Venerina Flycatcher home care how to feed wintering

The amazing flower of Dionaeus or Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the most famous insectivorous plants with a unique trap and represents only one species in nature.

Dionaea muscipula grows in one small region of the world - along the East Coast of the United States in a small part of North Carolina and Southern California.

The flower was discovered in the late 1760s and named after the Greek goddess Dionea, which explains the scientific name of the genus Dionaea. The name of the species "muscipula" is translated from Latin as a mousetrap.

Content

• General information
• Monotypic genus Dioneus
• Venus flytrap home care
• Watering the Venus Flytrap
• Venus flytrap soil
• Venus Flytrap Pot
• Venus flytrap transplant
• How and what to feed the Venus flytrap at home?
• Venus flytrap flowering
• Venus flytrap pruning
• How do you get Venus Flytrap seeds?
• Venus flycatcher wintering
• Growing a Venus Flytrap from seeds
• Venus flytrap propagation by cuttings
• Reproduction of the Venus flytrap by dividing the bush
• Diseases and pests
• Conclusion

Seed planting

Growing a Venus flytrap in the house is a difficult and not always effective process. Young plants die quickly when there is a lack of light and low air humidity. Seeds are difficult to find on sale, and you can get them yourself only through pollination.

At home, Dionea cannot pollinate on its own; the process must be carried out manually. Features of the conduct:

1. Wait until the bud opens. Use a moistened brush or cotton swab to collect pollen from the stamens.
2. Carefully transfer the pollen to the pistil of another flower, being careful not to damage its delicate structure.
3. Manipulate each flower.

If the ovaries were able to form, racemose fruits appear. Inside contains 10-25 large seeds of rich black color. Ripening occurs after they are collected from the plant, planting is carried out no earlier than 3-4 months after pollination.

Even if you are using commercially available planting material, the seeds need to be stratified before sowing. They are laid out on a rag dipped in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Put away for 8 weeks in a refrigerator or other cold place with a temperature of 3 to 5 ° C.

The rag should be kept moderately moist at all times. You can determine the readiness of seeds for planting by the appearance of small cracks on their surface.

Soil and pot

The medium for growing Venus flytrap can only be found in specialized nurseries or from private breeders. As a rule, the soil is prepared for planting on its own. This will require:

• perlite;
• peat;
• moss;
• fine river sand.

All components are mixed in equal proportions. Before planting, the soil should be disinfected with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.

Pot drain is not used. A small container with a diameter of up to 10 cm is suitable for planting, the optimal height is 12 cm. Experienced growers recommend growing the plant in an aquarium or florarium, where it is easier to maintain high humidity and stable lighting.

Sowing technology

It is recommended to sow the seeds of the Venus flytrap in the second half of February, so that by summer the plants can already be transplanted into separate pots.

For planting, I use a low container with a good tray for regular watering. It is recommended to choose containers made of transparent materials or use an aquarium. Seed planting technology:

1. Put a nutritious substrate or sphagnum moss at the bottom of the container, pour plenty of water over it.
2. Spread the seeds on the surface, do not deepen them. Cover with transparent foil or glass.
3. Place the container with seedlings in a well-lit place. The optimum temperature for sprouting is 24-28 ° C.

The first cotyledonous leaves are formed in 14-40 days, depending on external conditions, the quality of the planting material. During this period, short aeration of the soil should be carried out regularly, and water should be applied through the sump and lightly sprayed on the soil to maintain high humidity.

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Seedling picking

After the formation of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings of the Venus flytrap should be hardened to strengthen immunity and resistance. To do this, remove the covering material from the container, ventilate it in the fresh air for 5-10 minutes. Hypothermia of young plants should not be allowed, the minimum temperature is 18 ° C.

Transplantation into individual pots is carried out when the sprouts get stronger, 3-5 healthy leaves are formed. The procedure should be carried out very carefully using plastic tweezers, as the seedlings have a fragile root system.

General information

In the wild, the flower grows in swampy areas in the peatlands of North Carolina and New Jersey. This plant is endangered in America, so conservation organizations are monitoring it.

The Venus flytrap was discovered in 1760. At the same time, botanists named her Dionea after the Greek goddess Venus, who was the mother of Aphrodite. As an indoor crop, the plant is very popular and is grown all over the globe.

Types and varieties of plants

Venus flytrap or Dionea belongs to a small community of plants capable of rapid movement. In its kind, Dionea, she is the only representative of the species, although she has distant relatives in the person of Aldrovanda bladder and sundew, from which, apparently, she descended.

The natural distribution area of ​​the Venus flycatcher is small: swamps in the southern part of the United States (Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida). There she is on the verge of extinction. But in the room culture, Dionea is widespread enough, but mainly abroad.

In nature, the Venus flytrap is a compact plant and 15 cm is its highest height. From a short underground bulbous stem, from 4 to 7 leaves grow, forming a rosette. Blooming is observed in spring. The peduncle is long so that pollinating insects that arrive on white flowers do not accidentally fall into the trap.

When flowering ends, new traps form at the ends of the elongated leaves. In a natural species, their inner walls have a reddish tint. After being introduced into the culture by the method of hybridization and subsequent selection, hybrid forms were created, which are distinguished by great decorativeness. The number of plant hybrids has exceeded 25 - they differ in the color of the leaves, the shape and size of the denticles, and there may be differences in plants of the same variety.

The following hybrids are the most decorative:

1. Red Dragon. The color of the leaves and traps is red-burgundy. Requires maximum illumination, otherwise the color fades.
2. Low Giant. Has the biggest traps.
3. Jaws. The traps are reddish on the inside and green on the outside. The shape of the teeth is triangular.
4. Long Red Fingers.The hybrid is prone to mutation, can form crossed and accrete traps, their shape is cup-shaped, and the color of long teeth, which sometimes grow together, is red.
5. Bristletooth. Red traps, sparse and short denticles, forms many children.
6. Fondue. It has a high mutation capacity, so plants within a variety can be very different from each other.

Monotypic genus Dioneus

The Venus flytrap is the only representative of its kind. However, botanists, nevertheless, distinguish several varieties of culture that have minor differences among themselves.

Dionea is a predatory herbaceous perennial belonging to the sundew family. Plant height is up to 15 centimeters. The stem of the culture is bulbous, inflorescences are white, corymbose, located on a long peduncle.

Since the flower grows in swampy soil with a low nitrogen content, it receives this element necessary for growth and development from insects and slugs, which it catches with its traps.

The leafy plates of the culture grow from a short stem to form a rosette. Usually, one bush flycatchers have from 4 to 7 bright green leaves. Flower traps appear after flowering. Their length ranges from 8 to 15 centimeters. They are green on the outside and red on the inside. They grow on short petioles collected in rosettes. The petioles begin to lengthen over time and take a vertical position.

The traps are two flaps with toothed edges. Inside they have glands that produce a sweet substance that attracts insects. In addition to the glands, the traps contain three small outgrowths, which are triggered to close as soon as the Dionea grabs a fly or slug.

After the insect is trapped, the culture begins to secrete digestive juice, with the help of which the prey is digested, lasting from 5 to 10 days, after which the trap opens again. The dying off of leaf traps occurs after they catch and digest from two to three insects, but it also happens that they continue to live until their catch reaches seven victims.

Plant characteristic

Venus flytrap, or dionea, is a single-species genus of carnivorous plants. In the wild, it is found in the swamps of the eastern regions of the United States. It is a dwarf herb that does not form a trunk. The leaves are collected in 4-7 pieces in a root rosette, formed from a short underground bulbous stem.
The length of the sheet plates varies from 3 to 7 cm, depending on weather conditions. They resemble small traps with spikes along the border. Painted in a light green shade, and the inside is red. They give off a smell that attracts insects and also produce enzymes for digestion.

In the wild, the Venus flytrap is able to assimilate insects and small molluscs. The digestion process takes up to 10 days, one trap can process up to 3 victims, of which only a dense chitinous membrane remains. Due to its decorative and unusual appearance, it is grown as a home culture.

1. Growing temperature: in spring and summer, the temperature range is wide - from 15 to 32 ° С, in winter - a cool dormant period is required at a temperature of 3 - 10 ° С.

2. Lighting: long daylight hours - at least 12 hours, including 4 hours of direct sunlight daily - in the morning and in the evening.

3. Watering and air humidity: bottom irrigation only with distilled water, the temperature of which corresponds to the air temperature. Air humidity is high.

4. Pruning: pinching off dying, black traps as needed.

5. Soil: An acidic, nutrient-poor substrate, the surface of which is often lined with moss to prevent moisture evaporation.

6. Top dressing: the flycatcher is not fed with any fertilizers.

7.Reproduction: dividing leaf rosettes during transplantation, separating small daughter plants and sowing seeds, flower stalk segments, leaf cuttings.

Botanical name: Dionaea.

The Venus flytrap plant is a family. Rosyankovye.

Origin. USA.

What it looks like. Dionea or the predatory Venus flytrap is a perennial herb with high demands and is not the easiest to grow as an indoor plant.

The root system is a small green tuber. Each adult specimen has four to seven large jaw-like traps with spines at the ends.

Leaves cordate, collected in a rosette, pubescent on the upper side with small hairs. The leaf blade is pinkish-red on the lower side, on the upper side it has special - sensitive hairs that make the leaf fold in contact with them, the trap closes instantly - within one tenth of a second. In addition, the leaves of the plant are able to secrete sweetish nectar, which attracts insects with its smell.

The folded leaf blade has a small gap, so that unworthy prey can get out. When a large enough insect enters the trap, it turns into a stomach and digests food, and then reopens after 2 to 4 days.

The plant blooms in clusters of white tubular flowers on tall peduncles and subsequently forms round black seeds. The flower stalks are usually removed as they take away the strength of the Dionea.

↑ Up,

Height. Up to 20 cm.

Venus flytrap home care

For normal growth and development of the plant, it must be placed on the east or west windowsill. You can put the culture on the southern one, but only if you shade it from the midday sun. The plant really likes fresh air, so the room in which it is located needs to be constantly ventilated, but at the same time it should be protected from drafts.

In summer, the culture must be taken out to the balcony so that it can catch insects. So that in the spring and autumn period of time, Dionea has enough light and its leaves do not turn pale and do not stretch, it should be supplemented with a phytolamp, making sure that its daylight hours are at least 12-14 hours.

If the culture is grown in terrariums in order to maintain high air humidity, in this case the phytolamp must be used up to 15 hours a day. Since the flycatcher is a heat-loving culture, during the growing season and the formation of leaf traps, the temperature indicators of its content should be 22-30 degrees.

During the dormant period, which lasts from three to four months in Dionea, she should be transferred to a cool room, where the temperature will not exceed 7-10 degrees.

Rosyanka is also a member of the Rosyanka family of carnivorous plants. It is grown when nursing at home without much hassle, if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations for growing and caring in this article.

Caring for a predatory exotic

Any cultivated plant requires care, and exotic dionea makes very high demands on its owners. In order for the "predator" to grow safely at home, it always needs moist soil, good lighting and a dormant period. It is not worth artificially stimulating the process of slamming traps for fun. The plant spends a lot of energy on this, gets a lot of stress and may even die.

Lighting - plentiful

Dionea should be in direct sunlight for at least 4 hours a day, and the rest of the time during the day - under scattered rays. From spring to autumn, the plant can be kept on the balcony or outdoors.

If it is impossible to expose the flycatcher to a sunny place, backlight is required. To do this, use two small fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 watts or more. Lamps are placed 15–20 cm above the plant.It is necessary to illuminate the dionea for 16-18 hours. The best option is sodium or metal halide lamps.

The Venus flytrap must not be rotated relative to the light source. If the pot has to be rearranged or moved, then put a mark on it, which side it was turned towards the light.

Irrigation - distilled or rainwater

Dionea is watered only with distilled water. The ideal option is water that meets GOST 6709–72. It is sold in pharmacies and car dealerships. Rainwater is also suitable, but always clean. You cannot water the flycatcher from above. From this, the soil is compacted and its acidity decreases. Water is poured into the pan with a layer of 0.5 cm every other day. If the plant is in the open air, then the water in the pan should be constantly. The soil should not dry out, otherwise the flycatcher will die.

Those florists are mistaken who believe that the Venus flytrap should be kept in closed aquariums, florariums and orchidariums. From a lack of light with poor ventilation and high humidity, the plant will simply die. This is a proven fact. Dionea does not need high air humidity, it grows well on a sunny windowsill. Of course, it can be placed in a low open aquarium, but then you need to carefully monitor the watering rate. The substrate is always kept moist (except during the dormant period), but not damp.

How and what to feed the trap plant

In nature, the Venus flytrap has developed a good adaptation to the harsh life and feels great on poor soils. Therefore, fertilizing with fertilizers is in no case possible!

You can feed only live insects, half the size of the trap. The Venus flytrap eats quite rarely - about 1 time in one and a half, or even in two months. Do not give bugs with too dense chitinous coating, insects that can damage the trap, as well as live "fish food" (earthworms, bloodworms, etc.). Fish food is saturated with water and can lead to plant decay. It is strictly forbidden to put human food in traps: meat, sausage, fish, etc. The plant at best will not digest it, at worst it will die.

Whatever you put in the trap, do not try to force open it and reach it. After 1–2 days, she will open herself. Dionea growing outdoors does not need to be fed. She will feed herself.

In the fall, it is time to stop feeding with live food, since in winter the best state for her is rest.

Video: conditions of detention: instead of fertilizer - a fly

Dionea needs a lower temperature in winter

If the flycatcher is not provided with a dormant period, then in the next season it will certainly die, that is, in typical indoor conditions, the plant will live no more than one and a half to two years. Wintering takes place at temperatures below + 10⁰C, and at least once overwintered Dionea will survive frosts down to -10⁰C. In October-November, preparation for the dormant period begins. At this time, the day is shortened, the temperature decreases. The flycatcher is kept on a glassed-in balcony or by a slightly open window. She herself reacts to natural changes and goes into hibernation, while forming wide leaves and small traps located near the ground. At positive temperatures, the leaves do not die off.

The rest period lasts 3-4 months. It is necessary to insulate the window from the warm room with a film. At a temperature of + 5… + 10⁰C, illumination with one fluorescent lamp more powerful than 40 W is required for 8–9 hours a day. But you can store the flycatcher in a refrigerator without light at a temperature of 0 ... + 5⁰C. To do this, in November, the plant and the soil are treated with a fungicide, for example, Topaz or Maxim. Then the flower pot is placed in a plastic bag, a couple of holes are made in it for ventilation and sent to the refrigerator (not to the freezer!).Severe, of course, but this is how you should take care of this unusual plant. In March, the flycatcher is taken out, transplanted into a new substrate and placed on a light windowsill or balcony.

Watering during wintering in room conditions is necessary as the top layer of the soil dries up, and in the refrigerator - once a month. The water temperature should be the same as in the storage location. With artificial lighting, to get out of the dormant period, daylight hours are increased to 10 hours, and then gradually over a month - up to 16.

Flowering time

After leaving wintering in spring, sometimes at the beginning of summer, the dionea throws out an arrow with several buds. To set seeds, flowers are manually pollinated. With a soft brush for painting, they carefully collect pollen from the stamens of one flower and transfer it to the pistil of another. After two days, the flower will wither, and a small box will appear in its place. When this fruit dries up and begins to crack, you can collect the seeds and cut the peduncle.

If there is no goal to get seeds, then the arrow is removed as early as possible before flowering. The cut is made at the very soil, the formed stump is powdered with crushed charcoal or activated carbon. Timely pruning of the peduncle stimulates the formation of large traps and daughter rosettes. By the way, the arrow, along with seeds and babies, is used for reproduction.

Each Dionea flower has long pollen stamens and a pistil

Watering the Venus Flytrap

Since in its natural habitat the Venus flytrap grows in depleted soil, its root system reacts poorly to components found in ordinary tap water. Therefore, the plant should be watered with rain, distilled, filtered or boiled water, which should be stored in glassware.

The soil in a pot with a predatory plant must always be moist, otherwise the Dionea can get sick and die. Watering the flower is carried out only in the pallet. Overhead watering is unacceptable due to the fact that the soil begins to compact, depriving the root system of access to oxygen. In order for the top layer of the earth to dry out less, it is necessary to mulch the pot with sphagnum moss.

For better soil drinks, pour enough water into the pan so that it is only enough to cover the bottom of the pot with drainage holes, then the mixture will be well moistened with the ground and there will be no flooding.

It is necessary to monitor the quality of the water in the sump. It shouldn't be stagnant. In summer, when the temperature begins to rise, the flycatcher should be sprayed daily to maintain the required air humidity. In winter, spraying is excluded, but the condition of the soil must be constantly monitored so that it does not dry out and is not waterlogged.

Choice of place and conditions of detention

Dionea is a capricious and whimsical plant, demanding on the conditions of keeping. In an unfavorable environment, the flower develops slowly, practically does not grow and dies soon. The number of traps and the frequency of their updating directly depends on the location of the pot at home, the microclimate in the room.

Lighting and location

The flycatcher as an ornamental plant can be grown both on the windowsill and in the garden, subject to the conditions of detention. The best place for a flower pot is in the middle part of the windowsill on the east or west side of the apartment. It is a very light-loving plant, so regular sunbathing in the morning and evening for 4-5 hours is necessary.

When growing a flycatcher in a florarium or terrarium, additional illumination is required, for which a conventional 40 W incandescent lamp is suitable. In this case, it is placed 20 cm higher than the plant, the lighting regime should be left from 14-16 hours a day.

Temperature

The plant develops cyclically, during the year the vegetation stage changes with dormancy in winter. It is advisable to adjust the temperature conditions to the needs of the plant.From mid-spring to the second half of autumn, the indoor temperature should be in the range from 20 to 30 ° C.

After the transition to the dormant stage, it can be significantly reduced, the plant feels comfortable up to 7 ° C. However, keeping on the balcony in winter is not recommended due to the threat of night frosts.

Venus flytrap soil

The soil for the Venus flytrap should be lunchtime. If it is planted in nutrient soil, then its root system will not be able to assimilate mineral salts from the ground and the culture will die.

The best substrate for a flower will be high peat mixed with quartz sand in equal parts. Quartz sand can be replaced with perlite, previously well soaked in distilled water.

When choosing peat, it should be borne in mind that in nature the plant grows in soils with an acidity of 3.5 to 4.5 pH.

Venus Flytrap Pot

The Venus flytrap should be planted in a light pot, but many growers grow it in aquariums or terrariums. In such conditions, the plant will be protected from drafts, but at the same time fresh air will flow well to it. If the planting of the culture is carried out in an ordinary pot, then its diameter should not be more than 12 centimeters, and its depth should not be more than 20 centimeters.

The color of the container is also of great importance. If a dark pot is chosen, the roots will start to overheat in the sun, which will ultimately lead to the death of the plant. To protect the roots from the sun and dry the soil of the mixture, the surface of the substrate must be covered with moist sphagnum.

The pot must have drainage holes and a tray. There is no need for drainage when disembarking Dionea. There should always be a small amount of fresh water in the pan to maintain optimum soil moisture.

Venus flytrap transplant

When buying a plant in a store, it should be immediately transplanted into the mixture prepared in advance. To do this, you need to remove the flower from the pot, clean the root system from the soil and rinse it in warm boiled water.

In the prepared pot, you need to lay out a layer of soil, then place the plant on it, carefully straightening the root system and sprinkling it along with the stem of the remaining earth. It is not necessary to press the mixture onto the ground. After transplanting, the plant should be watered and transferred to a warm place with light shading.

Adaptation in a new pot and soil will take about a month. At this time, the culture must be carefully cared for.

There is no need to replant Dionea annually. The soil of the plant is not depleted or salted, therefore, the transplant should be carried out every 3-5 years, or only in the case of root rot due to waterlogging of the substrate.

Growing and care

At home, Dionea require the correct maintenance and the creation of optimal conditions for them, which should be as close as possible to their natural habitat. It is also necessary to follow some rules of care, only under such conditions can a healthy flower be grown.

Location and lighting

For the Venus flytrap flower, a very important condition is a correctly chosen place with good illumination. She reacts extremely negatively to a lack of light. But it must be borne in mind that overheating of the soil can become destructive for it, therefore it is better to refuse dark flowerpots. The sun can heat these pots, and they, in turn, heat the earth, which absolutely does not like the root system of the flycatcher.

Another characteristic of the flycatcher is that it does not feel well in a room with musty or stale air. In such an apartment, it will wither very quickly. That is why it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room where this flower is located. If weather conditions permit, then you can take the flowerpot out to the open balcony, where the plant will feel much better. In addition, this will allow the dionea to catch food on its own.

And also it should be borne in mind that this plant does not like frequent rearrangements and movements, this is a great stress for a flycatcher. That is why you need to think in advance about the location of the flower for the summer and not touch it again. If the flower lives exclusively at home, then it is necessary to additionally highlight it, for this ordinary fluorescent bulbs (40 W) are suitable, but they must be placed at a distance of 20-25 centimeters from the flower.

Watering activities

No matter how exotic flower “Dionaea muscipula” is, it, like other indoor culture, needs watering. That's just the quality of water, this plant is very serious. Tap water is absolutely not suitable for her, even well-settled water. Even rain and melt water will have to be abandoned. Watering the flycatcher is necessary only with filtered or well-boiled water.

Watering itself is carried out, taking into account the following rules:

• watering is carried out, taking into account the state of the upper layer of the substrate;
• you need to make sure that the earthen soil does not dry out, but you should not pour it over;
• watering activities are carried out both by the root method, and by spraying, and by adding water to the sump.

Feeding process

It must be added right away that in no case should you fertilize this flower or make any additional fertilizing, they act like poison on the Dionea!

All the nutrients that a flower needs for normal development and growth, it synthesizes on its own. And what he does not produce, he gets from the insects that he feeds on. Therefore, this plant does not need any specific feeding. But as for feeding, this process is quite interesting and even funny.

But do not tease him, the fact is that the process of catching and even swallowing a plant takes a lot of strength and energy. In addition, the trap itself is capable of swallowing the insect only three times, after which it dies off. This is why you shouldn't feed the same trap. Many inexperienced growers, not knowing how to care for the Venus flytrap, try to feed each trap. This cannot be done, for saturation it is quite enough to feed only one mouth trap.

There are a number of rules to follow when feeding a Dionea:

• it is necessary to remove from the flower all particles not eaten by it, since they often provoke rotting, which is dangerous for the plant;
• you cannot feed Dionea with unsuitable products, since there are special triggers on the trap that react to movement, after which a slamming occurs. After the usual food, the trap will not slam;
• all insects that feed the predator should be slightly smaller than the blade, the fact is that it simply cannot cope with large sizes, and the remaining parts will simply rot and decompose, which can provoke the death of the plant;
• two meals a year are enough for a flycatcher, and one meal can last about 10 days;
• in winter, Dionea does not need food, since she is in deep rest;
• if Dionea refuses to eat, this may indicate stress, illness and lack of light.

How and what to feed the Venus flytrap at home?

The plant does not need fertilizers, since its root system does not take nutrients from the soil, but synthesizes them independently from insects caught with the help of trap leaves. Most often, the flycatcher feeds on bees, slugs, flies and spiders. From them, the culture receives nitrogen, which it needs for growth and development.

In the summer, it is possible to provide her with such food without problems, but at the beginning of spring it will be necessary to purchase insects for feeding in a pet store and only live. Meat and dead insects should not be given to the flycatcher!

You should feed your green pet twice a month.Do not give the plant insects with hard shells and large beetles, as these will damage the trap. A sick Dionea cannot be fed until complete recovery. It is also not recommended to feed a newly transplanted crop. This should not be done even during the rest period.

Venus Flytrap Feeding Factors

Care must be taken to keep the insects small and completely trapped. If part of the fly or beetle remains outside, then the trap will not close completely. She will not be able to digest the prey, as a result of which it will turn black and fall off. Small flies that are 1/3 of the trap size are ideal.

You should also take into account the fact that Dionea reacts to insects only when she is lacking in nitrogen, at other times she is simply not interested in them.

And one more important factor related to plant feeding. Do not touch the trap leaves again. Since touching them can lead to an idle slam, which as a result will cause rapid blackening and death of traps, as well as when large insects get into them.

One meal should be made for one or two traps, no more. After feeding, they should be remembered and not fed for two months, choosing several others for this purpose.

Due to overeating, the plant can become sick and die, therefore, in a home culture, this process must be controlled. And if she catches insects in the fresh air, then no control over food is needed.

How the trap slamming mechanism works

The Venus flytrap feeds on small insects: it eats flies, moths, wasps, ants or spiders. Sometimes in natural conditions it can "hunt" slugs. The flycatcher, like other representatives of the genus Dionea, catches "prey" with traps formed from the edge parts of the leaves. Lobes of traps in the open state are convex, occasionally covered with sensitive hairs. Elongated teeth are located along the edges, which, after collapsing, do not allow the victim to get out. The lobes themselves, after triggering, are bent in the opposite direction, forming a cavity.

The flap is set in motion by an impulse from the excitation of sensitive hairs. For the trap to trigger, at least two hairs must be exposed at short intervals. This mechanism prevents accidental triggering of the trapping apparatus. In order for the digestion process to begin, the hairs must be stimulated 5 more times, otherwise the valves open.

When the caught prey begins to "beat" and additionally stimulate the hairs, the edges of the leaf plates close, and digestive enzymes begin to be thrown into the resulting cavity. The latter damage the cell membranes; the nutritious "juice" is absorbed. After 10 days, only the chitinous membrane remains from the insect, the trap flaps open again. Each of the traps can catch no more than 3 insects, then dies off. For humans, the Venus flytrap is not dangerous.

Venus flytrap flowering

Venus flytrap blooms in late spring or early summer. A long peduncle with a corymbose inflorescence at the end, consisting of small white flowers, grows from a leaf rosette.

Although the inflorescence looks uncomplicated, it smells very nice. The flowering culture lasts for two months, after which the seeds are formed.

Venus flytrap pruning

The plant does not need pruning, but to maintain decorativeness, dried leaf plates, traps and peduncles should be removed. The only case when this procedure may be required is in the process of obtaining seeds.

If the grower is not interested in seed material that ripens by autumn, he needs to cut the peduncle with inflorescences until they bloom. This is to avoid depleting the flower with prolonged flowering and to allow it to form healthy traps.

How do you get Venus Flytrap seeds?

To obtain seed, during the flowering of the plant, you should pollinate the flowers by hand with a cotton swab, or take the crop out into the open air and let the insects do it.

If the process went well, then in a month, miniature capsules with seeds will begin to form, which can later be used to obtain new plants.

Venus flycatcher wintering

Starting from the end of September, a period of rest begins for Dionea. A sign of its onset is the termination of the formation of new leaf plates, as well as the darkening and falling off of old ones. In addition, the outlet begins to decrease in size. During hibernation, the plant should be stopped feeding.

Feeding should be resumed only in the spring. Watering should be kept to a minimum and the sump water should be emptied. However, in this case, the grower must ensure that the soil does not dry out, since if this happens, the plant will die.

With the onset of December, the flycatcher is transferred to a cool room, where the temperature will vary from 2 to 10 degrees. Some take the culture to the basement or to the insulated balcony, having previously packed the flycatcher in a plastic bag.

In February, the plant begins to slowly move away from sleep. You can help him in this by transferring him to his usual habitat - a warm and bright room. The leaf plates remaining after wintering are cut off and begin to care for the flycatcher as usual. Dionea will fully wake up at the end of May, after which it will grow again and begin to hunt insects.

Wintering and dormant period

During wintering, Dionea slows down all its life processes, does not grow, does not feed and does not bloom. Since autumn, when she prepares for bed, her leaves turn black and fall off, and she herself takes on a painful and unsightly appearance. Inexperienced owners believe that the plant is dying, and they begin to feverishly save it - they water it more, put it in the sunniest place. In fact, this state is the norm for a plant during wintering. It must be placed in a cool place - it can be a cellar or the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The plant should be in this state until February. At the same time, the soil should be slightly moist at all times.

Growing a Venus Flytrap from seeds

The most troublesome method of propagation of a plant is considered to be seed. Since the seed material quickly loses its germination, it should be sown three months after pollination of the inflorescences.

Sowing is carried out in warm ground with a mixture of sphagnum (70%) and quartz sand (30%), which can be replaced with perlite. If the seeds were purchased in a store, then before planting, it is necessary to stratify in the refrigerator for 1.5 months, after wrapping them in moist moss and packing them in a bag.

Finished seeds must be scattered over the soil surface without embedding and sprayed with distilled water using a spray bottle. Then you need to move the container to a warm and bright place, covering it with plastic. All this time, the greenhouse should be ventilated and the moisture content of the soil should be monitored.

After three weeks, seedlings will appear, and when they germinate, they are dived in small containers until they fully sprout. Transplanting a young plant to a permanent place of growth is carried out after three to four years.

Venus flytrap propagation by cuttings

Propagating dionea using leaf cuttings, a leaf is cut off from the plant and treated with a growth stimulant, after which the cuttings are planted at an angle into a wet substrate of peat and perlite, covered with a plastic bottle and removed to a warm and bright place.

From time to time, the stalk needs to be ventilated and moistened. After three months, shoots will begin to appear. It should be borne in mind that cuttings are quite often damaged by fungal diseases during the rooting process.

Reproduction of the Venus flytrap by dividing the bush

The easiest and most reliable breeding method is bush division, which is carried out during transplantation. For this purpose, the plant is taken out of the pot, the soil is shaken off the roots and the daughter sockets are carefully separated from the mother plant, seating them in separate containers.

Young crops are kept in partial shade until they adapt to a new substrate.

What to do for reproduction

There are several ways to propagate this amazing flower, from simple to very complex.

Can be grown from a peduncle

This is the simplest breeding method for Dionea and the most successful.

1. The peduncle, which has grown by 3-5 cm, is cut off at the very ground.
2. We plant vertically in a mixture of peat and perlite, which is usual for Dionea, deepening by 1 cm. You don’t need to cut the crown off!
3. Soil, lighting, temperature, humidity - as for an adult plant.
4. The peduncle will turn black and dry, but a young sprout will appear in its place.

An easy way - separation of daughter sockets

This is also an easy way to reproduce the Venus flytrap, moreover, familiar to all flower growers. With age, many plants form many babies that can be separated from the mother plant. Dionea is no exception.

1. We take out the mother plant together with the daughter ones from the pot.
2. We carefully clean the roots and bulbs from the ground.
3. Cut off the baby with a thin sharp knife, which must have at least two roots.
4. Powder the cut points with crushed coal.
5. We plant the plants in different pots.

Dionea, consisting of several outlets, has more strength, it is more resistant to diseases and adverse conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to separate the children no more than once every 2-3 years.

An adult dionea consists of several outlets

Option: planting a cutting

The method is more time consuming and the survival rate is low, but it's still worth trying.

1. We sterilize the peat in advance (fry it in the oven, steam it in a water bath or spill it with boiling water).
2. We let the peat recover for several days and pour it with a solution of the fungicide in distilled water (Topaz, Maxim).
3. Cut off the leaf at the bulb itself so as to capture the underground white part.
4. We cut off the trap.
5. We keep the cutting for 15–20 minutes in a growth stimulator (Heteroauxin, Ribav-extra).
6. We plant in sterilized peat, deepening the entire white part and a little green, the cutting should be at a slight angle relative to the soil surface.
7. We cover with a jar or put in a greenhouse and transfer to the lightest window sill, the humidity should be very high - almost 100%.
8. If the cutting does not dry out and rot, then in 4–5 weeks the first leaves will appear from the peat.
9. After another 2-3 months, the young Dionea can be transplanted into a beautiful pot.

The Dionea stalk is the leaf from which the trap was cut

Description of growing sprouts from seeds

The most difficult and longest way to reproduce the Venus flytrap is growing from seeds. Freshly harvested seeds almost do not germinate, so stratification is needed. Still, we will try to germinate the seeds, even though it is not easy.

Stratification will help seeds germinate

1. We moisten a tissue napkin or cotton pads in a Topaz or Maxim solution, squeeze out excess water.
2. We wrap the seeds in a napkin or put them between cotton pads and pack them in a cellophane bag with a lock or a plastic container with a lid.
3. We put fresh seeds in the refrigerator (+ 5 ... + 7⁰C) for 4-6 weeks and for 6-8 - collected 3-4 months ago.
4. Once a week we take out and inspect, when mold appears, wash the seeds in a Topaz or Maxim solution. In it, we moisten a new napkin and pack the seeds again. The solution is prepared from distilled water at the same temperature at which the stratification takes place.

How to sow and care for young plants

1. We sterilize the peat in advance and water it with a solution of one of the above fungicides.
2. We do not deepen the seeds! They can be gently pressed into the peat and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil.
3. Cover the pot with the crops with a foil or place it in a greenhouse, put it on a warm sunny window or illuminate it with lamps for 16-18 hours a day. Temperature favorable for germination is 25–27⁰C.
4. Seedlings will appear in 2-4 weeks. Don't miss this moment. The sprouts must be ventilated, gradually opening the greenhouse or bending the edge of the film.
5. A young plant will develop for 4–5 months and then freeze. Preparations for wintering are coming. But if it is far from the real winter, during the growth period, one should transplant the dionea into a new substrate, washing the roots from the old with distilled water. This will postpone the preparation for the dormant period, and the plant will noticeably grow.
6. We send for the winter and follow the rules of care in the same way as for an adult flycatcher.

Before the emergence of seedlings, the seeds are covered with a film, and then they begin to ventilate and completely remove the shelter

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that this culture is a predator and feeds on insects, it sometimes also suffers from them. Most often, the plant infects aphids or spider mites, which feed on the sap of traps, stems and leaves, leading to wilting and death. You can get rid of these pests by treating the plant with Actellic according to the instructions on the package.

Diseases that threaten the plant develop against the background of improper care, or rather, waterlogging of the soil. If the soil is excessively moistened for a long time, then a sooty fungus or gray rot will begin to appear on the culture.

To get rid of these ailments of fungal etiology will help the drug "Fitosporin". However, before proceeding with the treatment, it is necessary to remove the affected parts of the culture and remove the top layer of the earth, which has also probably infected the fungus.

The greatest danger to the Venus flytrap is carried by bactericidal diseases that develop in the case of "improper" digestion of insects. This situation occurs when the flycatcher catches too large a fly and it does not fit in the trap. As a result, the insect trap begins to rot, turn black and infect the entire plant. To avoid infection and restore health to Dione, the affected area should be removed and treated with Aktellik.

Growing difficulties

In the process of caring for the Venus flytrap, even experienced flower growers face a number of problems. The main difficulties in keeping this plant:

• due to the constant waterlogging of the soil, dark spots appear on the shoots, rotting of shoots and leaves develops. If you do not adjust the watering regime, the likelihood of fungal diseases increases;
• for irrigation, you can not use tap water, use mineral fertilizing for ornamental crops. This leads to wilting of leaves, death of the plant;
• do not touch the traps with your fingers, overfeed the flower, and also use food;
• when exposed to direct sunlight, brown spots form on the leaves, which can only be eliminated by adjusting the lighting mode.

Before the onset of the dormant period, the leaves may change color - turn yellow or turn white. It is recommended to pinch them carefully to ensure the development of new vegetative parts.