[mike2niner4]

Hey,

Can anyone give me their own personal advice for keeping venus flytraps i killed my last one (force fed it too many flies javascript:emoticon(':oops:'))

Thanks

Michael

[Aunt Sally]

I have Venus fly traps, sun dews and pitcher plants.

The compost I use for the fly traps is:

• 2 parts moss peat (not sedge peat)
• 1 part washed horticultural sharp sand

Root run is very important so use a large enough pot not to cramp the roots at all.  I put a piece of fleece in the base to stop the compost washing out.

The plants you buy in the shops have usually been potted into moss.  This is bad for them and they usually die so remove all this material by removing the plant from its pot and soaking in rain water until you can gently remove all the old moss.  Very carefully re-pot in the new mixture.

Use ONLY rain water and never give any fertiliser.  Always keep the pot sitting in about an inch of rain water !!!!!!

They like sun and don't mind a bit of winter cold.  I grow mine in an unheated greenhouse all year round and in the winter their dish of water gets ice on it.  A sunny window would be fine for them in the summer but move them to some where cooler in the winter.

[Aunt Sally]

PS.  DON'T PLAY WITH THE TRAPS !!!!!!

[spud]

Thanks AS, that just about covers everything I've been doing wrong with any I've ever bought   :oops:

Now to try finding some when thats all fresh in my mind  

Cheers

 

[mrs plumtree]

PS.  DON'T PLAY WITH THE TRAPS !!!!!!

Aww, but surely that why you have them, lol.

We used to have them when young and I'd forgotten all about them, they'd be great for my daughters to have. I've haven't noticed any in any shops, where would you get them, a regular garden centre?

I wonder if it's possible to buy one at this time of year as a Christmas present? I'll follow all Aunt Sally's advice - as far as I remember our fly traps didn't last too long really, same as you Spud don't think we did any of that either  

[spud]

I've been asking around and no one seems to have any at the moment  

Cheers