Daily Dish the Fork Lift blog
The Venus Fly Trap, a.k.a. The Perfect Pet
Build a DIY Terrarium!
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At Nugget Markets we carry a wide variety of locally grown bouquets and houseplants for decor, gifts and any occasion. We also carry Venus Fly Traps! A species native to the subtropical wetlands of North and South Carolina, these carnivorous plants get nutrients by trapping and consuming insects in their leaves to absorb the minerals. They still use photosynthesis to grow and we have some fun facts plus care and feeding tricks for you to help them thrive.
At Nugget Markets we carry a wide variety of locally grown bouquets and houseplants for decor, gifts and any occasion. We also carry Venus Fly Traps! A species native to the subtropical wetlands of North and South Carolina, these carnivorous plants get nutrients by trapping and consuming insects in their leaves to absorb the minerals. They still use photosynthesis to grow and we have some fun facts plus care and feeding tricks for you to help them thrive.
Do Venus Fly Traps really eat meat? While they’re called carnivorous plants, these little plants are not going to enjoy a beef steak, so don't put raw meat on their leaves. They’re meal of choice comes from small insects that will fit in their grasping leaves.
How do you feed a Venus Fly Trap? These little carnivores do prefer to catch their own prey. If you need to hand-feed your plant do not use dead insects from spider webs or killed from pesticides. To feed them, place dead flies or other small insects on their leaves and then use a toothpick to tickle the spines, triggering the plant to digest the insect. The plant does not digest a non-moving object so tickling the spines will make the plant think it has live prey. Be careful not to overstimulate them, they will die prematurely!
What do Venus Fly Traps need? Keep your plant in bright, indirect sunlight for a minimum of 6 hours a day in well-draining soil. While these plants like a decent amount of humidity, they still want fresh oxygen and airflow. They prefer soil poor in nutrients as they’ve evolved to utilize what they catch to get their nutrition, so that also means never use fertilizer! They prefer moderate temperatures of 32–95°F. When watering, distilled or rain water are best. From November through March, they usually go dormant for about 10 weeks and need to be left indoors. Give it some water once in a while so the soil doesn't completely dry out.
How to Build a DIY Terrarium:
Given Venus Fly Traps’ preference for fresh bugs and oxygen airflow with a touch of humidity, a terrarium is the perfect place to raise them. Build one with the kids for a fun family activity!
Supplies you’ll need:
- A 2-liter bottle
- About 1 cup of fish tank or small garden rocks
- Water
Method:
- Wash out a 2-liter bottle and set cap aside.
- Cut the bottom off so that it’s open on both ends. Make the cut about 2 inches from the bottom, about where there is a seam line.
- At this point you can either just use the top portion to place over your plant as a dome, or continue to the next step for ways to create more humidity.
- Take the bottom part and fill with rocks. Then fill with water, to the same depth as the rocks. Place the plant on top of the rocks, then the top of the bottle over it like a dome.
- If you want even more humidity, put the cap on the top, but don’t forget to take it off once in a while for airflow.
