Update: Venus fly traps in Austin
 

Kathleen wrote:

: I've bought them before... how the heck do you keep them alive?
:
: I'll let you know if I succeed.

Please do! (let me know if you succeed)

One month later, all three plants are still alive.

We bought three of them for $5 each at Lowe's. They all
looked healthy when we started, but they come in very small
plastic "terrariums," that are so small that opening and
closing them risks accidentally choping off leaves -- which I
did to two of the three plants before we transplanted them.

We went to Petsmart and bought a 2.5 gallon aquarium with a
glass lid for $10, and got some sphagnum peat moss from Home
Depot for about $2.50. We replanted all three Venus fly traps
in one terrarium, and we keep it outside under a slatted
overhang, so they get partial sun.

One of the three plants is absolutely thriving. It has new
growth in every direction, and is too big to fit into its
original container. Another plant has new growth in some
areas, but two of the leaves (including one mouth) have turned
black and died. The third plant is kind of hanging in there,
wilting a little on one side, and not showing much new growth.

I have hardly watered them at all, except to squirt in some
distilled water around the edges when I replanted them. The
glass walls are covered with condensation all day long.

When we first got the plants, we fed them a freshly dead fly
cut in half, and the mouths stayed shut for about two weeks,
as expected. But there was a little black corpse in each one
when they opened. We also fed some mouths dead crickets
(small size from Petco or Petsmart, cut in half), with the
same result. Coincidentally, the mouth that turned black was
one that got cricket, and the other plant that's not doing
well also got cricket. It might only be coincidence, but the
plants seem to do better without being fed meat.

We haven't fed them anything for three weeks or so, ever since
replanting them, because the biggest mouths are
downward-facing. I'll probably refrain from feeding them
anything more for the rest of the summer. The peat moss seems
to have everything the plants need, without me spoon-feeding
them extra nitrogen.

I'll let you know in a month or so if they're still alive.

Update: Venus fly traps in Austin
 

Thanks Brian! Where do you get "distilled water", or are you just
using bottled?
With hope and heart,
Kathleen
--
There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for
bread.
~ Mother Teresa


"Brian Anderson" wrote :
: Kathleen wrote:
:
: : I've bought them before... how the heck do you keep them
alive?
: :
: : I'll let you know if I succeed.
:
: Please do! (let me know if you succeed)
:
: One month later, all three plants are still alive.
:
: We bought three of them for $5 each at Lowe's. They all
: looked healthy when we started, but they come in very small
: plastic "terrariums," that are so small that opening and
: closing them risks accidentally choping off leaves -- which I
: did to two of the three plants before we transplanted them.
:
: We went to Petsmart and bought a 2.5 gallon aquarium with a
: glass lid for $10, and got some sphagnum peat moss from Home
: Depot for about $2.50. We replanted all three Venus fly traps
: in one terrarium, and we keep it outside under a slatted
: overhang, so they get partial sun.
:
: One of the three plants is absolutely thriving. It has new
: growth in every direction, and is too big to fit into its
: original container. Another plant has new growth in some
: areas, but two of the leaves (including one mouth) have turned
: black and died. The third plant is kind of hanging in there,
: wilting a little on one side, and not showing much new growth.
:
: I have hardly watered them at all, except to squirt in some
: distilled water around the edges when I replanted them. The
: glass walls are covered with condensation all day long.
:
: When we first got the plants, we fed them a freshly dead fly
: cut in half, and the mouths stayed shut for about two weeks,
: as expected. But there was a little black corpse in each one
: when they opened. We also fed some mouths dead crickets
: (small size from Petco or Petsmart, cut in half), with the
: same result. Coincidentally, the mouth that turned black was
: one that got cricket, and the other plant that's not doing
: well also got cricket. It might only be coincidence, but the
: plants seem to do better without being fed meat.
:
: We haven't fed them anything for three weeks or so, ever since
: replanting them, because the biggest mouths are
: downward-facing. I'll probably refrain from feeding them
: anything more for the rest of the summer. The peat moss seems
: to have everything the plants need, without me spoon-feeding
: them extra nitrogen.
:
: I'll let you know in a month or so if they're still alive.
:

Update: Venus fly traps in Austin
 

Kathleen wrote:

Thanks Brian! Where do you get "distilled water", or are you just
using bottled?

You can buy distilled water anywhere. HEB, Target, Wal-Mart.
It looks like any other "milk bottle" gallon of water, but
read the labels.