Dionaea muscipula at home from seeds. Venus flytrap: description, growing from seeds, care at home. Growing using seeds.

The Venus flytrap or Dionaea is considered one of the most exotic plants that you can grow at home. Firstly, this plant is carnivorous. Secondly, despite its small size, the flycatcher looks very original and aggressive.

Caring for her is not difficult, but, as they say, not without some frills: she is picky and capricious. It will appeal to those gardeners who like to observe the plant. In this case, the process of obtaining food and absorbing it is original.

How much water will the Venus trap need? Extracting water requires a lot of water, especially limestone. Rainwater is most suitable here. If you are not sure about watering, you can fill the water big amount water from which the plant can supply itself.

How has the Venus trap grown? Distribution occurs, on the one hand, by seeds, and on the other, by cuttings. They can be cut directly at the factory and usually even separated. What are the enemies' Venus traps? The biggest enemy of the plant is man, who limits living space by polluting the environment. Recent studies have also shown that when eaten by insects, they can kill the plant due to their metal content.

Some novice flower growers confuse Dionea with, sometimes with Sundew. Both of these plants are also carnivorous, but that's where their similarities end. They are very different in appearance and care.

Location and lighting

Dionea does not like shade and needs bright sunlight. Compliance with this condition is one of the most important when growing it. Some sources of information on caring for this plant state that for its favorable development, you need at least 4 hours a day of bright light. This is true. However, it is worth considering one nuance: the roots of this exotic plant do not tolerate soil heating. If your beauty “lives” in a dark pot, there is a risk of it heating up in the sun. The surface of the pot heats up the soil, which the roots will not like.

In October she begins her winter rest. She need bright place. Temperatures below minus 5 degrees should be avoided. Can a Venus trap fly in an apartment? Since this plant does not like too low temperatures, it is mainly suitable for the inside of the window. There is usually enough light here. But even against the clock in open mode it says nothing about optimal conditions.

Scientific name of the genus

Where can you buy Venus flies? The carnivorous plant can be bought in every garden store, but also in online sales. Prices start at just under five euros each depending on size.

Scientific name of the species

The site should be sunny and warm. Additionally, proper watering method is important because the plant wants to draw water from deep in the soil through its roots.

To avoid this, either plant Dionaea in a light pot, or make sure that its “home” is heated. A third option is also possible - place it on east or west windows. Do not place a pot of dionaea on the northern windows, it will be dark there.

Another feature: the flycatcher does not tolerate stagnant, musty air. If this condition is not met, it literally withers away. Therefore, the room where she “lives” must be regularly ventilated. In the warm season, the plant can be safely moved to the balcony or garden, to an open space. This is also relevant from the point of view of its “feeding”.

In order for you to enjoy the carnivorous plant for a long time, you definitely need to take a winter break. Lissa Lige, an ecologist and assistant professor of biology at Georgia Southern University, explains. Perhaps the most famous of carnivorous plants, the Venus flytrap has a unique system by which it attracts, kills, digests and consumes its prey. Because it is a plant and can produce its own food through photosynthesis, the Venus flytrap does not feed or digest its prey for traditional non-planned purposes of collecting energy and carbon.

It remains to add that the Venus flytrap does not like “relocations”, rearrangements and movements. It's stressful for her. Therefore, choose in advance a place for the plant’s summer location, place the pot and don’t touch it again.

If your plant leads an exclusively indoor lifestyle, pamper it with lighting. It will be sufficient to use a pair of the most common fluorescent lamps with a power of 40 W, placing them no closer than 20 cm from the plant.

Instead, it forages its prey primarily for essential nutrients that are scarce in the swampy, acidic habitat. So, yes, the Venus flytrap does have a digestive system, but it serves a slightly different purpose than the animals.

How does a stationary organism attract, kill, digest, and consume its prey? First, it lures its prey with sweet honey secreted on the leaves from a trap-shaped trap. Unsuspecting prey lands on the leaf in search of a reward, but instead breaks the bristly trigger hairs on the leaf and ends up imprisoned by the snagging teeth of the leaf edges. There are three to six trigger hairs on the surface of each leaf. If the same hair is touched twice, or if two hairs are touched within a 20-second interval, the cells on the outer surface of the leaf expand rapidly and the trap closes instantly.

Watering mode

No matter how exotic Dionaea is, it still remains a plant and needs watering. True, there are some peculiarities here too. The fact is that the flycatcher is picky not only regarding the composition of the air, but is also extremely sensitive to the composition of the water.

If insect secretions such as uric acid stimulate the trap, it will trap further prey and form an airtight seal. Once the trap is closed, the digestive glands that line the inner edge of the leaf secrete fluids that dissolve the soft parts of the prey, kill bacteria and fungi, and decompose the insect with enzymes to extract essential nutrients. These nutrients are absorbed into the leaf and 5-12 days after capture, the trap opens again to release the remaining exoskeleton.

Impurities that are inevitably present in tap water, even settled water, are completely safe for other plants, but are destructive for it. You shouldn’t risk using rainwater: in our environmentally unfavorable times, it is not always clean.

Well, for the rest - everything is the same as for all indoor plants:

The frequency of watering is determined by the condition of the top layer of soil.
It is important to avoid both overdrying and overwatering.
You can water both from above and from below using a tray.

Feeding the flycatcher

After three to five passes, the trap will no longer capture prey, but will spend another two to three months simply photosynthesizing before it drops from the plant. Plant owners should beware of over-stimulating the Venus flytrap: after about 10 unsuccessful trap delays, the leaf will become unresponsive to touch and will serve only as a photosynthetic organ.

The Venus flytrap occurs in a very limited range in sandy scrub swamps in the coastal north and South Carolina, where it is listed as endangered. The ecosystem that supports Venus flytraps experiences frequent fires, which eliminate competing plants and release nitrogen into the soil. Consequently, Venus flytraps have a corner in the nitrogen market immediately after a fire, when they get three-quarters of their nitrogen supply from insect prey. Whirlwind flycatchers provide a fascinating example of how organisms adapt to stressful conditions, in this case behaving like predators to replenish nutrient deficiencies in the surrounding soil.

Like a true plant, the flycatcher synthesizes the nutrients necessary for life on its own. The exception is the nitrogen-containing “dessert,” but she also obtains this on her own: she catches it and eats it. The feeding process of a flycatcher is quite funny.

She eats organic food only when she is hungry (lack of nitrogen). The rest of the time flies and mosquitoes do not bother her. Moreover, if you try to provoke the plant into eating when she has no appetite, she may simply ignore your attempts to feed her because she is full.

American fly agaric - breeding, growing

Moreover, American breeding will fly in the house. See how flies are raised, fertilized and watered. Plants should be provided with a clear, sunny position. The ideal place would be on a south or east window. The amount of light supplied affects the color of the leaves. Flywheel can be grown at normal room temperature.

The plant cannot be grown in a room with too dry air. Therefore, especially in winter, when the apartment heats up, it is worth covering the pot with a plastic plant dome to maintain humidity. Proper watering of American flycatchers plays a role in breeding success. In winter, watering is limited, but sufficient to maintain substrate moisture. When a plant is too dry, its stems and leaves become limp. When we feed well, the condition will improve again. For irrigation, only distilled water or rainwater is used.

Don't tease this plant for fun! The process of “catching” and “swallowing” food is very energy-intensive for her: slamming the trap-mouth. Moreover, each trap (mouth) is used three times, after which it dies. Given this fact, it is worth remembering which mouth you fed the plant in and use a different one next time. You don’t need to feed all the traps one by one; one or two are enough.

Alternatively, you can run boiled water and leave the tap on as long as it is not too dirty or hard. The plants are planted by insects. Even if you don't achieve anything, you can control your photosynthesis. Every 2 or 3 years in the spring it is good to exaggerate the plants. Flywheel repotting is done to replace the pod or replace the pot with a larger one. Remove the leaf or spit it out with a sharp tool from where it came from. In the spring, it is worth propagating the American flywheel by dividing it into smaller parts, which need to be planted separately.

In the fall, you can sow the seeds in a mixture of peat and peat moss. This fascinating plant comes from North America and is probably one of the most unusual floras we can encounter. Traps can close in less than a second. Digestion of an insect that has entered a leaf usually takes from 7 to 14 days. Each leaf can only perform one function at a time, and after digesting food, it dies. Due to the development of an alternative feeding regime, this species has significantly reduced its root system to highly specialized leaves.

Do not experiment and do not feed the plant from your table. Dionaea reacts only to live food. Nature has endowed it with a special device - especially sensitive hairs or triggers. They react to movement and “give” the command to slam the trap and secrete digestive juices, so the plant will not react to the ingress of non-living organic matter.

Flycatchers are quite easy to grow. By following some basic guidelines, we will achieve decoration and unusual appeal in the apartment. Plants do not require fertilization. The most effective form of nutrition is to catch insects and digest them and provide nutrients that way.

Flycatcher flowers: care

Plants are very sensitive to soil salinity, so we must use water for cooking. Flying requires very regular and intense watering. The best way to do this is by pouring water onto the stand and turning it loosely upside down. Cultivation pots should have multiple holes to allow free flow of excess water.

Remove food particles not eaten by the flytrap, otherwise rotting will begin, which can lead to the death of the plant.

For the green “predator”, the size of the food also matters. She simply won’t be able to handle a “piece” that’s too big. The remains will begin to decompose and rot, which is risky for her life.

Living in the summer requires unlimited access to daylight for 12 hours a day. It is best to grow in heavily sunlit areas. If we limit its access to light, we will notice that the petioles will take much longer to grow and the subsequent growing traps will be smaller.

In summer, mousetrap pots can be displayed in the garden or on the terrace. During the winter months, plants undergo a period of rest. Winter holidays plants is necessary for their later development and provision optimal temperature during this period can be the most challenging task. Therefore, it is worth thinking in advance where we will store the plants during the winter.

The Venus flytrap eats quite rarely - about once every one and a half, or even two months. The process of food absorption is long and gradual: lunch lasts up to 10 days. It is important to remember that “overeating,” or rather, excess nitrogen, is detrimental to this plant. Oversaturated Dionaea gets sick, becoming weak and lethargic.

The Venus flytrap does not feed in winter. At this time of year she rests, including from hunting and digestion.

The plant refuses food in any stressful situation: during transplantation, illness, lack of light, or simply a sudden change in environment. By the way, buying and settling it is such a stress, so do not try to feed the Venus flytrap as soon as you brought it home from the store.

It remains to add that a flytrap placed outside is capable of “feeding” on its own. The fact that the plant has eaten is indicated by closed mouth traps. But you will have to take care of domestic specimens of this plant yourself, not forgetting about feeding habits.

Wintering and rest period

In autumn, Dionaea prepares for rest: its leaves begin to dry out and turn black, then fall off. The plant itself shrinks, acquiring an unpresentable, unhealthy appearance. Inexperienced gardeners may panic and try to revive the plant by heavily watering it and placing it in the brightest and warmest place.

There is no reason to worry; in such an unsightly form the flycatcher is resting. She doesn’t need light and warmth at all, rather, on the contrary. Place the pot with the plant in a cool, but not necessarily dark, place. It could just be a windowsill where the temperature is below room temperature, or the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If you have a cellar, then it will also work.

Dionea must “sleep it off”; for her this is not a whim, but a necessity. Leave it alone until mid-February, occasionally checking the condition of the soil: it should be slightly moist. At the end of February, the Venus flytrap wakes up: slowly and lazily. And only towards the end of spring, with the arrival of summer, does it begin to actively grow.

Transfer

But if you still decide to do this, take note of the following transfer rules:

Pot: when choosing a “home”, remember that the flytrap has long (up to 20 cm) roots that grow deep. In addition, its roots are delicate and fragile - this also needs to be taken into account when replanting. We have already talked about the color of the pot.
Soil: peat or its mixture with sand or perlite. There are no other options for this plant.
After planting, place the pot with the plant in the shade for 3-4 days and provide it with regular watering.

Reproduction of Venus flytrap

Children

The process of reproduction by children is quite simple and is used much more often, but in this process Dionaea has its own nuances: this type of reproduction can be used once every 3 years. The plant prefers to grow “in a family”, next to the children and noticeably weakens when they are often separated. Considering this fact, it is convenient to combine the procedure of baby separation with transplantation.

We separate the baby carefully, trying to minimally injure the fragile roots of the flytrap. It will be better if you do this with a sharp knife. After separating the baby from the mother bulb, be sure to disinfect the cut areas using crushed activated carbon or fungicide.

Seeds

No less exotic than the plant itself is propagation using seeds. This is a rather complex and unique process, the effectiveness of which depends on the experience and patience of the grower. Simply put, this method of propagation is only suitable for professionals.

Reproduction using seeds is carried out in the spring, during the flowering of Dionaea. The flycatcher also blooms in a very original way: it throws out a long (especially in comparison with the size of the plant itself) peduncle. It can “grow” up to half a meter in height.

Of course, such a “work” requires a lot of strength from the plant, and therefore not every specimen can handle it, especially if you have a young plant. Such flowering is fraught with pain and loss of strength for the flycatcher. For weak and young flycatchers, flowering often ends very sadly. If you doubt the strength of your flower or purchased a flytrap already with a peduncle, then do not risk the life of the plant - immediately cut off the peduncle.

Peduncle

If your plans include propagating the plant with a peduncle, then it is better to do this when it grows to a length of 4-5 cm. After this, the peduncle is cut off and shallowly, 1 centimeter is enough, buried in peat. The rooted peduncle is covered with a cap, creating greenhouse conditions for it.

Now all that remains is to wait for the young shoots to appear. It won't happen quickly. During the entire waiting period, carefully ventilate the rooted peduncle and keep the soil moist.

The peduncle may dry out over time and have a lifeless appearance, but this does not mean that the process was unsuccessful. We patiently wait for the allotted time - one and a half, two months. If all is well, new growth will appear, meaning that you will have new exotic residents.

Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant, a perennial herbaceous plant with trap leaves that catch and digest insects and arachnids. In nature it grows in certain wetlands of Northern and South Carolina, Florida. Like other carnivores, the flycatcher collects nutrients from gases in the air and nutrients in the soil. But since they live in poor soils, they also survive on nutrients from insects. The fragrant leaves attract insects, and when an insect lands on the trap with sensitive hairs, it slams shut in less than a second. If the insect is too large and sticks out of the trap, this will allow bacteria and mold to form on the insects, causing the trap to rot. When the trap is closed for feeding, its cilia tightly hold the insect inside, then the process of dissolution with acids and absorption of nutrients begins.

At the end of the digestive process, which takes 5 to 12 days, the traps open again. Only the insect's exoskeleton remains inside. The time it takes for this process to resume depends on the size of the insect, the temperature, the age of the trap, and how many times it has gone through this process.

Venus flytrap It is very popular as a cultivated plant and does well indoors, but has a reputation for being difficult to grow. Successful cultivation requires recreating conditions close to the natural habitat. Among carnivores, it is the most unpretentious, and if you strictly adhere to certain rules, you will be pleased with this amazing plant for a long time. The main requirements are high humidity, wet roots, direct sunlight and poor, acidic soil. And now in more detail.

Venus flytrap - care features in room conditions.

What kind of lighting? An important factor is exposure to direct sunlight for at least 4-5 hours a day. To do this, you need to select a window sill on south side, ideal place there will be a balcony where the plant will be well lit. It is not recommended to turn the pot with the plant first one side or the other towards the light; it does not like rotation. If the plant receives direct rays for less than 4 hours, additional lighting with lamps is required.

How to water? The roots of the flytrap do not process mineral salts from the soil, so you cannot water it with plain tap water, as well as boiled water, purified with a household filter, or purchased in bottles. Water that is suitable is deionized, distilled or purified by reverse osmosis. Water only into the pan, because watering from above reduces the acidity of the soil and compacts upper layer, which reduces the supply of oxygen. The soil should not dry out, but water should not be allowed to constantly stand in the pan. It is good to grow a flycatcher in a terrarium.

What soil is suitable? A soil mixture is recommended that contains perlite in half with high-moor peat, or quartz sand in half with high-moor peat. Perlite is a very good planting material for carnivorous plants, as it is hygroscopic and prevents rot; before use, it must be soaked in distilled water for a week. Boil quartz sand in distilled water. Every 2-3 years, the flycatcher must be replanted; do this carefully, without touching the traps or damaging them. The transplant period is from spring to early summer.

What nutrition is needed? Under no circumstances should fertilizers or lime be added. The Venus flytrap can be fed with insects (flies, spiders, bees), always live ones. After all, it is when the insect moves in the trap that the necessary digestive enzymes are produced. An adult plant needs 2-3 insects over the summer, and it is very important that they are half the size of a flytrap.

How does it winter? In winter, the flycatcher enters a dormant period. And therefore it is very important to provide her with temperature regime 0 - 10°C. At the end of September, you need to stop feeding the plant with insects, because from mid-October the plant itself will begin to prepare for winter dormancy. This will manifest itself in reduced leaf and trap growth. To ensure the required temperature, you can put the flytrap in the refrigerator for this period. Keep the soil moist during this period.

How does it reproduce? The Venus flytrap reproduces by seeds and by dividing bulbs. Over the years, the plant produces many daughter bulbs with roots, which can be separated and planted in a new location. But do not do this more often than once every three years. In the spring, the plant expels the peduncle and begins to bloom; a couple of days after the flower has fully opened, it must be pollinated by passing a brush over the stamens and pistils. The pollinated flower will begin to ripen. When the seed box becomes dry and begins to crack, then the seeds are ripe and should be planted within two days. Flytrap seeds are not stored for a long time and tend to lose their viability. Otherwise, the seeds need to be stratified. If you do not need the seeds, it is better to remove the peduncle from the plant so that all the nutrition goes to the development of the plant itself.

Now you know the plant Venus flytrap and care features for her. By fulfilling all the necessary conditions, you will be able to enjoy these amazing plants and watch their life full of adventures.