How to Care for a Carnivorous Plant

Some of the most fascinating kinds of plants are of the carnivorous variety, and the most common of these is the Venus Flytrap. With their elegant and innocent appearance, the flytrap relies on lures and deception to trap and absorb its prey. There are other carnivorous plants, such as the Nepenthes and the pitcher plant that all have similar needs to stay healthy. We're going to look at some tips to keep a carnivorous plant thriving.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A carnivorous plant and a suitable place to keep it.

Caring for a Carnivorous Plant

1. Regulate the humidity of the area the plant is kept in. They require a very high level of humidity, one that many climates will not produce on their own. The solution to this is to keep your plant in a terrarium. Placing a glass or plastic cover over the plant will keep the humidity inside.

2. Make sure your plant is in a location that will allow it to get the sunlight it needs to thrive. The area should have sunlight at least 2 to 4 hours per day. The light should be bright, but be careful that you don't burn the plant.

3. Make sure the soil you're using is sufficiently nutrient-poor. Unlike most plants, carnivorous plants get their nutrition from the insects that they digest, not their soil. Too many nutrients in the soil can be bad for your plant. One of the best things you can do is to keep your plant in a peat-based soil. Do not use store-bought potting soil.

4. Make sure that the water you're supplying is free of chemicals, as chlorine and other chemicals found in drinking water can be very hazardous to your plant. Use bottled water, or if you have to use tap water let it sit out for several days to make sure many of the chemicals evaporate.

5. Find out if your carnivorous plant is one that requires a hibernation period. They will require different care during this period, and as that varies from plant to plant, it's best to find the care that is specially suited to the type of carnivorous plant you've brought home.

Tips & Warnings

• Feeding your plant is not necessary. Even if it seems like it isn't catching much on its own, it's not necessary to supply more food.
• If keeping your flytrap in a terrarium, do not place it in direct sunlight. It will get too hot inside, and kill the plant.

[dreric1kansas]

on 2/16/2009 Some of these are true but others from this list are not good , like the peat (peat is too acidic for many -spaghnum and perlite are much better for many.Also the one keep plastic on the top is not good because the plants won't get much oxygenTerriarum are needed for some but not allMore like this and more athttp://carnivorousplantskccpguy.blogspot.com/