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Ask questions about how to grow and care for Venus Flytraps

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By vahndrath
Posts:  3
Joined:  Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:05 am
#385934
So I went out to my local Walmart to save two VFTs that were in those plastic tubes. Had to cut off a the dead traps and such to make them nice and clear of all that.

Had them for about a month now and I have been wanting to repot them so bad but a bit afraid I'd hurt or kill them just by doing so.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't find any non miracle grow peat moss anywhere but manage find another type soil at PetSmart. The product I found is called Reptisoil. The bag said it contains peat moss,sand,soil and carbon. Oddly, the carbon that seems to be in it are pieces or what looks like wood. Wanted to see how well this type of mediam would do so I planted jalapenos seeds from my dinner ingredients. Planted them and see of they hold.

A week or two later, I sprouted 9 of them,mostly all the seeds worked well with this soil. Of course, they are not VFTs but those plants need soil that is loamy. The soil drains out from the bottom like it should.

Of course, I would like to repot them without disturbing the soil that it is when I bought them from Walmart. The roots seem to be sticking out from the bottom but not bursting. Small roots,but showing me it needs the room soon.

Pretty much just to cut the plastic pot around it and place into a deep pot. I've seen peat moss cups,don't know how anyone feels about them. What I would to do is to use that soil I got but scared to do so. Will add pics if needed in replies.
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By evenwind
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Posts:  2160
Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#385939
I really doubt that Reptisoil will be good for your VFTs. It would depend on a bunch of things like the type of sand used and what exactly they mean by "soil". On the other hand, PetSmart carries ZooMed New Zealand Sphagnum Moss which would be fine for VFTs.
By vahndrath
Posts:  3
Joined:  Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:05 am
#385940
Yeah, when it came to that soil part, I don't know if that would be great. About to post the photos of my plant and the mixture. I wouldn't mind trying the other moss mentioned but heard it's difficult to move your plants from that.
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By evenwind
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Posts:  2160
Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#385944
I'm not aware of problems moving VFTs out of sphagnum.

Our host site has a number of repotting videos. Have you watched them? http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-care-videos/
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By MikeB
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Posts:  1867
Joined:  Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:13 pm
#385954
vahndrath wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 3:47 am Had them for about a month now and I have been wanting to repot them so bad but a bit afraid I'd hurt or kill them just by doing so.
Flytraps are a lot tougher than you might think. Each plant only has a few coarse roots, and they aren't very easy to break. Here are a couple videos for you to watch:

How to repot in peat moss

How to repot in sphagnum moss (Leah is a real pro at this.)

vahndrath wrote: Unfortunately for me, I couldn't find any non miracle grow peat moss anywhere
Is there an Ace Hardware store in your area? The one near my house sells SunGro (Black Gold and Sunshine) peat moss and perlite. I bought a 3.8 cubic-foot bag of this peat moss for my plants, have barely made a dent in it 6 months later.

Espoma, Hoffman, and Schultz are also good brands; just double-check the bag to make sure there is no added fertilizer.
vahndrath wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 9:51 am I wouldn't mind trying the other moss mentioned but heard it's difficult to move your plants from that.
When you repot the flytrap later, you'll have to take a little extra care to free the roots from the moss, but it isn't a big deal.

FYI - You can also get long-fiber sphagnum moss at the indoor garden sections of Home Depot and Lowe's. Look for Better-Gro Premium Grade Orchid Moss, about $6 a bag.
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