FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Once upon a time, before the internet (yes kids, there was a time when the internet didn't exist), people who bought Venus Flytraps had to rely on the care instructions that came with their plants. Even now, people buy these plants and assume that following the care instructions should guarantee them a healthy plant – why would they look elsewhere for instruction?

I know that I killed many plants over the years because I trusted this information. It wasn't until I was looking for information on Sarracenias that I stumbled upon detailed information on VFTs that completely contradicted what I'd always believed to be true (I was shocked, shocked, to discover that they're not tropical plants!).

I thought it would be interesting to compare the instructions that come with VFTs from the different big box stores.

I just bought a couple VFTs at my neighbourhood grocery store. The instructions are woefully dumbed down and in many cases just plain wrong...

Hi, I'm a carnivorous plant. That means that I like bugs. It's nice being able to eat what bugs you. Because I can do this you don't have to worry about giving me food or spraying me with bug spray. Just take my cover off, fill it with water and set me down in the water. I catch bugs by luring them into my open jaws. When the bug crawls inside it rubs against the hairs in the trap and this triggers the jaws to close. Then I digest the bug. I grow best in sphagnum moss or peat moss as these hold lots of water. I like lots of light but not full sun. I also need to stay warm, so bring me inside if it gets chilly. If any of my tips turn brown, cut them off and I will grow new ones.

According to this, Venus Flytraps don't like full sun and need to keep warm – just like tropical plants! Oh, and they also like to sit in lots of water. Hmmm...

Yeah, very simplistic instructions. One problem with such general instructions is that they don't apply to many _specific_ circumstances and conditions. Oh well, at least not there's the Internet and great forums like this one to get good and appropriate information from.

I will try to find the card that came with mine and translate it. I can verify that the instructions were extremely minimal and misleading! It said "Prefers rainwater," as if referring to...oh, I don't know...my preference for hard cider to apple juice, for instance. It could have been a little clearer in that it actually requires distilled or rainwater and absolutely not to give tap water. I have a lot of respect for the patient VFT lovers who take the time to respond to people like me about flushing the soil...I'm sure it happens on a daily basis.

Hello Emmalish:

I understand perfectly what you mean,

My son used to show his pot of soil with seed to everyone one, he was happy telling to all our friends that soon the VFT will born from there, and yes, after 30 days 5 of 30 seeds germinate and immediately die. He was so disappointed.

Then I found Sarracenias and discover all the poor instruction I got from the seed's packet.

Why they do that? It cost the same print the right information than the wrong information.

Good that we are in the right path now.

Those instructions are why VFT'S have the reputation of being very difficult if not impossible to grow.

I have sold and given VFT'S away to Jewelry customers in My store, and have given them My full 3 page instruction sheet. They are not difficult instructions, just thorough, but the first impression after seeing Me hand that 3 page instruction sheet is that VFT'S are demanding.

I'm going to try to cut out alot of fluff in the care sheet/s I give out and just add the link to Flytrapcare.com and only give the more thorough care sheets (the one with dormancy, repotting, etc.) to the Ones that don't P.C.

Gary

The VFT I bought had that EXACT, word for word, instruction tag. Good thing I didn't read it and went straight to researching on the internet!

Hah these are the instructions mine came with...

•Keep wet. Use ONLY distilled or mineral free water.
•Keep humidity high. You can use this package as a terrarium!
•Always leave terrarium tops open to prevent overheating.
•Soil: use only natural peat moss without additives.
•You can make a larger terrarium by removing the top 4" from a plastic water bottle.
•Fertilizer: none needed. Plants feed themselves!
•For more information visit http://www.flytraphelp.info

See, you got relatively good info! There's a lot lacking, and "keep wet" is questionable, but at least it specifies "mineral free" water and peat moss "without additives".

Yeah, those instructions aren't half bad Omar. A flytrap could survive on those instructions I think, though I doubt they'd ever thrive.

Yeah they also provide a website although i think they shoulda provided this one instead

Apparently the guy who owns that company is the owner of the world’s first patent on a carnivorous plant, Sarracenia ‘Cobra Nest,’. HIs name is M. James Booman.

OR1ON wrote:HIs name is M. James Booman.

Ah, Booman's. They're a big name in the CP tissue culture arena.

Yeah i was reading on their site and the work with thousands of plants.