Some people don't even suspect that predator plants exist in nature! And this is not from the genre of fantasy, but a real reality. Moreover, there are more than six hundred species of these amazing plants. They are distributed throughout the world. These representatives of the flora became predatory not at all of their own free will. This was primarily facilitated by their habitat.
General information
Such plants are usually found on peaty or swampy soils, in sandy soil and even in ponds, where the constant lack of nutrients is compensated only by hunting. Predatory cultures replenish microelements necessary for existence by eating caught insects, and sometimes even very small animals. As a rule, they are incredibly bright, which is why they attract prey. These plants hunt in different ways.
Each species has its own traps. Some stick prey to their leaves thanks to the released liquid, others have a “jug” with a slammingwith a lid, and in others - leaves, which are a kind of shell flaps that instantly slam shut after the victim gets inside. One such crop is the Venus flytrap. This is a carnivorous predator, which was brought to our country from the pine forests of the eastern part of the United States. There it grows in peat bogs near the Atlantic Ocean in a humid temperate climate. In this article we will talk about what a Venus flytrap plant is, describe how it can be grown at home and what kind of care this predator needs. I must say that she is considered the most exotic representative of the sundew family.
Description
Venus flytrap is the only carnivorous plant that looks like a real monster from a horror movie. At first glance, many say that the leaves resemble the open mouth of some unknown monster. The fact is that at the edges they have prickly "fangs". Using its leaves as a trap, the Venus flytrap can capture insects with lightning speed. This plant grows up to fifteen centimeters. Leaves arranged in a rosette form are traps. The flycatcher grows low to the ground, making it easy for insects to crawl into it.
Its small flowers have the shape of a regular star. The lifespan of this plant is up to seven years.
How a predator hunts
Inside each trap, made up of two leaves, there are small hairs that act as "sensors". Coststhe trapped insect should touch them two or three times in succession, as the doors will close in the blink of an eye. The exact principle of the death trap is not fully understood, but scientists suggest that it is associated with the incredibly fast intercellular transfer of water. After the insect is inside, the Venus flytrap begins to secrete special digestive enzymes that completely dissolve the prey in just two weeks. After that, she again opens the leaves in anticipation of her next victim. Each such trap is capable of capturing up to seven food items.
We grow a predator at home
Despite her such a predatory disposition, the Venus flytrap is incredibly popular among flower growers. Care at home for her is quite complicated, because the plant is quite capricious. For the normal growth and development of Dionaea muscipula, conditions are required that are as close to natural as possible. Caring for a Venus flytrap has its own characteristics. The flower grower will have to provide high humidity in the room where it grows, the necessary temperature regime. A prerequisite is timely watering and periodic feeding with insects, which, in fact, the Venus flytrap feeds on.
Caring for her is not only difficult, but also troublesome, because, in addition to observing all agrotechnical standards, the owner of this predator will have to get food for her - insects. Nevertheless, this does not deter lovers of exotic indoor crops.
Venus flytrap careat home
The best place for Dionaea muscipula is a windowsill facing west or east. A home Venus flytrap requires good lighting for about four to five hours a day. In the hot summer season, direct sunlight should be avoided. It must be remembered that the Venus flytrap at home does not like changing the location of the light source, so it is not recommended to rotate the pot or rearrange it often. Otherwise, the plant may react negatively to the movement. And only in winter he needs rest. It is optimal to transfer the plant to the basement. The Venus flytrap propagates not only by seeds, but also by cuttings or bulbs. The easiest way is the first way.
Sowing
Venus flytrap seeds should be cold stratified before planting. To do this, they are wrapped in a napkin or gauze moistened with a fungicide and placed in the refrigerator for a month. After stratification, the seeds are sown in small containers with a clean soil mixture suitable for predator plants. The composition of the soil should include sphagnum moss, as well as coconut substrate and perlite. The seeds of the Venus flytrap should not be buried: they must be carefully laid out on the surface of the soil, sprinkled with a thin layer. After planting, the container is covered and placed in an illuminated warm place. The following regime should be provided: temperature within 25-27 ° C with a lighting duration of 15-16 hours. Seed germination will occur in 2-4 weeks. After the appearance of the first two main leaves, you need to start a gradual"ventilation" of sprouts until their final formation. And only after that, the Venus flytrap should be transplanted into the main pot.
Soil
The soil for this carnivorous plant is a mixture of sphagnum moss (1 part), perlite and coconut substrate (3 parts each).
You can also use a composition of high-moor peat with pure quartz sand in a ratio of 2 to 1. The pot for planting the flycatcher should be at least ten centimeters deep. At the same time, it should not be too narrow, and not too wide. Up to five young sprouts can be planted in a container with a diameter of 75 mm.
Humidity and temperature
Venus flytrap at home requires a certain regimen. The temperature in the room should be at the level of 22-27 degrees. Of course, the plant will be able to endure hotter conditions, but not higher than 35 °. At the same time, the air should always be fresh, but without drafts. Many lovers of exotic plants grow Venus flytrap in a closed aquarium, believing that in this way they provide their pet with high humidity. But, according to experts, this is not quite the right approach. The fact is that the Venus flytrap grows well even at relatively low humidity. The main thing is that its roots are constantly in the soil saturated with moisture. And in closed aquariums, where there is always a high temperature and high humidity, but there is no good ventilation, the plant can not only get sick, but also die.
Food
Venus flytrap is notno fertilizer required. She needs to be fed! Only live insects are suitable for this, which will be at least two times smaller than the size of her trap. You should avoid feeding this predatory plant with beetles that have a hard chitinous shell. Do not use as food and insects that are able to gnaw through the trap, as well as earthworms, bloodworms or tubifex. They contain a sufficiently large amount of moisture, and this can lead to decay of the trap. An adult Venus flytrap at home eats only two or three insects throughout the summer.
And if the plant grows in the garden, then it does not need to be fed at all: it will take care of itself. With the onset of autumn frosts, feeding should be completely stopped until spring.
Overwintering
Venus flytrap needs a dormant period of 3-4 months for normal growth. Otherwise, the plant may die. In mid-autumn, it must be prepared for wintering. The temperature should be gradually reduced. At home, the Venus flytrap itself gives a signal of its readiness for the winter regime. Broad leaves adjacent to the ground appear on it, and the traps become smaller. A glazed balcony is quite suitable for this plant for wintering. It, as before, will need good lighting and watering, but at the same time, too much waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed.
Her daylight hours are reduced to eight hours.
Features of cultivation
If suitablethere is no place for wintering, then the plant can be put in the refrigerator. However, there the temperature should not fall below 0 and rise above +5°C. Only in this mode, the flycatcher will not need lighting and will retain its trap leaves. At sub-zero temperatures, the latter, turning black, die off.
Wintering in the refrigerator also requires preliminary preparation - a gradual change in the thermal regime. After that, the Venus flytrap needs to be thoroughly sprayed with warm water, pack the pot in a bag on which several ventilation holes are made, and only then place it in the lower chamber of the refrigerator. About once a month, the substrate will need to be watered with distilled water.
Plants that winter on the balcony do not require withdrawal from wintering. With the onset of longer daylight hours, they themselves will begin to return to their usual life. But the flycatcher, which was waiting for spring in the refrigerator, must be removed from there in about three months, removed from the pot and placed in a relatively cool place under the lamp. After wintering, the plant must be transferred to a new substrate.
Like other insectivores, the Venus flytrap is rarely affected by pests. It is attacked mainly by aphids or spider mites, although in conditions of excessive humidity, the plant can also be affected by black sooty fungus or gray rot. In all these cases, Dionaea muscipula will need to be treated with a fungicide.
