FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi, my family recently became flytrap owners because of my young sons obsession with learning about the plants. After trying (unsuccessfully) to grow our own from seeds, his Auntie sent him one of your low giants as a gift. They are so cool! After saving up his allowance, he has purchased a King Henry as well and is keeping a long list of all the plants he is wishing for.
Our low Giant is ready to be re-potted. (We received him in May) And I want to do this process right. What do we need to order from you to make his transfer successful? Can you help?
Thank you!

Welcome to the Forum.

Matt (The site's owner and admin) has a nice grow guide posted at: http://www.flytrapcare.com His online store is at: https://www.flytrapcare.com/store/

The Forums here are for growers to exchange info and plants and just hang around with other growers. Come on in to learn, to teach, or to just hang out.

I'm not a FlyTrap expert. I'm mostly a Drosera grower. But here is my two cents worth. Different growers have their own favorite way of doing things so other suggestions may vary from mine. Different conditions and climates call for different techniques and solutions. Take all advice with a grain of salt.

The basics of transplanting your FlyTrap are pretty simple. Many growers use a mix of 1:1 peatmoss and perlite. The ingredients should be fertilizer and additive free. (Miracle-Gro is usually not recommended due to fertilizer inclusion in its products.)

Some growers prefer Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss instead of peatmoss. Some prefer silica quartz sand instead of perlite.

I mix the dry ingredients in a bucket. I add distilled water and knead it in like I'm mixing bread dough. (Dried peatmoss does not usually absorb water without pre-wetting it this way.)

I prefer White or light colored pots made of plastic. Avoid unglazed terra cotta ones; they can store and release unwanted minerals. I like pots 4 inches square by 5 inches deep. FlyTraps have fairly substantial roots. Also larger pots don't dry out as quickly. Some growers prefer one gallon sized nursery pots. That's an individual preference based on how much room you have.

If your original media is in good shape, put some fresh mix in the bottom of the new pot, put the old root-ball on top and fill in with fresh mix. The growing point should be at the same height it was before.

If your old media is bad or suspect, gently use water and rinse away the old media from the roots. Try not to damage the roots. Put some fresh media in the bottom of your new pot. Hold the plant with the growth point even with the top of the pot and gently add media to fill up the pot. The growing point should not be buried or White rhizome material should not be above the surface of the pot.

I put freshly transplanted plants in shadier areas for a week or two and bag them up. This allows the plant to recover and acclimate to its new conditions. Some growers skip this or consider it unnecessary. Personal preference.

Sorry if I got too long winded.

Good growing,
Mike