In our article we want to talk about an unusual flower called dionea. It is most commonly referred to as the Venus flytrap. This is one of the most famous insectivorous plants. It grows along the east coast of Southern California and North Carolina.
General information
Venus flytrap (photo shown in the article) is a unique plant of the sundew family. Its unusualness lies in the fact that the plant is a predator. The culture has a catchy and aggressive appearance. And at the same time, the plant is equipped with a trap that serves as a trap for insects. It is worth noting that no other flower has such a device.
The plant is very popular as a house dweller all over the world. If you want to acquire a culture, it is worth knowing how to care for a Venus flytrap. An exotic plant invariably attracts the attention of people, because it is radically different from all others.
Venus flytrap description
How are wealready mentioned, it occurs naturally in the eastern United States. It grows in pine forests in peat bogs. The plant prefers a humid temperate climate near the Pacific coast. It must be said that the soil in this area is not very nutritious. Therefore, the plant in its own way adapted to the living conditions, having learned to hunt all kinds of insects and get the necessary substances from them.
Venus flytrap is a low plant that in natural conditions reaches twenty centimeters. Domestic specimens do not exceed 10-12 centimeters. The plant has four to seven leaflets growing from a small underground stem that is not visible at first glance. The long foliage consists of several parts: the lower one (green) receives nutrition from sunlight, and the upper one is responsible for providing living food. Outwardly, the leaves resemble two slamming doors, equipped with sharp teeth along the edges. Inside the valves are three bristles and scarlet glands that produce a liquid that dissolves insects. A brief description of the Venus flytrap allows you to immediately imagine the plant. Surely you have seen such a culture in flower shops.
The appearance of the plant depends on the time of year: in the summer, the traps become quite large and acquire a bright burgundy color. Such a transformation is necessary to attract potential victims. Seeing the red color, the insects think that the plant contains nectar, but fall into the trap.
In winter, the predator is in a state of calm,so the traps just die off. Outwardly, it seems that the plant has died and withered.
Insect-eating mechanism
Venus flytrap is an unusual plant. Its insect-eating mechanism is noteworthy, but it's not a very pleasant sight. To attract a potential victim, the flycatcher secretes a very fragrant nectar. As soon as the insect descends into the valves, it touches one of the three bristles. The mechanism does not work immediately to avoid an empty slamming of the trap, for example, if a foreign particle has fallen into it. The flaps do not close tightly until after the second touch of the bristle by the insect. On the third time, the trap closes tightly, leaving the victim no chance of escape. After that, digestive juice begins to stand out, thanks to which the insect is digested within two to three weeks.
An interesting fact is that the more intensively the victim tries to get out, the stronger the plant closes the valves. In early summer or late spring, the flycatcher blooms with beautiful snow-white flowers. One interesting fact about the Venus flytrap will blow your mind. The plant can live as long as twenty years, while feeling great.
Care
Exotic plant attracts many flower growers with its unusualness. However, before you acquire a culture, you need to figure out how to care for a Venus flytrap. The plant is very capricious, and therefore will require a lot of attention from you.
Very often the flycatcher can be found in offices andhypermarkets. She looks very attractive and exotic. Of course, each of us is interested in watching a real predator. A unique natural organism worthy of attention. Many experienced flower growers have already encountered how to care for a Venus flytrap, and know how capricious it is. It is very difficult to create suitable conditions for a plant.
Containment conditions
Culture needs good lighting. She loves bright places. If during the day the plant is in good light conditions for 4-5 hours, then its traps will be perfectly developed and reach their maximum size. Their color will become as bright as possible.
Under natural conditions, the flycatcher lives in summer at a temperature of +9…+26 degrees, and in winter - at a temperature of +7 degrees.
The plant is not watered from above, but only through the pan. For humidification it is necessary to use rain, melt or distilled water. Culture does not like the drying of an earthy coma. In the summer heat, watering can be done in another way. To do this, the pot is lowered into a basin with prepared water for half an hour.
Continuing the conversation about how to care for the Venus flytrap, it should be noted that it requires a high level of humidity. Therefore, you will have to spray the crop regularly. In addition, a container of water must be placed next to the pot. At any time of the year, the plant must be protected from drafts, which it does not like. As you can see, growing a Venus flytrap at home requires certain conditions.
Inexperienced growers are veryoften plant a plant in universal soil. This is the most common human error and is fatal as it leads to the death of the flycatcher. For planting a crop, a substrate is needed, consisting of equal parts of perlite and peat. Before planting, the soil is thoroughly moistened.
Feeding the plant
There is another interesting nuance in keeping a Venus flytrap. How to care for a plant at home, we have already told. However, do not forget that periodically it must be fed with insects. The need for organic nutrition in a culture appears only with a lack of nitrogen. You will have to feed the plant with mosquitoes, flies, spiders. Sensitive villi of a predator feel the slightest movement and slam shut. Insect feeding is required for the plant about once a month.
It is worth remembering that you can not use large individuals for feeding or experiment with food crumbs. It is necessary to place the insect in different traps each time. After opening them, it is necessary to remove the remnants of food so that they do not rot.
In winter, there is no need to feed the plant with insects. The flycatcher stops hunting and digesting food in stressful situations. An excess of nitrogen has a detrimental effect on dionea. The bush begins to turn yellow and fade.
Wintering
A long dormant period is another feature of the Venus flytrap. How to take care of the culture at home at this time? In winter, for three to four months, the plant is dormant. At this time, Dionea should be kept at low temperatures - no more than +10 degrees. From the end of September, it is necessary to stop feeding the exotic.
According to the reviews of experienced gardeners, it can be judged that the flycatcher winters well in the refrigerator at temperatures ranging from 0 … + 5 degrees. Previously, the plant is placed in a bag with holes for ventilation. By the way, an unheated balcony can be an excellent option for wintering. At temperatures below five degrees, the flycatcher in winter can do without additional lighting.
Reproduction
Many will have a question about how to grow a Venus flytrap at home. Dionea is propagated by children and flower stalks. But the seeds are used very rarely due to the complexity of the growing process.
Venus flytrap forms babies well, which can be separated during the next transplant. But often you should not disturb the culture, it prefers to grow in a large "family".
The roots of the plant are incredibly fragile, so it is necessary to separate the children with great care. A damaged root system slows down the adaptation of the exotic in a new pot. To separate the children, use a clean and very sharp knife. The resulting sections must be treated with a disinfectant. It could be charcoal powder or a fungicide.
Reproduction by peduncles
How to plant a Venus flytrap using flower stalks? For reproduction in this way, one should not wait until the peduncle reaches its maximum height. It is cut off at the beginninggrowth stages. Its height should not exceed 4-5 centimeters. Then a small pot is filled with wet peat and the peduncle is deepened to a depth of one centimeter. From above, the plant is covered with a jar or plastic cup.
You need to be prepared for the fact that the flycatcher will take root and form a shoot for a long time. The greenhouse should be ventilated before the first shoots appear. The soil must be periodically moistened, not bringing the earthen lump to dryness.
Sometimes flower stalks can dry up before the appearance of shoots. But in this case, the plant should not be thrown away. He continues to be looked after. Young sprouts may appear in two months.
Seed propagation
Venus flytrap is a capricious plant. It is very difficult to grow it from seeds, so this method is not used by flower growers. Fresh seed does not germinate. To do this, he must go through the process of stratification. First, the seeds are soaked for a long time, and then kept at a certain temperature.
A napkin for stratification can be soaked with a solution of the drug "Topaz". Seeds are wrapped in cloth and put in a bag, after which they are sent to the refrigerator. Freshly harvested seed must be kept in the cold for a month and a half. Older seeds should be aged for up to two months.
Seeds need to be checked weekly. If you notice the appearance of mold, you should wash them in a Topaz solution. After stratification, they can be sown.
Plant them in fungicide-treated peat. Seeds should not be buried deep. It is enough to sprinkle them with a little peat on top. The box with crops is covered with a film or glass on top, and then sent to a sunny place. For faster germination, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of + 25 … + 27 degrees. For crops, it is necessary to organize daily ventilation. Accumulated condensate should be removed periodically. The first shoots usually appear after a few weeks. But sometimes the germination process can take up to a month.
Seedlings develop during the first five months, then their growth slows down. At this time, young plants can be transplanted into new pots. During dormancy, they need the same care as adult flowers.
Types and varieties of crops
The genus Dionea is represented by a single species - the Venus flytrap. But there are many varieties of culture. The plant of the "Dentate Trap" variety reaches a height of 10-12 cm and has 5-12 traps. Its flowers are green with a red stripe. And the inside of the traps are red to attract insects.
For plants of the Giant variety, a rich crimson shade of the valves is characteristic in good light. Among the most interesting varieties, it is worth highlighting: "Akai Riou", "Fannel Trap", "Crockedile", "Triton".
Growing problems
Dionea is a very unusual and capricious plant, in the process of growing which even experienced flower growers may encounter problems:
- The blackening of individual traps indicates that they have been usedtoo large insects for feeding, or the plant rots from an excess of moisture. In this case, remove the dark sashes and revise the care.
- Yellowing of the foliage indicates the use of water with a high s alt content. The plant must be transplanted into new peat and moistened with a distilled solution.
- Yellowing and dying off of foliage indicates an overabundance of fertilizers. In this case, a transplant into a new soil will be required.
- If the plant does not form traps, it does not have enough light, so you should move the pot to a sunny place.
- The appearance of brown spots on the tips of the foliage may indicate sunburn or improper fertilization. The plant must be shaded, and the soil shed to remove excess substances.
Pests
A predatory plant is not often attacked by pests. But the appearance of insects on the flycatcher greatly damages it. Therefore, gardeners recommend using preventive treatments with insecticides throughout the year. A simple preventive measure will avoid problems.
The most dangerous pests for the crop are the mealybug and spider mite. With excessive soil moisture, fungal diseases can develop: gray rot, sooty black fungus. In this case, it is necessary to treat the plant several times with fungicides. Sometimes a plant needs to be transplanted into a new peat.
Instead of afterword
Venus flytrap is the most unusual crop used inhome floriculture. Despite the capriciousness of the plant, it attracts the attention of housewives with its exoticism. The unusual shape and color attract not only insects, but also the views of people. If you are ready to provide the proper conditions for an exotic, feel free to go to the garden center for it.
