The Grass Doctor

Is there a certain fertilizer that has to be used for a venus fly trap?

I recently came into the possession of some seeds for a venus fly trap and I know they're a little picky. They can't have chlorinated water because it can kill them. but is there a certain fertilizer they have to have or will any kind do? (it's a snap trap, if that matters) Also I know they have to have a certain kind of soil. If you know what it is please let me know.

Public Comments

1. Never put fertilizer on venus fly trap, it will burn its roots. The plant gets the nutrients it needs from sunlight and the bugs it catches. Use all peat moss or sphagnum moss instead of soil. Likewise, the nutrients in potting mixes will harm its roots.
2. You're right about chlorinated water killing them, but it's just not chlorinated water, it's any kind of dissolved solids in water. You should use clean water like rain water or distilled water only. And no, you should never under any circumstances fertilize them. The soil they need is peat moss. Most growers add something to help with drainage such as perlite or silica sand, but don't use regular sand because it can leach minerals into the soil and kill them as well. Since you are new to growing Venus flytraps, I'll give you some basic care tips. Sorry if some of this is repeated from above. There are really only 4 things Venus Fly Traps require to stay healthy. Here they are: 1. Sunlight - at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day 2. Water - rain, distilled or reverse osmosis water only 3. Soil - Nutrient poor soil such as peat moss 4. Dormancy - Venus Fly Traps require a 3-4 month dormancy period Venus fly traps like lots of light. Try to give it at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. The more you can give it the better. It is best to grow your fly trap outside where it can get plenty of sun and catch its own food. You don't actually have to feed a Venus Fly Trap anything other than sunlight and water. Venus fly traps need clean water. Usually tap water will not do. It is best to use distilled water, rain water, or reverse osmosis water. Venus fly traps need water with a TDS (total dissolved solids) measurement of 50 ppm (parts per million) or less. In order to get this, you probably need to use distilled water or reverse osmosis water or rain water. Their soil should be kept moist at all times except during the winter when it should be just barely damp. It is best to use a tray and set the plant in an inch or two of water. For soil you can use a combination of peat moss and perlite. Most growers use a 50:50 mix of peat moss and perlite. I have been leaning toward using pure peat moss lately. Venus Fly Traps aren't picky, but be sure to use some form of peat moss or sphagnum peat moss with perlite, horticultural sand or vermiculite to ensure that the media is nutrient poor. Also, deep pots help the plant grow larger and stronger by giving them more room for their roots. Finally, without a dormancy period, your plant's health will start to decline and it will eventually die. You can read more about dormancy here: http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-dormancy.html If you have any more questions or need more help, you should join the forum on my website here: http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/