Venus flytrap description for children. Venus flytrap: secrets of growing a predator flower

Venus flytrap (Latin Dionea muscipula) belongs to the carnivorous plants of the monotypic genus Dionea. The flower grows on the Atlantic coast of the United States in the states of New Jersey, Florida, South and North Carolina in swampy soils with a low nitrogen content. This was the reason for the formation of traps, since through them the plant receives the element necessary for life from insects.

Venus flytrap flower

Venus flytrap: home care

The flycatcher flower has a rosette of leaves of 4-7 pieces, their size varies from 3 to 7 cm. It reaches a height of up to 30 cm. The trap consists of two valves with denticles along the edges. Along the row of teeth on the valves, nectar is released, attracting insects. There are three spines or hairs on each inner part of the trap. If the insect touches them, the trap will instantly close. Caring for a Venus flytrap at home is not easy, but if the requirements for the content are met, it will grow for many years.

Dione's Flycatcher Trap

Lighting for dionea

The Venus flytrap is photophilous, so it needs at least 5 hours of direct sunlight per day. The more, the better. A good place for the growth of a predatory flower is a south window or loggia. If the plant is placed on the north side, there is a small chance that it will grow healthy. In this case, even additional supplementary lighting with various lamps will not replace natural light.

Natural sunlight for the Dionea flycatcher

If the flower is exposed to direct sunlight for 2-4 hours a day, additional lighting will help to provide the right amount of light. A simple option to do this is to install two fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 W or more at a distance of 20 cm. The additional illumination time depends on how much natural light the flycatcher will receive without lamps, but it is advisable to choose it with a margin. In addition to the quality and quantity of light, the predatory plant is demanding on its direction, so you should not turn the pot over unnecessarily.

Temperature and humidity

Venus flytrap can grow at air humidity in the range of 30–75%. Prefers ventilated fresh air and no drafts. Favorable air temperature for a plant in summer is 22-27 ° C, the maximum is 35 ° C, in winter - 5-7 ° C. It is important that it does not fall below 0 ° C and does not exceed the mark at 10 ° C.

Soil for growing a predatory flower

To cultivate a flycatcher plant, you should use a mixture of perlite and high-moor peat pH 3-4 in a 1: 1 ratio, but an increase in the amount of the second component is allowed. Before planting, perlite is soaked in distilled water for a week. During this time, it must be changed twice. You can also use a mixture of quartz sand and high moor peat (1: 2). If you use a different kind of sand, the flower may die.

Venus Flytrap Transplant

Dionea is transplanted after a dormant period or early summer. The pot must be deep for the roots to fit. This procedure is performed every year, if water of average quality was used for irrigation, where the content of dissolved salts is up to 50 mg / l, if there are less than 5 ml / l - every two years. After acquiring the Venus flytrap, it is advisable to transplant it into a new substrate, since the quality of the previous one is unknown. If it is not possible to carry out an event immediately after purchase, the plant should be watered with distilled water to wash out some of the accumulated salts.

Transplanting Venus Flytrap into pots with a new substrate

To transplant the dionea, you need to get it out of the pot, remove all the soil from the bulb without affecting the traps. Then pour the substrate into a new container, moisten with distilled water and set the flower. After planting, the plant can be watered with Epin (2-3 drops of the product per 0.2 l of water), which will help to more easily endure stress after transplanting.

Watering basics

The roots of Dionea do not process the salts contained in the soil, so only distilled water is used for irrigation. It must be poured into the pan of the pot, since watering from above compresses the top layer of the soil mixture, lowers the pH level, which reduces the supply of oxygen. The flower should not lack moisture, but the liquid should not be in the pan all the time.

Reproduction

You don't have to constantly buy seedlings or seeds to grow multiple Dionaeans, as you can get them from your plant.

Ripening Venus flytrap seeds

Flycatcher breeding methods:

1. Seeds. They can be obtained from your flower in the first decade of March, if it is manually pollinated, or purchased in a store. Before sowing, the seeds are laid out on a damp napkin treated with a fungicide, diluted with distilled water and placed in a refrigerator for 30–45 days. Then they are sown on the surface of the substrate. The seedlings need to create a small greenhouse. The seeds will hatch in 2-3 weeks.
2. Bulbs. As the plant grows, bulbs are formed. They are cut and transplanted. The bulbs to be cut should have well developed roots. The cut points at the flycatcher are treated with crushed coal to prevent decay.
3. Cuttings. An adult flower has several growth points that are used as propagation material. The cuttings themselves are carefully cut off at the base of the leaf, and then planted in the substrate. To create a greenhouse effect, containers with seedlings are covered with foil. During this period, temperature indicators should be maintained within 25 ° C and high humidity. It is recommended to treat the cut-off points of the Dionea with crushed coal. This procedure will help prevent rotting.

Venus flytrap diseases and pests

In the process of growing a predatory flower, you need to pay attention to its condition. If signs of damage are found, treatment of the plant should be started.

Venus flytrap pests and diseases:

1. Spider mite. The insect appears when the plant is kept dry and warm. To get rid of it, you need to irrigate the flower with special preparations against ticks, for example: Karbofot, Actellik, Antiklesch, Vertimek and others.
2. Aphid. Signs of the presence of a pest - curvature and deformation of new traps occurs. Aphid aerosols will help to deal with insects.
3. Gray rot. If the plant is affected by a fungal infection, rot will appear, which will later be covered with a gray fluff. To preserve the flower, it is necessary to remove the infected parts, then treat the flycatcher and substrate with any systemic fungicide.
4. Sooty fungus. It appears if Dionea grows in a too humid and wet environment. A sign of plant damage is the formation of black spots on the foliage. Ways to combat: apply a fungicide and correct mistakes made in the care.
5. Bacterial damage. This is a physiological cost when the trap cannot digest the insect, causing decomposition. These traps must be removed.

How to feed the flycatcher?

When growing the Venus flytrap, it is not necessary to apply fertilizer to the substrate, since it receives the necessary substances from the digested insects.

So, what to feed the flycatcher? If there are none in the room where the flower grows, it should be fed with flies, mosquitoes, spiders on its own. You should not give the plant larvae, earthworms, meat, bloodworms, because they are poorly digested by traps, which causes them to rot. Typically, the flycatcher digests food for 5 to 10 days. From the end of September, you do not need to feed the flower.

Venus flytrap caught a fly

Venus flytrap: winter care

In the process of growing, the care of the Venus flytrap should be constant. In order for the flower to grow actively after a long period of dormancy, it is necessary to correctly plan the wintering.

Venus flytrap wintering

Dioneus flycatcher should not be kept indoors all year round at a temperature of 20-24 ° C, because in 1.5-2 years it will simply die. A predatory flower with a pronounced seasonal periodicity of growth, therefore, for 3-4 months it should be in a room with an air temperature of 0 to 10 ° C. Exceeding the maximum indicator will lead to the death of the plant.

Preparing the Venus Flytrap for the Cold Season

This flower needs to be prepared for the winter season in the fall. In October or the first decade of November, during the month, the air temperature should be gradually reduced and the length of daylight hours should be reduced. Dionea must be placed on a balcony, loggia, or a slightly open window (before turning on the heating). During this time, it is necessary to reduce the temperature from 10-15 ° C to 0-5 ° C, if the plant is young, and this is its first winter to 5-7 ° C. When these conditions are met, the flower itself will hibernate. Outwardly, readiness for wintering will be expressed in the development of wide leaves and small traps growing almost horizontally to the soil.

Correct positioning of dionea and supplementary lighting

The duration of daylight hours in winter should not exceed 8-9 hours. At temperatures above 5 ° C, additional lighting is required. To do this, it is enough to install one 40 W cold-glow compact fluorescent lamp. You can keep a flower anywhere, but with appropriate conditions - a glazed balcony, a window sill fenced off from the room with a plastic wrap, a greenhouse.

Wintering of dionea flycatcher in a glazed room

Also, the Venus flytrap can hibernate in the refrigerator, but only after preparation. The container with the plant must be treated with Topaz or Maxim fungicide, packed in a bag, made several small holes for air to enter and put into the refrigerator. The temperature in the inner chamber of the apparatus should vary from 0 to 5 ° C. In such conditions, the Dionea flycatcher can be without light. The substrate should be moistened with distilled water (5 ° C). It needs to be replaced in the spring.

If there is not enough space in the refrigerating chamber of the apparatus, you can remove the plants from the pots with the substrate, remove its remnants from the roots, cut off the leaves, put the bulbs on the sphagnum, having previously treated them with some kind of fungicide. Then put them in a bag and place in the refrigerator. During wintering, it is necessary to control the moisture level of the moss. It shouldn't dry out. In spring, the bulbs should be planted in a new substrate.

Watering dionea

How to properly water a Venus flytrap

When to wake a Venus flytrap and how to do it correctly?

If the flower was in the refrigerator during the winter season, but will continue to grow in natural light, it should be woken up in the first decade of March so that it has time to take root by the beginning of the growing season. With artificial lighting, the sleep period should be interrupted after three months of rest, the plant should be placed under a lamp for 10 hours, gradually, over the course of a month, increasing this time to 16 hours. If the flycatcher flower hibernated indoors, the exit from the dormant state occurs with an increase in temperature and an increase in daylight hours.

One of the most exotic indoor plants is the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), also known as Dionea. This decorative flower is interesting because it is carnivorous - it feeds on live insects. An adult plant has an original appearance, however, even with its small size, it looks somewhat aggressive. The fly beetle can be grown at home, but it is worth remembering that he is fastidious, capricious and requires a lot of attention.

What is Venus flytrap

Discovered in 1760, the flower was named after the Greek goddess of love, Dione. Dionaea muscipula is a small herbaceous plant of the monotypic genus of the Rosyanka family. The name of the species "muscipula" translates as "mousetrap" - probably the botanist who described the new specimen made a mistake. The English name Dionaea muscipula corresponds to the Russian - Venus flytrap - Venus flytrap.

What Dionea looks like - photo

Description

An adult herbaceous insectivorous plant of the sundew family has a rosette of 4-7 leaves 4-7 centimeters long. The stalk of the flycatcher is bulbous, in length does not exceed 15 cm. Dionea blooms with white flowers, which gather in corymbose inflorescences on a long peduncle, and in appearance resemble a star. In nature, the predator flower grows on soils with a low nitrogen content, so mollusks and insects serve as a source of this element for it.

Flycatcher trap leaves are formed after flowering, they consist of two collapsing petals 8-15 cm long and have sparse bristles along the edges. The outer part of the leaves is colored bright green, the inner cavities are reddish. Traps are formed at the end of leaves collected in rosettes - by summer they become longer and take an upright position. There are glands inside the trap doors that produce nectar to attract the victim.

In addition to the bristles at the edges of the collapsing petals, there are three triggers - when an insect hits them, the trap begins to close, and the glands produce digestive secretions. The predatory flower digests food for 5-12 days, after which the petals open again. The duration of digestion depends on the air temperature, on the type of digestion process, on the size of the victim and on the age of the trap itself. The trap dies off after it digests two or three victims, however, there were cases when one leaf became the grave of seven insects.

Where the Venus flytrap dwells

The homeland of the herbaceous flower is the peat bogs of South and North Carolina, Georgia, New Jersey, and it does not lose its ability to live even during cold weather or after snow falls: in winter, the plant enters a phase of complete rest, which ends when warming occurs. The flycatcher flower is the only specimen of its kind, but today lovers of exoticism and thrills also breed cultivars at home.

What eats

A flycatcher, found in the swamps of North or South Carolina, feeds on insects. Dionea peat, growing in its natural environment, is close to the ground, so flying or crawling "food" itself falls into traps. A home-bred plant will need to be fed by you yourself. For this, live flies or any arthropods that are half the size of the trap are suitable.

How the trap slamming mechanism works

The main distinguishing feature of the flower is its trap leaves. Inside each such trap, there are small hairs that act as sensors. A single exposure to the hair will not cause the petals to close. This helps Dionea avoid “blank” slams that can occur due to branches or rain drops falling on the surface of the traps.

The petals snap off instantly when the insect touches two or three different hairs. What exactly is the action of the trap mechanism, no one can say, but scientists read that the closure occurs due to the instantaneous transfer of water between the cells of the flower. After slamming the petals, the Venus flytrap secretes digestive enzymes and dissolves the insect. After two weeks, the trap is again ready to search for prey. During its life cycle, each trap can digest up to 7 victims.

Venus flytrap - home care

The predator plant is very popular among flower growers, because it is quite possible to grow it at home or in the garden. Many are interested in how to care for a flycatcher at home, because a carnivorous flower is capricious. For normal growth and development, Dionea needs to be provided with conditions similar to natural conditions: maintain high air humidity, the required temperature, water it in a timely manner and periodically feed it with caught insects.

How to choose the best place to grow

The best place for the Venus flytrap is the window sills of windows oriented to the west or to the east - so the flower will be in good lighting for the required amount of time - about 4-5 hours / day. In hot summer weather, it is worth avoiding the scorching rays of the sun on the plant. If there is not enough light, make the flower an artificial backlight using fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 watts or more. Remember that you cannot rotate the pot with Dionea or change the position of the lamp, as she reacts negatively to this.

Optimum air temperature and humidity

During active life, the air temperature in the room where the sundew grows should be maintained constantly within the range of 22-27 degrees. Venus also tolerates higher temperatures, but it should not be higher than 35 degrees. Keep an eye on the humidity level: the range can be 40-70%. In addition, keep in mind that the flycatcher cannot grow normally in stagnant air - the room will need to be regularly ventilated, but there should be no drafts.

Watering Dionea

The roots of the fly beetle are not able to process earth mineral salts, therefore, neither filtered water nor tap water can be used for irrigation. Only distilled, rain-fed or purified by reverse osmosis is suitable. The substrate must be constantly moist, as traps may die due to lack of water. To maintain optimal soil moisture, it is better to keep the flower pot on a pallet, filled with such an amount of liquid so that the drainage holes at the bottom of the dish sink into it - the roots of Dionea themselves will fill their need for water.

Top dressing

When growing a plant at home that catches flies, it is important to provide it with conditions close to its natural habitat: for this you, first of all, need to monitor the acidity of the soil in the pot. The required concentration can be achieved by mixing equal parts of perlite and sphagnum moss. Dionea does not require feeding with organo-mineral fertilizers, like other indoor flowers.

How to care for the Venus flytrap during flowering

Carnivorous plants bloom in May or June: on a high peduncle, corymbose inflorescences, consisting of small white flowers up to 1 cm in diameter, begin to grow. Flowering lasts several weeks. If you do not want to get the seeds of Dionea by the fall, then you need to cut the flowers while they are still in bud, since flowering depletes the flycatcher, which is why its traps cannot fully develop.

Wintering and dormant period

In the fall, new leaves stop growing on the plant - it prepares for hibernation. To help Dionea enter winter peace, it is recommended to keep watering to a minimum and no longer leave water in the sump. When the flycatcher hibernates, the pot with it must be moved to a darkened place where the temperature does not exceed 7-10 degrees. You can take the flower out to the glazed balcony or even put it in the refrigerator.

Until the onset of spring, the predator plant does not require any nutrition or special lighting. The only thing that is required of you is to occasionally water the soil, but you should not overdo it here either, because an excessive amount of moisture will lead to rotting of the roots. A flycatcher that has fallen into hibernation does not look attractive - having acquired a brown tint, its leaves die off.

How to feed Venus flytrap at home

It is imperative to know all the intricacies of feeding a flycatcher, since you decide to buy Venus for breeding at home. The plant can be fed by insects: flies, spiders and bees, but only alive, because the production of a digestive enzyme occurs only during the movement of the victim. In summer, an adult flower growing in a room needs to eat 2-3 victims. Those flowers that grow on the street do not need to be fed at all - they are able to catch insects on their own. Remember that food or meat that is too tough will cause the trap to rot.

How the plant reproduces

The flycatcher reproduces in different ways - by cuttings, seeds, or by dividing the bulb. Getting Dionea seeds is the longest and most difficult process. During the growth of the flower, bulbs appear - they are cut and transplanted. Cuttings can also be cut and planted in the soil, after which you need to cover the pot with peduncles with foil. The fly eater reproduces by maintaining a certain temperature (no more than 25 degrees) and ensuring optimal humidity.

Growing Dionea from seeds

To get sundew seeds, you need to pollinate its flowers yourself using a cotton swab or brush. If the process was done correctly, then in a month small boxes with seeds will appear. They need to be sown three months after pollination, otherwise germination is then lost. If the seeds have been stored longer, then before planting, you need to stratify - hold for a month and a half in the refrigerator, having previously wrapped in sphagnum and corked in a bag with a zipper.

When planting, sprinkle the seeds over the surface of the soil and use a spray bottle to spray with soft water. Do not forget to comply with the requirements for the placement of crops - put the containers in the greenhouse under bright diffused sunlight or artificial light. Maintain the temperature in the room at about 24-29 degrees, make sure that the soil is always moist. You will see seedlings in 2-3 weeks. After another 2-3 weeks, when the seedlings of the Venus flytrap grow up, you can place the flower in a pot, the diameter of which does not exceed 8-9 cm.

Propagation by cuttings

It is necessary to carefully cut off one leaf from Dionea, process the cut with the help of Kornevin. Having placed the cutting at an angle, plant it in a substrate of peat and quartz sand. After that, you can cover the container with a transparent cap and leave it at room temperature under bright light until shoots appear on the cutting - this often happens after three months. Remember that rooting is not recommended, otherwise the cuttings may be affected by fungi.

By dividing the bush

It is much easier to propagate a flycatcher in this way. It is best to do this during the Dionea transplant: a flower 1-2 years old is removed from the pot, then the roots are freed from the soil and, using a sterile tool, the daughter rosettes are separated from the adult plant. After that, the rosettes are seated in separate pots, they are removed in partial shade before they take root in the new substrate.

Diseases and pests

Who would have thought that a plant capable of eating insects could suffer from them. There have been cases when aphids appeared on the surfaces of the traps, due to which they were deformed. Special insecticides are sold against small insects. Another predatory flycatcher flower can be affected by a spider mite: treatment with an acaricide solution will help to destroy the pest.

Dionea needs special care: where it grows, it is necessary to maintain optimal air humidity and temperature conditions. However, if the soil is too wet, the flower may suffer from sooty fungus - a black coating will appear on the leaves and stems. Fungicides will help fight it. If the conditions of detention are not observed, the flycatcher is attacked by botrytis - a gray mold fluff. If you notice the appearance of such mold, immediately remove the affected parts, and treat the plant itself with a fungicide solution.

Dionea's bactericidal lesion can also occur due to the fact that the trap cannot cope with the digestion of the caught insect. In such cases, the closed petals turn black and rot, and the disease quickly spreads throughout the plant. You need to immediately cut off the damaged trap, and then treat the flower with a fungicide solution.

Video

Venus flytrap (dionaea muscipula) is a predatory herb of the sundew family. It feeds mainly on small insects and molluscs. It grows in the damp peat bogs of the Atlantic coast (in Florida, North and South Carolina, New Jersey). It is widely distributed throughout the world as an ornamental plant. But how to grow a Venus flytrap from seeds, is it possible to do this at home?

Venus flytrap is a flower that personifies fertility and prosperity. Symbolizes love and sympathy, and can also symbolize the feminine principle.

On a short underground stem of the plant, there are no more than 7 leaves, collected in a rosette, 3-7 cm in size. It prefers to grow in swamps with a low nitrogen content in the soil. This shortage is compensated for by eating nitrogen-containing insects - trap leaves are intended for this.

They appear after flowering, on short stems not exceeding 15 cm in length. The traps are green with a reddish tint. A kind of trap is formed from two sheets, with hairs placed at the edges for better adhesion to each other when triggered.

The glands of the trap produce a special sap that lures insects. To feast on them, the victim sits on the inner petals and collects nectar. At the same time, special hairs on the trap are irritated, and it instantly slams shut. After the blades are completely closed, a kind of stomach is formed, in which the extracted food is digested. After a week of over-etching, the trap opens, the cycle is repeated several more times until it dies off.

How to grow a Venus flytrap from seeds

Venus flytrap flower

In the spring or early summer, the Venus flytrap begins to bloom. Small graceful white flowers appear on long peduncles. This process takes up a lot of the flycatcher's energy. Therefore, you should only leave the buds if you need seeds.

The Venus flytrap is not capable of pollinating on its own at home, this will need to be done manually:

• after opening the buds, you need to take a thin brush;
• with its help, collect pollen from one flower;
• with gentle movements, transfer to the pestle of another, being careful not to damage it;
• continue to cross-pollinate each flower.

After the ovary appears, the seeds will ripen in about a month. They need to be planted no later than 3-4 months after pollination. Growing from seeds is a rather laborious process.

Stratification process and soil preparation

Venus Flytrap Seeds

This method is performed before sowing to increase the seed's chance of germination. Seeds wrapped in a cloth moistened with fungicide or potassium permanganate are placed in the refrigerator. You need to regularly monitor that the seeds do not dry out, moisturizing them. The whole process lasts no more than 8 weeks.

Dionea loves sour soil. For its preparation, take two equal parts of perlite, peat, one part of moss and quartz sand. Perlite must be pre-soaked in water for a week, and the sand must be boiled. No drainage is added to the bottom of the pots.

How to plant Venus flytrap seeds

As soon as the soil is prepared, you need to do the following:

1. Sow seeds in small pots or seedling boxes, sprinkle lightly with moss without burying them.
2. Cover containers with glass or plastic wrap.
3. Maintain a constant temperature around 24-28 ° C.
4. Take care of the availability of good bright lighting, at least 15 hours a day.
5. Regularly monitor the moisture content of the soil, it should not be allowed to dry out.

If all the rules are followed, each seed should germinate in two to three weeks, some longer.

First shoots

After the first shoots, as soon as a couple of leaves appear on the shoots, they must be hardened. To do this, for a short time, the seedlings must be ventilated by opening the glass. After hardening, each small dionea is supposed to be transplanted into an individual container. The transplant must be carried out very carefully, not forgetting about the exceptional fragility of the small roots. In an adult, the plant will grow only after five years.

Flytrap cuttings

Growing flycatchers by cuttings is best done in spring. This requires:

1. Cut a few leaves off the rosette. To improve rooting of cuttings, a growth biostimulant can be used.
2. Before planting, you need to prepare a substrate consisting of quartz sand and peat.
3. Pour the prepared soil in a small layer into containers, and plant the cuttings.
4. Cover the plants with a jar or plastic bottle and place in a lighted place.
5. The disadvantage of this method is the great possibility of rotting and fungal infection. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to ventilate the pots by removing the shelters.
6. After three months, the sprouts will take root - the root system will get stronger. Then they can be transplanted into separate containers using soil for adults.

Dividing a bush for planting

A very simple way of breeding flycatchers. When transplanting, it is removed from the pot, rid of the earth. With gentle movements, using a knife, separate the accrete sockets. Then, the resulting flowers are seated in separate containers and carry out the usual care at home.

How to care for the Venus flytrap at home

Despite the great difficulty of growing Dionea, it is much easier to care for it than for other exotic plants:

• indoor flower dionea, can be planted in the garden or placed on the windowsill, preferably on the east or west windows;
• every day you need sunlight for at least 6 hours in the morning or evening;
• when growing a flycatcher in a florarium, an artificial light source is required. It is located at a height of 25 cm from the flower with daily light for 15 hours;
• it is imperative to monitor the humidity of the air, its lack has a bad effect on the plant;
• Dionea needs fresh air without drafts. In the summertime, the flycatcher can be taken out onto a balcony or street, hiding it from direct sunlight on hot days;
• for the flower to feel normal, the temperature in summer should not go beyond 18-28 ° C. In winter, this figure drops significantly, and can become 8 ° C.

Features of watering the flycatcher

It is necessary to ensure that the soil always remains moist, drying out of the soil is detrimental to your plant. Also, water should not flow through the top, which will impede the flow of oxygen to the roots. Water is poured into the trays so that the drainage holes are immersed in it. If necessary, the plant itself will compensate for the lack of moisture.

Distilled water or rainwater is most suitable. Small plants in the growing stage need to be hydrated 3 times a week.

Fertilizing and feeding dionea

Feeding Dionea

The use of any dressing is prohibited. Dionea is a predator, therefore she receives all the necessary fertilizers through food - insects. You also need to know a few simple rules:

• you only need to feed the flycatcher once a month. For the entire growing season, 2-3 insects (flies, mosquitoes, spiders) are enough for her;
• the insect should no longer be a trap;
• you cannot feed the flycatcher with worms and insects that have a hard shell, as well as leaf beetles that can damage Dionea;
• it is forbidden as fertilizer, to feed meat, products of general consumption to the venus flycatcher;

DO NOT FEED FLOWER

with a disease;
if maintenance measures are not followed (insufficient lighting, waterlogged soil);
when transplanting.

In autumn and winter, feeding stops.

Winter Venus Flytrap Care

Like other plants, the Venus flytrap needs rest during the cold periods of the year. To do this, when cold weather sets in, it is necessary to stop watering. Reduce lighting gradually and reduce temperature to 5 ° C. The entire dormant period (3 months), the flycatcher can be stored in the refrigerator. All the time you need to monitor the condition of the soil, not allowing it to dry out, and not too much moisture, otherwise the flower may wither. In the spring, taking out the dionea from the refrigerator and gradually increasing the temperature, you can continue caring for it.

Venus Flytrap Transplant

Spring is the best time for a Dionea transplant. You can repeat it after 1-2 years. When transplanting, you need to adhere to some rules:

• because of the long roots, the container for the flower needs to be taken deep, but not too wide;
• when replanting a flycatcher, be extremely careful, do not damage fragile roots;
• after removing the dionea from the pot, remove the stuck earth by watering the roots with water;
• as previously written, the soil for planting a flower is prepared by mixing two parts of perlite, two parts of peat, and one part of quartz sand.

Having transplanted Dionea, it will take a month for her to take root. During this period, watering should be increased, and the flycatcher should not be exposed to the bright sun.

Pests

Dionea is a Venus flytrap, although it is very rare, but still susceptible to attacks by harmful insects. Most often it is aphid that settles on a plant, especially traps. As a result, they deform and die. To combat aphids, use special aerosols.

Also, in addition to aphids, the flycatcher can suffer from spider mites. This can happen if the humidity is low. Acaricide solution is able to get rid of these intruders.

Venus flytrap diseases

All flycatcher diseases appear due to improper conditions of detention:

• with constant waterlogging of the air, black spots may appear on the flower. This could indicate a mold infestation. Fungicides effectively deal with this problem.
• after the appearance of a gray cannon, you urgently need to get rid of the infected parts and treat the flycatcher with a fungicide;
• it happens that an insect cannot be digested by a flycatcher, and rotting of the trap begins - the most dangerous disease. If the affected area is not removed, the disease will spread to the entire Dionea.

It's interesting - Rosyanka

Venus flytrap in nature grows only in North America. But in temperate latitudes, another insectivorous representative of this family grows.
The sundew is a predator, the most common carnivorous plant. Like Dionea, it feeds on small insects. It grows on all continents except Antarctica: in the mountains, on sandstones, peat bogs in Europe, North and South America, Asia. Most of all grows in Australia.

The root system is poorly developed, and is needed so that the sundew can hold onto the ground. These silent killers have chosen any kind of soil. Instead of two predatory petals, the sundew has a leaf with large villi that secrete a sticky paralyzing substance. After the victim falls into the trap, the sundew quickly folds the leaf, enveloping the insect. After several days of digestion, the leaf opens up again.

Dionea or Venus flytrap is a prominent representative of carnivorous insectivorous cultures. Often a flower is grown at home on a windowsill, on a personal plot. It reaches small sizes. It looks very original, a little aggressive. The content is capricious, fastidious, requires maximum attention. Therefore, it is better to choose such exotic for those who like to care for flowers. What is a flycatcher plant: how to grow it at home, the article will tell.

The flycatcher plant belongs to the Rosyankovye family. The name translates as a mousetrap. The flower was discovered in 1760. At the time, he was named Dionea after the Greek goddess. As an indoor culture, the flycatcher is popular all over the world.

Peat bogs are where the Venus flytrap grows. The flower is widespread in Georgia, North and South Carolina, New Jersey.

The species is included in the list of endangered cultures.

A detailed description of the flycatcher plant is given below:

The exotic appearance of the flycatcher attracts many gardeners-collectors. Therefore, in our country, such a plant can be found often. You can read the article:

Varieties of the flycatcher plant

There are different flycatcher plants: the species of which differ in the shape, color and arrangement of foliage. Dionaeamuscipula is recognized as a classic variety. But within this type, there are specimens of different colors. For example, the inside of the trap leaf is pinker or completely green. The direction of leaf growth also sometimes changes: obliquely upwards or horizontally. Mutations of the leaf plate are not uncommon, when 3 valves grow at the same time.

At the moment, about 25 species of Dionea are known, which differ in the color of the leaves and the shape of the cloves. However, such a Venus flytrap plant is not suitable for reproduction. Because seeds do not carry maternal genes. In Russia, it is almost impossible to find culture on sale. Therefore, you have to buy through foreign online stores.

The following varieties of the Venus flytrap are popular:

How to grow a flycatcher?

The house flycatcher flower is grown very successfully. But for this exotic culture, certain conditions must be created. Otherwise, she will start to hurt and may even die. It is important to understand how to propagate a plant, plant and care for it. There are three ways of propagation: by seed, dividing the bush and cuttings.

Growing a plant with seeds

Dionea blooms in early summer or spring. White graceful flowers are formed on the peduncles. This process takes a lot of energy from the Dionea. Therefore, buds are left only if seeds are needed.

The flycatcher plant is not capable of pollinating on its own at home. Therefore, this work must be done manually. After opening the bud, take a brush, carefully collect pollen from one flower and transfer it to the pistil of another. Cross-pollination is done on each flower. A month after the appearance of the ovary, the seeds will ripen.

The seeds of the flycatcher plant are used for propagation only by experienced gardeners. Since this process is very laborious and long. The collected seeds are stratified. This increases their chances of germination. The material is soaked in a cloth moistened with potassium permanganate and placed in a refrigerator box. Moisturize periodically. Stratification takes about two months. After this time, sowing is started.

Dionaeus loves sour soil. To prepare the substrate, take perlite, moss, peat and quartz sand. Next, do the following:

• Fill the box with prepared soil. At the same time, there is no need to lay a drainage layer on the bottom.
• Sow seeds, sprinkle them with a layer of moss.
• Cover the container with plastic wrap or glass.
• Maintain the temperature at + 24-28 degrees.
• Place the pot in a well-lit place. Optimally, if the daylight hours lasts 15 hours. When there is a shortage of light, lamps are used.
• The soil is regularly moistened, preventing it from drying out.

If you follow the algorithm exactly, sprouts will appear after 2-3 weeks. When a pair of true leaves is formed, the seedlings are hardened. For this purpose, the glass is opened for a while and ventilated. The sprout roots are rather fragile, so the transplant should be done carefully. Knowing how to grow a flycatcher from seeds can create a beautiful plant.

Cutting is a way of growing a flower

The plant is propagated by cuttings the predator Venus flytrap in the spring. To do this, cut off several leaves from the outlet and place them in a growth biostimulator. Prepare a substrate from peat and quartz sand. Pour soil into a container and plant the cuttings. Cover with a jar, put in a well-lit place. This method has some disadvantages. One of them is a high probability of infection with fungi, rotting. To avoid this, the pots should be regularly ventilated.

Dividing the flycatcher bush

This method is the simplest one. When transplanting, the flycatcher is removed from the pot and shaken off the ground. With the help of a knife, the accrete sockets are separated. Flowers are planted in containers.

How to care for a flycatcher plant at home?

To get a good flycatcher plant at home: care must be organized correctly.

In growing, Dionea is quite difficult. But looking after her is much easier than other exotic cultures.

The care of the flycatcher plant consists in performing a number of activities and following some recommendations:

You need to understand how to care for a flycatcher plant in the cold season. In the fall and winter, culture needs peace. To do this, with the onset of winter, watering is stopped, lighting is reduced, and the temperature is lowered to +5 degrees. This process should be gradual and begin in the fall. The rest period lasts 3 months. Dionea is kept in the refrigerator. It is important not to forget to periodically moisten the soil, otherwise the flower may wither. In the spring, the plant is taken out of the refrigerator drawer and the temperature is gradually raised.

How to protect crops from pests and diseases?

Dionea is rarely, but nevertheless, attacked by harmful insects, especially aphids, which like to settle in traps. This leads to their deformation. In order to overcome aphids, special aerosols are used. Often, spider mites and culture prevail. This happens when the air humidity is low. Then the flycatcher is treated with a solution of acaricide.

Diseases arise due to violation of the rules of containment. If the air is too humid, black spots form on the inflorescence, which indicates an infection with mold fungi. Fungicides will help to cope with such a problem. If the gardener noticed a gray fluff, it is necessary to urgently remove the infected parts and spray the flycatcher.

By the way a flycatcher looks, one can judge its state of health. Sometimes it happens that the trap starts to rot. This is due to the fact that the plant is not able to digest the insect. This is a very dangerous condition. Therefore, it is worth knowing how and how to feed Dionea correctly.

The Venus Flycatcher is an unusual plant native to the swamps of the eastern United States. It looks like an ordinary flower with a long stem, but it has one interesting feature. He is a predator. The Venus flytrap is engaged in catching and digesting various insects.

What does a predator flower look like?

Outwardly, this is not a particularly noticeable plant, one might say, a grass. The largest size that ordinary leaves can have is only 7 centimeters. True, there are also large leaves on the stem that appear after flowering.

The inflorescence of the Venus flytrap is somewhat similar to the flowers of an ordinary bird cherry. This is the same white delicate flower, with a lot of petals and yellow stamens. It is located on a long stem, which grows to such a size for a reason. The flower is deliberately placed at a great distance from the trap leaves so that they do not get caught by pollinating insects.

The Venus flytrap grows in swampy areas. The soil here does not have a lot of nutrients. There is especially little nitrogen in it, and it is it that is needed for the normal growth of most plants, including the flycatcher. The process of evolution proceeded in such a way that the flower began to take food for itself not from the soil, but from insects. He has formed a cunning trapping apparatus that instantly closes a suitable victim in itself.

How does this happen?

Leaves intended for catching insects consist of two parts. There are strong hairs on the edge of each part. Another type of hairs, small and thin, densely covers the entire surface of the leaf. They are the most accurate "sensors" that register the contact of the sheet with something.

The trap works by very quickly closing the leaf halves and forming a closed cavity inside. This process is started according to a strict and intricate algorithm. Observations of venus flytraps have shown that leaf collapse occurs after exposure to at least two different hairs, and with an interval of no more than two seconds. Thus, the flower is protected from false alarms when it hits the leaf, for example, raindrops.

If an insect sits on a leaf, then it inevitably stimulates different hairs and the leaf closes. This happens at such a speed that even fast and sharp insects do not have time to escape.

Then there is one more protection: if no one moves inside and the signal hairs are not stimulated, the process of generating digestive enzymes does not start and after a while the trap opens. However, in life, the insect, trying to get out, touches the "sensors" and the "digestive juice" slowly begins to flow into the trap.

Digestion of prey in the Venus flytrap is a long process and takes up to 10 days. After opening the leaf, only an empty shell of chitin remains in it. This substance, which is part of the structure of many insects, the flower is not able to digest.

What does the Venus flytrap eat?

The flower diet is very diverse. This includes almost all insects that can somehow get on the leaf. The only exceptions are very large and strong species. The Venus flytrap "eats" flies, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers and even slugs.

Scientists have identified a certain percentage in the flower menu. For example, a predatory plant consumes 5% of flying insects, 10% of beetles, 10% of grasshoppers, and 30% of spiders. But most often, the Venus flytrap feasts on ants. They occupy 33% of the total amount of digested animals.