FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey guys, I'm a complete beginner, and although I checked the information provided by the site itself and the users, I want to be hundred percent precise.

You think it would be better to put my VFT in front of the window so it can get direct sunlight, or put a place near? (worried about the plant drying out), and I live in Zurich, so please consider the climate. Regarding watering, do you water them daily / how much water you think I should pour? and since I've just moved to a new place, I don't have a tray to put under, would it be fine if I pour water over the tops? do I have to pay attention to pour water in a way that it doesn't touch the traps?

PS: I attached the picture of the VFT that I have, so you can understand its size

Thanks in advance!

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Your plant will slowly die in a window from light starvation. It will need full sun outside or some kind of powerful led lighting. I grow my plants in 50/50 peat/perlite and use a full time water trey to keep the media moist. Other media may not allow you to use a water trey. Also keep in mind they will need a winter dormancy period to reset there life cycle.

summer vs winter

OK, thank you!

S Efe wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2024 9:07 am You think it would be better to put my VFT in front of the window so it can get direct sunlight, or put a place near? (worried about the plant drying out), and I live in Zurich, so please consider the climate.

Venus flytraps are native to southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina in the USA. Here is the 10-day weather forecast for Wilmington, North Carolina (in the heart of Venus flytrap country). Click on "C°" next to the current temperature to change it from Fahrenheit to Celsius, then click on "10-DAY". I looked at the forecast for Zürich; it's a bit cooler there, comparable to my late spring.

If you can put them outdoors, I think your plants (you have 3 in that pot) would do well, assuming no marauding birds or squirrels. You want a location that gets at least 5 hours of direct sun per day. The plants can stay outside until the temperature starts dropping below -4°C / 25°F; at this point, they need to be moved to a cool place indoors (2-13°C / 35-55°F) for winter dormancy.

S Efe wrote: Regarding watering, do you water them daily / how much water you think I should pour? and since I've just moved to a new place, I don't have a tray to put under, would it be fine if I pour water over the tops? do I have to pay attention to pour water in a way that it doesn't touch the traps?

Find a saucer or shallow bowl to put under the pot; Venus flytraps like to have "wet feet" (1-2 cm of water for a pot of this size). A clean food container can be turned into a good water bowl.

It's okay to water from the top (this happens to the wild plants every time it rains). Try to pour the water so it doesn't set off the traps, but if it happens, this won't harm the plants.

S Efe wrote: PS: I attached the picture of the VFT that I have, so you can understand its size

A note: in the future, please attach a PNG, JPG/JPEG, or GIF picture file. Having to open a PDF to view the embedded picture is a nuisance.

Thanks a lot for your explanation, it's really educative and helpful! Unfortunately, I don't have a place outdoors to put them, but I think they'll just do fine in front of the window, since my windows get direct sun light all day long.

S Efe wrote:... but I think they'll just do fine in front of the window, since my windows get direct sun light all day long.

No, they probably won't. Modern glass filters sunlight to the extent that plants with a high light requirement (this includes VFT's) will not get enough light on a windowsill. That windowsill could get light for 20 hours a day, and the plant will likely slowly die. They'll actually get better light outside on a cloudy day than they will on any windowsill. Glass in Switzerland may be different, but I doubt it's different enough that the results will not be similar.
If you're unable to put them outside in conditions they're more naturally suited for (well, as naturally as possible with a potted plant), the do some research now on artificial lighting. Find one that is sufficient for the plants you have, and plan on illuminating the plants with it for ~16 hours a day to give them the light exposure they need.
Good luck. Hopefully we don't read a post about a year from now about how your plants are dying, you don't know why because you feel they get plenty of sun on a windowsill, and you need help to save them.

S Efe wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 7:08 am Thanks a lot for your explanation, it's really educative and helpful! Unfortunately, I don't have a place outdoors to put them, but I think they'll just do fine in front of the window, since my windows get direct sun light all day long.

If the sunshine in that window proves to be insufficient, then you can always get a full-spectrum LED grow light like this one. You won't need both bulbs (I couldn't find the single-bulb model). If you already have a lamp, then a bulb like this is good. It needs to be an adjustable lamp; you will have to place the bulb fairly close to the plant (15-30 centimeters).

Note: I tried to find the Amazon.com site for Switzerland, and it redirected me to Germany's.

ChefDean wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 11:31 am

S Efe wrote:... but I think they'll just do fine in front of the window, since my windows get direct sun light all day long.

No, they probably won't. Modern glass filters sunlight to the extent that plants with a high light requirement (this includes VFT's) will not get enough light on a windowsill. That windowsill could get light for 20 hours a day, and the plant will likely slowly die. They'll actually get better light outside on a cloudy day than they will on any windowsill.

Exactly this is why, I keep the window open as much as possible when I'm at home, and leave it fully open when I'm outside. Maybe in the coming months (autumn&winter) when I might not be able to keep the window that often open due to the cold weather, I might get artificial lightning. But, wouldn't they've already gone to dormancy? would I still need that much lightning?

MikeB wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 2:27 pm

S Efe wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 7:08 am Thanks a lot for your explanation, it's really educative and helpful! Unfortunately, I don't have a place outdoors to put them, but I think they'll just do fine in front of the window, since my windows get direct sun light all day long.

If the sunshine in that window proves to be insufficient, then you can always get a full-spectrum LED grow light like this one. You won't need both bulbs (I couldn't find the single-bulb model).

Thank you for the recommendation! I wrote my concerns about lightning above. I'd be glad, if you can check it.

S Efe wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 9:00 pm But, wouldn't they've already gone to dormancy? would I still need that much lightning?

Flytraps try to keep some leaves during the winter. It takes repeated, hard frosts to kill the leaves (I've never seen that happen with my plants). They prefer to get some light, even if it's the weak winter sunshine for just 3 or 4 hours.

You've asked us for help, we've given our advice based on years of husbandry with these specific plants. However, you seem to have a problem for every solution, at least a counter of "You've said this, but I'm feeling that, so I'll go with that". Go for it.
Bottom line is they're your plants, do what you want with them despite asking for and receiving advice based on facts, not feelings; lead a horse to water kind of thing. But, in all reality, 90%+ of the time growers do what you're doing, they are back in about a year with an almost dead plant, asking on how to save it.
Happy growing.

MikeB wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 9:26 pm

S Efe wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 9:00 pm But, wouldn't they've already gone to dormancy? would I still need that much lightning?

Flytraps try to keep some leaves during the winter. It takes repeated, hard frosts to kill the leaves (I've never seen that happen with my plants). They prefer to get some light, even if it's the weak winter sunshine for just 3 or 4 hours.

OK then, I'll check the lightning that you sent, and purchase myself one, as Zurich is known for its gloomy winters. Thanks a lot!

ChefDean wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2024 9:44 pm You've asked us for help, we've given our advice based on years of husbandry with these specific plants. However, you seem to have a problem for every solution, at least a counter of "You've said this, but I'm feeling that, so I'll go with that". Go for it.
Bottom line is they're your plants, do what you want with them despite asking for and receiving advice based on facts, not feelings; lead a horse to water kind of thing. But, in all reality, 90%+ of the time growers do what you're doing, they are back in about a year with an almost dead plant, asking on how to save it.
Happy growing.

I'm highly grateful for your help and advices. I wouldn't want to leave such an impression to you. I'll listen to your advices based on years of husbandry, which is the most reliable source, and get myself an artificial lightning in order to keep them alive. Thanks a lot again!

Box stores and even some shady online information sites do these plants and new owners a huge disservice by acting like indoors on a windowsill is just the same as outdoors. It’s not even remotely close. But at least you can buy stuff to offset it.

My first VFT i didn’t know anything and went by the care instructions on the package. I didn’t know about dormancy or cutting the flower stalk. I thought since the package showed green plants that green was good with no coloration inside the traps. There was a lot more that I didn’t know and didn’t know I should look for. It’s the first plant I ever bought besides like bamboo. I lost that one unfortunately because I didn’t know how fast it would decline, but it was light starved, it was January with no dormancy, and it was sending up a huge flower stalk.

I probably could have even saved it with just a little more knowledge that I gained from here. But doing my due diligence with researching more on Google and clearing up ambiguities or asking things I couldn’t figure out here has really helped my plants to start flourishing. I now have a bunch of carnivorous plants, mostly VFTs and drosera, and 1 or 2 of a lot of the other popular types, and I’m only stopping collecting right now so I can start making a little cold room for dormancy and get some good T5 lighting for seedlings and overflow plants.

Anyhow I’m making this a lot longer than it needs to be, apologies, but suffice it to say that I went from thinking I could only kill plants or maybe grow one if I was lucky to having a much larger family of these and getting to watch them grow and do really well due to taking the awesome advice from here on the stuff google couldn’t clarify. You definitely won’t regret doing it this way.