Subject: Re: Venus Fly Trap
From: [email-masked] (Gardener)
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 1994 13:03:37 GMT
Newsgroups: bionet.plants

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>Yeah!  Finally someone has passed on to me a Venus Fly Trap
>Help me please, what do I feed him and how often?   Where
>would be the best place to keep him....outside? inside? in direct sun?
>in shade?   Ahhhhhhh!   How much water will he drink and will he eat my
>cat?   Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Much thanks...

Most Venus Fly Traps are killed by overfeeding ... your cute little guy will
live very well with an absolute minimum of "food". - Don't be tempted to keep
feeding him to watch his leaves close over the prey, as this can be fatal.

Don't give him meat as this is too salty. - The best is a occasional fly,
either live or dead, say every two weeks in warm weather, every month or six
weeks in cold.

Also, about every two weeks you could apply some commercial soluble fertiliser
at not more than 1/4 recommended dilution ... again, warm weather only.

In summer you can keep him outside in the shade but in winter he will need
protection from cold ... keep above 15 deg C or 60 deg F. Inside he'll be OK on
a well lit window ledge but not in direct sun - needs high humidity so over the
kitchen sink is a good spot.

Keep in a small pot & don't let the roots dry out - the best growing medium is 
spaghnum moss but clean peat is also good. Chances are that the present
container will be OK for a long time anyway.

I hope this helps ... BTW he won't eat your cat!

Adrian.