FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I don't think I've shared any plant pictures so here's one. This is my indoor B52. I originally kept it under a windowsill but there wasn't enough light so it almost died, especially as the amount of direct sun decreased throughout the year. An attack by aphids and thrips didn't help, but both issues were solved with strong grow light and neem oil.
The only downside of keeping it indoors is that it doesn't catch too many bugs (especially after solving a previous fungus gnat issue). I feed my pitcher plants bloodworms but don't want to to the same with VFTs as bloodworms are gross and better left out of sight. Will probably attempt to foliar feed

Nice plant. Do you have any plans for dormancy?

_-SphagnumFromHell-_ wrote:Nice plant. Do you have any plans for dormancy?

Good question. My growlight will be on a decreased photoperiod during the winter but the indoor temperature will only go down from about 70-75 to 65-70, so I'm not sure if it'll be cold enough for a proper dormancy.

The easiest option will be to take it outside for the winter, where it'll be 40-60 F with about 4 hours of direct sunlight (which is about 8-10 hours less than the current photoperiod). So I suppose I can only call it an indoor VFT for 9 months out of the year.

Yeah moving it outside seems like the best option. I've seen a few do it. I'm kind of curious because growing Venus Flytraps indoors is often discouraged but I've wondered if there's a way to do it long term.

Sounds like you live in the perfect zone to grow outside year round. These aren't really house plants, temperates rarely are.

They don't do well inside long term and your plan for dormancy is iffy.

Here we go again.

I also wonder if there's a way to grow them indoors long term. I'm an inexperienced grower which is why I appreciate all the info and feedback from this forum.

Sadly I'm an apartment dweller and only have access to a balcony that gets less than 4 hours of direct sunlight each day. Initially, my VFTs were out there, but they already made it clear that they weren't getting enough light and I'm pretty sure they were going to die without an intervention. Putting them under a beefy grow light made a huge difference and they look happy (for now), but this happened after last year's dormancy as you can tell by my lack of a plan. Eventually I hope to move somewhere with an outdoor growing space, but until then, I'll do my best to keep them going.

I've heard of people using the refrigerator method for dormancy, though it sounds scary. Has anyone tried it?

Well at least you have a decent reason.

I haven't tried the fridge method myself, but I know someone on here, paulsflytrap, who grows their flytraps with grow lights and puts them in the fridge for dormancy. He has some nice posts too. paulsflytrap-u11829-posts-180.html

naomijones wrote:Looks nice! My VFT has been living in my west facing window sill for several years.

Really? could you post a picture?

naomijones wrote:Looks nice! My VFT has been living in my west facing window sill for several years. Just make sure he's getting enough light (as other people have said). I have a little rig with a CFL bulb but didn't use it during the winter months to try and help aid with dormancy. He probably didn't catch a single fly/other insect that whole time.

Do you have a way of providing colder temperatures during dormancy or is your VFT able to become dormant with just the reduced photoperiod?

Like previously stated, Flytraps are outdoor plants, not indoor. They require nearly 6-12 hours of direct sunlight to grow and be healthy. Any less and they'll become sickly and die. A windowsill alone just doesn't cut it. Not to mention it'll grow weaker and die without the proper dormancy period.

Artchic528 wrote:Like previously stated, Flytraps are outdoor plants, not indoor. They require nearly 6-12 hours of direct sunlight to grow and be healthy. Any less and they'll become sickly and die. A windowsill alone just doesn't cut it. Not to mention it'll grow weaker and die without the proper dormancy period.

Please if you going to write at least understand what the situation is.