How to Transport a Venus Fly Trap From One Pot to Another

Venus fly traps are not too difficult to move to a new pot or planter.

The Venus fly trap is a carnivorous plant that grows naturally in the coastal southeastern United States. The plant derives the majority of its nutrients from the insects that it traps and eats, rather than from the soil in which it grows. Though Venus fly traps are not terribly hard to grow, there are some precautions that you need to take when you move the plant from one pot to another. Venus fly traps undergo a 3- to 5-month dormant period, typically from fall to spring. You do not want to move the plant during this time, as it could die. Plan to transfer your Venus fly trap in the early spring.

Things You'll Need

• New pot or planter (plastic)
• Peat moss
• Silica sand or perlite

Instructions

1. Mix the proper soil. Combine 1 part peat moss with 1 part silica (white) sand in a bowl. You can substitute perlite for the silica sand if you wish. Do not use regular potting soil or fertilizer for your Venus fly trap, as it will burn the roots of the plant. Mix the soil thoroughly with your hands in the bowl before transferring it to the new pot or planter.

2. Fill the new pot or planter about halfway with the soil mixture. Make sure you use a plastic pot or planter; clay pots can trap minerals and salts in the soil that will harm the plant's root system. Use a new pot that is about twice the diameter of your old pot.

3. Remove the plant from its old pot. Gently pry the soil away from the edge of the pot with your fingers. Try to wedge your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pot. Slowly pull the soil and plant up and out of the planter. Be careful not to jerk the plant out too quickly or else you risk damaging the root system.

4. Place the plant into the new pot, on top of the new soil. Fill in the area around the sides of the plant with more soil. Sprinkle a thin layer of soil around the plant stems as well.

5. Water the soil to help pack the soil and remove air pockets beneath the surface.

Tips & Warnings

• Placing your plant in a large enough planter will ensure you do not have to transfer it to a new pot every year.

• Make sure you transfer your Venus fly trap at least every two or three years.

• Do not transfer your Venus fly trap more than once per year. Moving the plant is very stressful and can cause harm if done too frequently.

References

• Flytrap Care: Soil for Venus Fly Traps
• Hungry Plants: Venus Fly Traps
• Hungry Plants: Transplanting, Pot Size and Growing Media