Venus flytrap is a predatory plant of the genus Dionea. It is scientifically called dionaea muscipula. This name was given to the plant by mistake by a botanist, because it is translated from Latin as a mousetrap. The birthplace of the flower is the marshes of Carolina, USA. He is endangered. Now the flycatcher is grown at home, it is popular with gardeners.
Growing
In order for a healthy dionea to please you at home, home care should be started with the choice of the best place to grow.
Venus flytrap
Seat selection
A dionea flycatcher needs bright light, it must be scattered. Also, during the day, the plant needs to take sunbathing for 4-5 hours. Therefore, the best place for a flower is a windowsill in the east or west of the apartment. On the north side it can be comfortable only with additional lighting with special lamps.
Watering and humidity
It is recommended to water through a tray in which there is a pot with a predatory flower flytrap. Holes made at the bottom of the pot must be immersed in water. This is necessary so that the plant can be saturated with moisture when it is needed.
Note! For irrigation, it is better to use distilled water. Some gardeners suggest the use of rainfall. At the bottom of the pot you need to lay out the drainage. The easiest way to get expanded clay.
Since the plant originally grew among marshes, it needs high humidity. Otherwise, the flower will begin to fade. To create comfortable conditions, use an aquarium, at the bottom of which they put a container with a flytrap.
Temperature and lighting
In spring and summer, Dione is comfortable at temperatures up to 30 degrees. The minimum value is recommended to be maintained in the region of 20. In winter, the plant is at rest, so it is transferred to a cool place with a temperature of about 10 degrees.
Important! It is necessary to illuminate the flower on the one hand, it negatively perceives a change in position. Therefore, you do not need to transfer it to another place or turn it over.
Soil for a predatory flower
For a resident of wetlands, a special soil is prepared, consisting of:
- peat;
- sand;
- perlite.
The ingredients must be taken in a ratio of 4: 2: 1. Perlite is a volcanic rock. It has neutral acidity, is moisture-resistant and retains its shape and properties for a long time. In crop production, it is replaced by polystyrene, sand, broken brick or small expanded clay. Often, the soil is sprinkled with moss to create additional moisture.
Soil for plant
A flycatcher plant prefers nitrogen-depleted soil that readily absorbs moisture. Therefore, in order to plant a flower, you can buy soil intended for cacti, add perlite or its substitute.
Fertilizer and fertilizing
The plant does not require fertilizer in the presence of protein food. As feeding, flies, mosquitoes, and spiders are usually used. Fertilizers are used no more than 2 times per season, in excess they can harm the roots of the plant.
Pests and diseases
Some insects can destroy the plant, usually a spider mite and aphids. With proper care and timely treatment, you can quickly get rid of pests. The tick is very small, almost invisible to humans. It is almost transparent, may have a reddish or orange hue. Starts if the plant does not provide sufficient moisture. It is necessary to fight it with the help of spraying funds from ticks.
Note! Aphids drink plant juice, which harms it, deforming traps. There are special drugs that prevent the spread of insects.
Overmoistening is also dangerous for the plant. It can lead to the appearance of a sooty fungus, manifested by dark spots on the leaves of the flower. On the plant, gray fluff, reminiscent of cotton wool, is often noticed. This indicates the spread of another fungus - gray rot. In any case, you need to get rid of the affected areas of the flower and conduct a course of treatment.
With proper care, the creation of an optimal temperature and the necessary humidity, growing a plant will bring only pleasure, pests and diseases will not bother.
Rest during rest
In the fall, a flycatcher begins to prepare for wintering. It is necessary to reduce the amount of watering and not leave water under the pot. Then transfer the flower to a cool place and keep until March at a temperature of about 10 degrees.
Blackened flytrap
At this time, the plant does not need:
- bright light, the flower comfortably exists in partial shade;
- constant watering;
- feeding and fertilizing.
It is sometimes necessary to moisten the soil. It is not necessary to remove the wilted parts of the plant only if they begin to rot. Traps that survived the winter are cut at the end of hibernation.
With the onset of spring, the plant is sent to live in a normal, lit place and begins to water. They are gradually returning to the regimen for caring for the venus flytrap at home.
Insect feeding
The flower of a flycatcher is a predator, therefore, it must be periodically fed with insects. It is not recommended to get involved in this, otherwise the plant may die, just as without the absence of additional food.
Suitable insects
Use for feeding small insects:
- flies;
- spiders
- mosquitoes.
They must be alive, only then the trap will work and slam shut. If the insects are large, the flower will not be able to “chew” them. Part of the victim will remain outside the trap, which will lead to its death. After a while, it will fade and blacken.
Note! It is believed that the lack of necessary substances can be made up with pieces of meat. But the trap can only respond to live food. The main goal of her diet is to get nitrogen. Therefore, if she does not need him, then she can refuse the offered food.
How to feed insects
Insects can only eat a completely healthy plant. You do not need to do this after a transplant, during wintering. They also refuse insects if the flower has long been in conditions of high humidity and low light.
Usually fed once every 2 weeks, insects give one or two traps. They die after every seventh digestion of insects, possibly more often. It is better to immediately remove the weakened plant from the bush, so that new leaves appear, and all forces are directed to their growth.
Interesting flower facts
The surface of each plant trap is painted with pigments that give a red tint. This is what makes the flower attractive to insects. They are necessary for the plant to get substances that are absent in the soil. So, the marshlands in which flytraps are accustomed to inhabit are depleted in nitrogen, it is its flower that produces, chewing food.
Insect trapped
The description of the operation of the trap consists of several stages:
- The victim falls into a trap and finds himself on a slippery surface. This is a type of protein secreted by a plant. Insects crawl along it, licking the substance, and touch the trigger hair. Due to this, the venus flytrap receives a signal for slamming. When an insect touches several hairs at once or touches the same one again, the trap closes instantly. Speed is inherent in a healthy plant. Scientists have found an interesting fact that the collapse occurs as a result of the plant moving water into the leaf after the movement of the hairs. Therefore, the flower is always needed in the public domain under the pot;
- After slamming, compression of the victim begins. An insect that is too small can escape by slipping between the hairs. Then the next stage does not occur. Also, it will not happen if, for example, a person puts a finger between the wings. For some time, the flower will open again;
- Successful compression is followed by sealing. Slices of the flytrap close tightly, the teeth cease to intertwine and move forward. Digestion begins. Duration depends on the age of the trap and the state of the environment. The rate of release of the enzymes necessary to digest insects increases with increasing temperature. Usually the trap is closed for 1-2 weeks;
Flowering dionei
- After the flower receives the necessary substances, the disclosure occurs. From the insect remains only the skeleton. In the natural environment, it serves as a bait for a new victim.
Plant propagation at home
Venus flytrap can breed:
- dividing the bush;
- seeds.
The first method is simpler, requires less time and effort.
Bush division
On an adult dionea, several growth points can be found. In the place where the roots have grown together, they are cut to transplant into new flowerpots or containers. Before dividing, the flower is removed from the pot to remove excess soil and not damage the plant. After transplantation, they begin to look after an adult flycatcher.
Seeds
In spring or early summer, the dionea begins to bloom, only after that traps appear. You can spray the plant manually, then you can get the seeds necessary for reproduction. It will take about a month for small boxes to form.
Note! In order not to deplete the plant with prolonged flowering, you can cut the buds. Then the predator will retain more power to form traps.
The flowers of the flycatcher are small, white, in shape resemble stars.
Three months after pollination, the seeds of the flycatcher can be planted in the prepared soil. It consists of 70 percent sphagnum moss, sand is added to it. When kept in a greenhouse, characterized by high humidity, seedlings appear after 2-3 weeks.
The main thing is to constantly moisten the soil so that it does not dry out. When the seedlings grow, they are transplanted into containers so that the plants feel freer. It takes 2-3 years to grow an adult flycatcher.
Venus flytrap is a predatory plant that selects marshy soils for life. Now they grow it at home, creating the microclimate required for the flower. Flycatcher prefers sun and moisture, but is unable to tolerate frost. Although at home in the natural environment it experiences snowfall. In order for a flower to feel comfortable, it is necessary to provide it with insects that make up for the shortage of substances necessary for growth and development.
