Care of the Dionaea muscípula or Venus flycatcher

Care of the Dionaea muscípula or Venus flycatcher

Have you thought about having a carnivorous plant? When we think of them, it is normal for one to come to mind with a mouth, teeth, and one of those that, as soon as it notices something, closes and never reopens. This is the Venus flytrap, also known as Dionaea muscipula. Their care is very simple, but do you know what they are?

Next we want to talk to you about this carnivorous plant that is usually one of the most chosen of all. We will talk to you about the care you have to provide and those peculiarities that will make you happy. Go for it?

location and temperature

carnivorous plant

carnivorous plant

We start with the care of the Dionaea muscípula, or Venus flytrap, with the location. Where to put it? Better indoors or outdoors?

you have to know that this plant loves the sun. And the direct sun more. Now, it is not a question of putting it in the sun when the hours of greatest incidence are, because then you can be left without a plant. It is best to put it in direct sun from October to April, and from April to September in semi-shade, with only a few hours of exposure.

Everything will depend on the climate where you live and the temperature, because it will also influence.

For its part, within the care of the Dionaea muscipula, temperature is not something you should worry about much. Unless there are strong frosts, the truth is that it can withstand any type of temperature.

Substratum

Regarding the substrate, all carnivorous plants need a mixture of blonde peat and perlite, although musco sphagnum and perlite are also allowed. Even so, those who have these plants recommend the first option more, failing that, blonde peat with silica sand.

Why that land and not another? For two reasons: on the one hand, because you will make it very airy; on the other hand, because although we want it to have a lot of drainage, it is also important that it retain moisture since these plants need to be always humid.

Irrigation

carnivorous plant care

carnivorous plant care

Water is one of the determining factors in carnivorous plants and one of the most important care for Dionaea muscipula.

In case you don’t know, Tap water contains salts and these irreparably damage these plants, and can even kill or burn them. Therefore, it is recommended that you never water them with that water. Some experts prefer distilled water or even use a TDS meter to see if the water they want to use is safe or not (it will be if the result of that meter is less than 80 ppm).

The trick to get your plant to succeed is the following:

Put a plate under the Dionaea muscipula pot.

Next, fill it with water about a quarter of the height of that pot.

Let the pot drink water (and consume itself) throughout the days. You do not need to do more and do not worry about the fact that it is always in water, nothing will happen to the roots or the plant as long as you have used a good substrate with them.

When it runs out of water, don’t replenish it. Wait a few days for the soil to dry out a bit (not too much, be careful). Enough for it to air out.

Refill it with water and repeat the entire process.

In this way you will ensure that the pot is well and is perfectly nourished.

Rest period

Did you know that the Venus flytrap has a dormant period? Wait, we make it easier for you. Perhaps you have had one of these plants and it has died when autumn has arrived. And you have thought that you have done something wrong, that you are not going to buy it again… Well then, one of the cares of the Dionaea muscipula that you should know is that it hibernates.

And to do so, his leaves will turn black, he will lose one, several or all of them, the traps he has do not work… In short, it is as if he died. But it really isn’t. It’s just that it needs a period of cold to hibernate and at that moment the plant stops living.

The only thing you will have to do is not water so much so that the roots and rhizomes do not rot. And let time pass. When the plant notices that there are more hours of light, it will revive itself. So don’t throw it away!

Subscriber

flytrap plant

flytrap plant

No! Actually, It is not recommended to pay. With the substrate it has, it is more than enough for it to be healthy.

Plagues and diseases

Usually, these plants can be affected by fungi. So keep some fungicide on hand to control and kill them.

With regard to pests, they are more prone to suffer them, and among them the most important are the following:

aphids: They will suck the sap from the plants, but they are also capable of producing fungi, such as the “bold” one that is responsible for spreading viruses and diseases to the plant. To combat them, the best is miscible oil or neem oil.

White mealybug: A classic for many plants. But just as annoying for the Venus flytrap. To get rid of it, it is best to use some insects that feed on them, such as the anagyrus pseudococci, or the cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

Red spider: Another of the known pests. To solve it, the best are products such as potassium soap or similar to clean the plant well. Or some specialized product to eliminate this plague.

Reproduction

If you want to know how to propagate your Dionaea muscipula, you should know that this will be by separating the divisions in winter. To do this you have to remove the plant from the pot and separate pieces that have roots. Each one can form a plant in itself.

Another way to reproduce it is through pollination of flowers., which will give you seeds and you can plant them. But it has a problem, and that is that it consumes a lot of energy from the plant, and it can easily get sick, so it is not recommended.

You already know what are the care of the Dionaea muscipula. All that remains is to get down to work and move it forward, whether you have it, or get one. Fortunately they are quite cheap and the children will love them. Although we do not advise you to continuously give it to close, because it can get stressed and die.

Care of the Dionaea muscípula or Venus flycatcher

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