TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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Hi Wil,
I have moved your post the appropiate forum. As for no one being "in" a given forum, don't worry! These forums aren't a chat feature, they are a message board, so you may have to wait a little while for a response, but you will get one.
I grow my VFT's in a regular plastic pot (I have several in a plastic window box as well). I use LFS, pete and perlite for a mix, and they seem to like it. I don't actually feed mine, as they catch enough on their own.
I grow mine on the tray method (for those in pots) which means I sit the pot in a tray of water about 1/2 to 1" deep. My window box in undrained, so they are currently swimming from our last rainstorm. May have to throw in a few life jackets, lol. Only use pure water. Most tap water has too many minerals and will slowly kill your plant.
VFT's like sun, but if you get one in a store, chances are it's not used to the sun, so tan it slowly...Only an hour or so of direct sun for the first few days, then you can increase to 2 hours...you get the picture... They get sunburned just like you or I would after being inside all winter.
Good luck and welcome to the forum!
I have moved your post the appropiate forum. As for no one being "in" a given forum, don't worry! These forums aren't a chat feature, they are a message board, so you may have to wait a little while for a response, but you will get one.
I grow my VFT's in a regular plastic pot (I have several in a plastic window box as well). I use LFS, pete and perlite for a mix, and they seem to like it. I don't actually feed mine, as they catch enough on their own.
I grow mine on the tray method (for those in pots) which means I sit the pot in a tray of water about 1/2 to 1" deep. My window box in undrained, so they are currently swimming from our last rainstorm. May have to throw in a few life jackets, lol. Only use pure water. Most tap water has too many minerals and will slowly kill your plant.
VFT's like sun, but if you get one in a store, chances are it's not used to the sun, so tan it slowly...Only an hour or so of direct sun for the first few days, then you can increase to 2 hours...you get the picture... They get sunburned just like you or I would after being inside all winter.
Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Hi Will!! great to have you here!!
If you keep your plant inside (thus meaning there aren't the largest amount of bugs to catch), here is a cool way to feed the plant...
First of all, remember to only feed a trap an insect that is only about 1/3 the trap's size...
Ok-with that in mind, catch a few bugs, maybe around your porchlight or on a window, and put them in the freezer (I usually use a cup with a tupperware lid weighed down on top to put the bugs in...it makes for semi-easy catching and freezing) Depending on the size of the bug, wait 5 to 10 minutes before taking them out of the freezer. They should be put into dormancy during this time, but, if not, put them back in for a few minutes. Once they are asleep, take them to your VFT, find a trap suitable for the bug's size, and ready the tweezers (tweezers are good to use although you have to be careful not to squish the bug when you pick it up)! (You want to do this as quickly as possible because the bugs won't stay asleep for long!) Drop the bug into the trap and sit by and watch! Soon the bug will wake up and the trap will go "SLAP!!" *bwahahaha* In a few more minutes the trap will "seal" and begin digesting!!
You always want to make sure that you feed your VFT bugs that are alive, otherwise, once the trap closes (if it even does) the trap won't seal and it will open up the next day. Since the trap can only open and close so many times, it is important to make every closing count!
Sorry for the novel here! Hope this helps!!
If you keep your plant inside (thus meaning there aren't the largest amount of bugs to catch), here is a cool way to feed the plant...
First of all, remember to only feed a trap an insect that is only about 1/3 the trap's size...
Ok-with that in mind, catch a few bugs, maybe around your porchlight or on a window, and put them in the freezer (I usually use a cup with a tupperware lid weighed down on top to put the bugs in...it makes for semi-easy catching and freezing) Depending on the size of the bug, wait 5 to 10 minutes before taking them out of the freezer. They should be put into dormancy during this time, but, if not, put them back in for a few minutes. Once they are asleep, take them to your VFT, find a trap suitable for the bug's size, and ready the tweezers (tweezers are good to use although you have to be careful not to squish the bug when you pick it up)! (You want to do this as quickly as possible because the bugs won't stay asleep for long!) Drop the bug into the trap and sit by and watch! Soon the bug will wake up and the trap will go "SLAP!!" *bwahahaha* In a few more minutes the trap will "seal" and begin digesting!!
You always want to make sure that you feed your VFT bugs that are alive, otherwise, once the trap closes (if it even does) the trap won't seal and it will open up the next day. Since the trap can only open and close so many times, it is important to make every closing count!
Sorry for the novel here! Hope this helps!!
