Growing Venus Flytrap Inside vs. Outside
Test Results
10/28/07: I'm putting the experimental VFT into dormancy a month earlier than my terrariums will be. If you look at the the photo of the outside pot from the 6/25/07 update below, you'll see how the plants thrived during the early part of the growing season. However, around August, our normal sweltering Texas days literally sapped the strength of the moisture hungry plants. No matter how much I watered them (including regular misting two-three times a day), I couldn't keep the humidity high enough around the plants for them to do well. The full pot of VFT ended up with only two survivors (left).
The pictures of the terrarium plants (right)
show how they still continue to thrive, and in fact, are still putting on a new trap or two. I won't be putting them
into dormancy until late November. From now on my plants stay in their terrariums
in their sunny Northeastern window exposure. My conclusion is that, unless you are willing to build a special raised bed with a continuous, intermittant misting system, and are sure that the plants will not freeze in the winter or burn in the summer (or you live in a swamp), then you will probably be happier growing your plants inside, in terrariums. Your plants will be happier too.
6/25/07: I have always believed that Venus Flytrap do not require feeding but I get so many emails about feeding them that I decided to do a little experiment. This experiment also answers the multitude of questions I get about growing VFT outside in areas they do not normally grow...swamps!
The picture on the right is of the batch of VFT grown in a fish bowl terrarium under artificial lights. The picture at the left is a batch taken out of dormancy at the same time, planted in a terracotta catch pot and grown on a semi-sunny corner of my (outside) porch. You can click on the small pictures to see an enlargement.
I kept both pot and terrarium well watered and did not feed either of them. The terrarium plants did occasionally catch something?! Maybe an occasional
nosey spider. The ouside plants went absolutely crazy with gluttony. At times, every trap was closed and quietly munching on something. I was
seriously concerned about their dietary habits and afraid I would have to put them on a diet! After about a month though, the eating frenzy slowed down
and now only an occasional trap is closed on an insect.
Results:
- Terrarium plants are healthy and a nice color with the smaller Red Dragons a good burgundy color, although not as dark or even a color as outside Dragons would be. Few blackening traps have had to be trimmed off the plants.
- Outside plants are healthy but numerous dead, black traps have had to be removed. The plants are not as pretty since several insects tried to eat them before getting eaten themselves. These plants seemed to put on more leaves and are going into summer with more foliage than the indoor plants (although the foliage is somewhat battered looking). They also started out with more mature plants so the pot does look fuller. I didn't want to put youngsters outside in the elements.
Books about Growing Carnivorous Plants