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Growing carnivorous plants in the home requires the mimicking of their natural environment so that they thrive. As carnivorous plants usually grow in extreme conditions it is more challenging to do this for carnivorous plants that for most other house plants.
Venus Fly Trap
The majority of these plants grow in areas where the soil is extremely acidic and often very wet such as in bogs, or in soils that lack most of the nutrients that most plants need. Carnivorous plants feed on insects to make up for this lack. They usually emit a scent or a nectar to attract the insects. The insect is trapped either in a sticky substance coating the inner plant surface or in the plant structure itself. An acidic enzyme produced by the plant then digests the insect and the nutrients are used by the plant.
A high humidity of between 70 and 90% is required by most carnivorous plants so a partially open terrarium is ideal for them. The terrarium can be moved to provide the correct lighting conditions and allow the humidity to be high enough. A small jar can be used for an individual plant or a large terrarium for a small community. An acidic medium is required which can be provided by using a sphagnum peat moss as the base and adding orchid bark and builders sand to keep it from caking. Once in place water the moss with either rainwater or distilled water and allow it to become thoroughly saturated before proceeding. Cover with some more sphagnum moss then add some ornaments or rocks or even some driftwood for decoration. Now add the plants taking note of any special requirements for the plants you have chosen.
1. Do not add fertiliser as they have very sensitive roots
2. Do not completely seal the terrarium as they need fresh air circulation
3. Always keep the soil moist but do not over water
4. Always water with rainwater or distilled water as tap water contains harmful minerals which will damage the sensitive roots
5. Bright light is required by most carnivorous plants. For artificially lit terrariums use fluorescent rather than incandescent bulbs to prevent overheating.
6. Do not feed your plants with meat as the fat content will kill them! They eat insects not meat!
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