FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone!

I am a new owner of a Venus Flytrap, I have been talking about wanting one for a long time and last week my co-worker gave me one as a gift! I have been constantly researching about the flytrap since then and still have a few questions. I have already bought a 6" plastic pot to repot it in and am just waiting for the carnivorous soil and Sphagnum moss to arrive. The flytrap is from Lowe's so it definitely has most likely not received proper care and I plan to repot it ASAP. I plan to put some sphagnum moss at the bottom of the pot to cover the holes when repotting.

I live in Roanoke, Virginia and right now the temperatures most days are in the 30's and 40's (sometimes 50's; the weather will most likely stay this way or drop until March/April). Right now my flytrap is still indoors, but after discussion with a flytrap expert I was told it would be better in the long run for the plant to stay outdoors as much as possible even thought the sun isn't very present here in the winter. I know this is the dormancy period but I for sure don't want my plant to die from lack of sunlight. There are already a few black traps that have formed since last week, I know that this is normal in dormancy. Some are not completely black and plan to trim them once they are.

However, I still have a few questions I need clarified so that I can provide the best possible care for my flytrap. In the past I have not been great at keeping plants alive, my last plant was dragon's breath 2 years ago and it lasted a few months. I really want to thrive with this and watch my flytraps grow for years to come!

1) If I put sphagnum moss at the bottom to cover up the holes, can I still do the water tray method? This might seem dumb but I want to make sure it doesn't block the plant from receiving water.

2) For the water tray method, should I keep the water tray with 1 to 2 inches constantly or no? I have been reading that cold and wet is bad during dormancy. This weekend I will be repotting, so I know it might need more water.
a) After repotting, should I keep my flytrap in a water tray constantly and if so, how much water and for how long? if not, I have read that recently repotted flytraps usually need more water. How frequent/much should I water my repotted plant if the tray method is not recommended and if so, how long should I give it extra water for?
b) During the winter months (October-February/March), is the water tray method able to be used? I know the water tray can be used in the winter for the plant to soak up as much water as needed and then it is recommended to remove the plant from the tray, but how long should I give the plant to soak up the water?
c) Come Spring/Summer, can I have my plants in constant water using the tray method and if so, would this be 1-2 inches of water or more/less? I know it will vary based upon the temperature and the plant's needs (if the soil is damp or not) but wanted to see if I was able to have it in constant water at this time since it will be warmer (high 60's to high 90's) and if there was a minimum amount of water I should keep in the tray?

3) Usually the most intense winter months here are February and sometimes even March. If for some reason the temperature outside drops below 30, should I move my plants indoors or to my unfinished basement? At what temperature should I temporarily move my flytrap indoors, and will it be ok without artificial lighting if it is for one day/a few days until the temperature rises?

4) If there are strong winds/storms here, should I temporarily move my flytraps indoors? I know this may seem like a silly question but I will be a residential grower in my own home and plan to have my plants set in my back yard. I do not have a greenhouse, nursery, or anything similar.

5) This one is a little unrelated, but I plan on growing my flytrap collection once I start getting the hang of the care needed (I just have one flytrap at the moment) and have found beautiful flytraps on the California Carnivores Plant Nursery website- is this a reputable grower that I can purchase from?

6) Once I purchase more flytraps, should I always plan to repot them in a different pot if they are shipped to me?

7) Are there certain types of flytraps that are easier to manage than others? As I mentioned above, I plan on purchasing more flytraps in the near future and by summer would like to have 5 or 6 flytraps total to care for. On the California Carnivores website, I am very interested in the Dionaea m. "Alien", Dionaea m. "Long Red Fingers", Dionaea m. "Phalanx", Dionaea m. "Sasquatch", Dionaea m. "Ginormous", and Dionaea m. "Red micro teeth" (I do not plan on purchasing all of these or multiple plants at one time, I will probably purchase one more flytrap within the next month and then wait until Spring to purchase another one).

8) I am looking on amazon for a good outdoor shelf to grow my flytraps on year-round. I have a pretty decent sized back yard but would like to find a high shelf where the flytraps can get sun, catch bugs, and are also safe from wildlife. The back of my back yard has woods and I want to ensure that the flytraps are safe from raccoons, deer, etc. I was going to get a mini greenhouse but read that it can get too humid for the flytraps and I for sure don't want that. Here is some shelves that I found: would any of these be high enough to protect flytraps from animals and if not, is there an outdoor shelf that you would recommend? I also want to ensure that I have something sturdy.

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Multiple ... =1-10&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/VyGrow-Indoor-Ou ... =1-16&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Bamworld-Indoor- ... =1-28&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/YIZAIJIA-Outdoor ... =1-31&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/DOEWORKS-Display ... LKH2Z&th=1

9) This is just a curious question I have; are there any bugs toxic to flytraps? I know they should not catch bugs bigger than their traps, if this happens by chance does any action need to be done or do you just let the plant do its thing?

10) Are there any other important tips or advice that you would give to a new flytrap owner?

I apologize for the numerous questions, there is a lot of conflicting information out there and I really want to provide the best care and life for my flytraps!!

Thank you in advance for any knowledge and information!!

I should also note that I believe that I am in zone 7 if that helps (Roanoke, VA).

Your answers were extremely helpful, thank you so much!! The only other question I have is do I need to use pest control on my flytraps and if so would this be used in the spring and summer?

Thank you!