Expert: Steve Doonan at FlytrapStore.com - 2/2/2012

Question
Steve,

I had a question regarding watering flytraps. I intend to get 3 or 4 flytraps from you and Matt, and plant them in an 8 in bog pot. After they are planted and they are actively growing, how much water should they be sitting in? Do Dionaea prefer more or less water that Sarracenia??

They will be planted in your suggested mix of 5 parts peat moss, 3 parts washed sand, and 2 parts perlite. They will be outside in full sun. I water all my CP's with RO water.

Thank you!

Derick

Answer
Dionaea grow healthier in less water than Sarracenia, or put another way, Sarracenia typically grow closer to the top of the water table than Dionaea. "Moist, not wet all the time" is a good rule to remember with Venus Flytraps. Water thoroughly, then allow to dry to just moist before watering thoroughly again, discarding the drained water.

The only time I allow my own Venus Flytraps to be in standing water is if I can't attend to them for several days. Larger, deeper pots help buffer not only temperature but allow the medium to stay moist longer, rather than turn from moist to bone dry so quickly, as happens in undersize pots.

If you use sand, it must be almost pure silica sand, not river sand, not beach sand, not "play sand" for children's sandboxes. Silica sand is translucent. If there are many grains (more than about 15%) of opaque grains in the sand, those are from other types of rock, some of which are soluble to a greater or lesser degree, and they can slowly poison Venus Flytraps and other carnivorous plants. I have killed many Venus Flytraps by using sand that was not almost pure silica sand, merely washing it well and hoping for the best.

Good luck and best wishes,
Steve