

Peduncle

If your plan includes plant reproduction with a flower spike, then it is better to do it when it grows up to a length of 4-5 cm. After that, the peduncle is cut and shallow, just 1 centimeter is enough, they are dug into peat. The rooted peduncle is covered with a cap, creating greenhouse conditions for it.

It now remains to wait for the appearance of young shoots. This will not happen quickly. Carefully air the rooted peduncle throughout the entire waiting period and keep the soil moist.

Peduncle may eventually dry out, have a lifeless appearance, but this does not mean that the process failed. Patiently waiting for the allotted time - one and a half, two months. If everything is good, a new growth will appear, which means that you will have new exotic tenants.


  Among plants, as is well known, there are also predators. Carnivorous plants appeared in the process of evolution, and the reason for this was the lack of essential nutrients in the soil. Venus flytrap refers to such predator plants. She eats flies, slugs, bees and other insects. Translated from the Latin name Dionaea muscipula sounds like a mousetrap. Perhaps this is just a random mistake of the botanist who first described the flower, discovered in 1760 in the southeastern part of America. The name Dionea was given in honor of the mother of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. In Russia, the flower is usually called Venus flytrap or Dionee and is readily grown at home.

Flower description

This predatory flower with a beautiful name is a low, about 15 cm, herb with a rosette of 4-7 leaves. Traps are formed in them. Dionea blooms usually in early summer. Its small, five-leafed flowers resemble a white star at the end of the stem. They look pretty plain. The flowering time is 1.5-2 months, and then oval capsules ripen in place of the flowers, there are small black seeds in them.

Leaves traps are formed after a period of flowering. They, unlike flowers, look beautiful, have an unusual shape and bright color: green on the outside, and reddish on the inside. Leaf length varies from 8 to 15 cm. At the edges of the trap are equipped with sharp spikes.

The Venus flytrap is a herbaceous perennial of the sundew family, and this is the only species in the genus. The life span of the plant is about 7 years. Under natural conditions, it grows on soils in which there is little nitrogen, and the eaten insects serve for it as a source of the missing nutrient.

Although the plant genus is monotypic, it has many varieties. For example:

  • Danteit Trap;
  • Jint;
  • Akai Riu;
  • Regulla;
  • Bohemians;
  • Fannel Trap;
  • Crocedyle;
  • Triton;
  • Dracula and others.

They are not very different in appearance, but certain differences exist and are easy to notice.

How does the "predator" hunt?

First, insects are attracted by the bright color of the plant. Secondly, a special substance, the nectar, is trapped. Trap leaves consist of two leaves that close when an insect is caught in them. In addition to the spikes, along the edges are three hair-gauges. As soon as the insect got inside and began to lick the tasty nectar, it is enough to touch these hairs - and the trap literally instantly slam. It takes her less than a second.

Then the plant begins to digest prey. It usually takes 5-10 days, depending on the size of the insect. After that, the predator again opens a trap leaf in anticipation of new victims. Thus, the flower can kill up to 7 insects, although usually the trap dies after eating 2-3 individuals.

Growing a flower at home

In order for Dione to grow well at home, she needs to create conditions that are closest to natural ones. It is possible to grow a flower both in a garden, and at home, but care of it is rather difficult, as well as behind all exotic plants.

The best place for Venus flytrap will be the windowsills of the eastern or western windows. Dionea is light-requiring and loves to take sunbaths for 4-5 hours every day, preferably in the morning or in the evening. If the light is not enough, you can make artificial lighting. However, direct sunlight if the plant is located on the south side can harm it. In such cases, it is better to remove the flower in a darker place or shade it directly on the window.

Dionea needs regular airing, stagnant air for her is destructive. But she also does not like strong drafts. In summer, the plant feels good on the balcony or in the garden at 20-30 ° C.

Care of the plant in different periods

In different periods of life you need to care for Dionee differently.

  • In spring and summer, it is extremely important for Venus flytrap to be abundant watering. She needs humidity of at least 70%. The soil in the plant pot should be constantly wet. Drying the substrate can kill the traps. In addition, the plant should be regularly sprayed. Dionee should be watered with soft rain or distilled water at room temperature. It is better to collect rainwater in plastic containers.

It is also good to place the plant pot in the water pan so that the drainage holes are permanently immersed in it. So the flower itself will collect the required amount of moisture.

  • In the fall, the plant begins to prepare for hibernation, stopping the growth of leaves and entering a period of rest. At this time, you need to remove the pan with water, and reduce watering. The flycatcher can winter in a cool shaded place at a temperature of 7-10 ° C. Until spring, it does not need light or food; it requires only moderate soil moisture. At this time, the flower looks quite ugly: the leaves are first made brown, and then completely fall off.
  • In the spring, approximately in the middle of March, you can return Dionea to the old place, after cutting off last year’s traps that did not fall off themselves, to increase the watering and lighting. But the active growth of the flower will still begin only at the beginning of the summer. During the flowering period, if you are not going to get the seeds of the plant by autumn, it is better to cut the flowers right in the buds, as they deplete the flycatcher and do not allow its traps to fully form.

Do I need to fertilize Dione?

As the natural wetlands of the Dionee are American wetlands, it prefers a moist and acidic soil. Such a substrate can be obtained by mixing 4 parts of peat, 2 parts of agroperlite and one part of quartz sand. All this is now easy to buy in specialized stores. Before mixing, perlite should be soaked for a week, and the sand should be boiled in the distillate.

Universal soil for Dionei can not be used, drainage is also not needed. The plant does not require any additional fertilizers, as it is quite enough for insects falling into traps for development and growth.

What to feed Venus flytrap? For all the growing season, a plant will be quite enough to be treated with 2-3 flies, mosquitoes or spiders. Insects must be alive and moving, otherwise the trap will not close. You can feed no more than one or two traps at a time.

You cannot feed Dyonya with the following representatives of the fauna:

  • earthworms;
  • gnawing insects;
  • hard shell beetles.

Also, in no case do not need to "treat" the flower with meat or sausage, from this leaves-traps will rot.

You can not feed also in cases where:

  • dyonea is sick or weak;
  • recently underwent a transplant;
  • got stressed from excessive moisture or sunburn;
  • is in a state of winter dormancy.

Planting plants stop doing from early October until spring.

How to plant and transplant Dione

Transplant the plant in the spring, every 2-3 years. It will take a not very wide, but deep pot, as the flycatcher roots can reach 20 cm. They are quite fragile, so care should be taken when transplanting. Taking the flower out of the pot, the roots are cleaned from the old substrate, if necessary, soaked briefly in water. It will take the plant about a month to adapt to a new place. During this entire period, it should be kept in the dark and watered abundantly.

How to grow a Venus flytrap yourself? There are three breeding methods for this.

  • Growing from seed.

The most difficult and time-consuming way. First, you must manually pollinate the flowers with a brush. When seed boxes are formed, they must be carefully removed and sown no later than three months into a heated substrate of peat moss (70%) and quartz sand (30%). Seeds are simply scattered on the surface of the soil and sprayed with soft water. Then they are placed in a greenhouse with a temperature of 24-29 ° C.

The light should be bright and at the same time diffused, and the substrate should be kept constantly wet. After 2-3 weeks, the seeds will begin to germinate, and after 4-6 weeks they can already be seated in separate small containers. But in order to grow Dionea from seed to an adult plant, it will take about 5 years.

  • Reproduction leaf cuttings.

From the plant you need to cut the leaf, cut the cut with "root" and plant the cutting in the appropriate soil. Then cover with a glass jar and hold under a bright diffused light. About three months later, young shoots appear at the base of the cutting.

  • Reproduction by dividing the bush.

The easiest way to use that should be when transplanting a flower. From the adult (1–2-year-old) plants are carefully separated daughter outlets. They can be planted in separate pots and looked after in the same way as with a regular transplant.

In this way, it is easier and easiest to grow a Venus flytrap yourself.

Diseases and pests

A predator plant can also suffer from insects, just like a normal one. The most common pests of Dionei:

  • aphid, trapped in a trap;
  • spider mites.

Against aphids, the plant is sprayed with special insecticides, and mites are destroyed with the help of an acaricide solution.

As for the diseases of Dionei, the most frequent and unpleasant "guests" are black black fungus and gray rot covering the plant with mold gun. They start up due to improper care: the main reason is too high humidity and too much watering. The fight against diseases is carried out with the help of fungicides. Damaged plant parts should be removed first.

Dionei is most dangerous when she is unable to digest an insect already inside. The trap begins to turn black and rot, quickly infecting the neighboring ones. The diseased trap should be removed immediately and the plant treated with a fungicide.

But if you properly care for Venus flytrap, the plant can delight you for a long time with its exotic habits and attractive appearance.