FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

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I've never used those pots, but if you put the flytrap in there today, it's possible (however likely or unlikely) that the pot will kill it for two reasons.

1. There are no drainage holes. I see that you said it doesn't keep the soil too wet, so it may be OK if it's very gradual in its water delivery. The only way to know on that front is to try it. If the soil stays too wet *around the roots/bottom of the pot*, the flytrap will eventually succumb to root rot and die. Flytraps can't be left soggy for extended periods; they prefer medium that is most often just moist.
2. The porous water delivery portion of the planter looks to be some kind of clay or similar material. While some clay and other porous solids are OK, many of them leech minerals/salts into the soil which is OK for most houseplants, but can kill a flytrap in a matter of weeks. We can test your pot to find out, we just need a few things.

In the interim, I highly recommend using a plastic pot with drainage holes, and a water tray. Here's the flytrap general care info you need, and includes what types of soil and water are OK for flytraps: http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-tr ... ation.html


If no one here can confirm that those particular pots are OK or not OK, the only way you'll know for sure if it leeches minerals/salts would be to perform your own test on them.

Here's how to test the pot for use with flytraps and other carnivorous plants:

1. Get a TDS meter if you don't already have one. Many of us use this one because it's inexpensive and accurate:
http://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ ... 002C0A7ZY/
2. Get some distilled water. You can get a gallon jug of distilled water at major grocery stores for around 99 cents.
3. Pour some distilled water into a plastic or glass cup and test it with the TDS meter - it should read 0 ppm, or close to 0. This is just to confirm you're starting point is at or near 0 ppm.
4. Get the violet planter, fill the reservoir to an appropriate level with distilled water until it's "full", per the directions for filling the reservoir.
6. Leave the planter empty (no soil) and put it in the reservoir. The water should start seeping through, but I don't know how fast this will occur. The inner sides of the planter may just become damp with no standing water.
7. Cover the pot with plastic wrap (or similar covering) to keep foreign objects out of the container. This is to ensure an accurate test.
8. Let it sit for about an hour or so. Test any water inside the pot if possible, and in the reservoir. If it's already 25+ PPM, it's probably no good and the porous section is leeching too many minerals into the pot.
9. You can take readings all you want for the next two days.
10. At 48 hours, take your last reading. your ppm reading should be well below 50. If it's higher, you should not use it.

Good luck

African Violet pots are in two parts: an outer part that holds water, and an unglazed, porous inner pot through which water can slowly seep. African Violets grow many roots that can reach all sides of the pot and get plenty of water from what little travels through the porous but undrained inner pot. Venus Flytraps grow just a few roots, almost straight down, and I'm doubtful that an African Violet pot would be healthy for a Venus Flytrap. Pots for Venus Flytraps should be taller than African Violet pots, and should be drained so that excess soluble material can be regularly flushed from the medium.

You can try an African Violet pot as an experiment, and if you do so, please let everyone know the results. I would be reluctant to try it myself. Good luck.

Sure, that would be fine. Or you can wait for it to dry up completely (like I do for most of my plants) and then just pull it off the rhizome.

got it. thanks =D

As long as it keeps the soil moist enough it shouldn't be a problem.

As many have said, the lack of drainage may be an issue. If you can, drill a hole in the bottom of the inner pot, this will both allows the soil to absorb more water and give you the ability to top water occasionally to flush the minerals out of the soil.

Essentially these violet pots are similar to the tray method we use except the inner pot relies on the porosity of the clay as opposed to holes in the bottom of a plastic pot. It's this decreased water transfer that may cause issues but like I said above, a small hole drilled in the bottom takes care of that.

Edit: If you packed the outer pot with soil as well you'd have something similar to a slack pot.