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Post by anmbia on Mar 3, 2006 6:30:42 GMT -5
I'm interested in getting a flytrap as a house plant, and I was just wondering if the ones sold in hardware/grocery stores actually have a chance of surviving. I've read about 20 websites worth of information on how to keep the little guys alive (all in the past 2 days), and a couple of the sites seem to think that the plants in these stores are basically dead before you bring them home. But I'm rather tempted to ignore the websites and buy one anyway because its definitely a more convenient and less expensive way to obtain the plant... but there really isn't any point in doing it if its guaranteed to die on me. I'm not really expecting fabulous results with my first trap, but I would like to at least know that its my fault that the plant died.
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Post by mabudon on Mar 3, 2006 6:45:10 GMT -5
First, WELCOME ABOARD!!
As long as you get them fairly fresh, you can usually make a good go of them. The ones that are truly DOOMED look like they are pretty much dead already, so if you're armed with the know-how, you should have little trouble with a store-bought healthy-looking plant
The common notion that they are usually going to die is based on a LOT of different factors- every VFT I have bought at home depot over the last 3-4 years is still alive and doing well, so give it a shot and we will try to help with any problems...
And if it dies, there's easier carnivores out there, like the Cape sundews, so don't despair either way!
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Post by Syble on Mar 3, 2006 7:35:30 GMT -5
Basically what he said, but I also advise you to look close at your possible candidates for something called spidermites, they will look like brown, red or black dots, often clustered around the base of the trigger hairs of the inside of the trap(not to be confused with the "teeth" around the edges of the trap). Once you get it home also flush the pot, pour lots of rain water through it to leach any accumulated fertilizer. Good luck! Sib  |
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Post by anmbia on Mar 3, 2006 9:24:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome! I'll keep the sundews in mind. And, is melted snow a good substitute for rain water? I don't think its going to rain here for a while...
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Post by steve on Mar 3, 2006 9:35:38 GMT -5
welcome to the board.......if i need water i go to the store and buy distilled water until the rain arrives. also i fill a few jugs up and use that over the winter, i may have to buy 2 jugs of water until i get a chance to collect some more..
happy growing
steve
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Post by hpulley on Mar 4, 2006 7:46:37 GMT -5
Melted snow works too. Store bought flytraps can be good or bad, depends on where you go. I find dedicated greenhouse stores are better than hardware stores but you may have just missed them (usually an Xmas gift sort of thing I guess).
Can you still buy the bulbs mail order? That's how I grew them as a young child, from the bulb placed in a pot of sphagnum moss. Kind of fun to see them sprout. Mine usually don't get a full proper hibernation in the window (next winter I'll have to put them in the garage).
Harry
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Post by Flytrap on Mar 13, 2006 13:01:29 GMT -5
The best deals can be found at many of the hardware type box-retail stores. Where they usually at the end of the season, have a bunch of almost dead VFTs. I usually find these almost dead VFTs and pick them all up for a few dollars (talk to the store manager), bring them home and bring these plants back to life. So in truth, VFTs are super easy to look after. Just make sure you grow them in full sunlight (graduate them to bright light if they just came from the dark sales shelf off the retailer). Sit them in water and keep the humidity level quite high. Always remember to give them their winter rest. VFTs die if you over pamper them. I've enclosed a pic of some of my baby VFTs with a CANADIAN dime (I'm tired of seeing some of those other country's coinage) for size reference.  |
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Post by anmbia on Mar 13, 2006 23:54:17 GMT -5
They are so tiny!! wow...
I think I'm going to be heading up to a canadian tire later this week, so hopefully they will have some in stock. I'll post a pic if I end up getting one.
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Post by plasmashock on Jan 27, 2007 23:43:13 GMT -5
The best deals can be found at many of the hardware type box-retail stores. Where they usually at the end of the season, have a bunch of almost dead VFTs. I usually find these almost dead VFTs and pick them all up for a few dollars (talk to the store manager), bring them home and bring these plants back to life. So in truth, VFTs are super easy to look after. Just make sure you grow them in full sunlight (graduate them to bright light if they just came from the dark sales shelf off the retailer). Sit them in water and keep the humidity level quite high. Always remember to give them their winter rest. VFTs die if you over pamper them. I've enclosed a pic of some of my baby VFTs with a CANADIAN dime (I'm tired of seeing some of those other country's coinage) for size reference. can you please tell me how to bring them back to life because my plants died real fast. |
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Post by lloyd on Jan 27, 2007 23:51:42 GMT -5
anmbia: Go ahead and try one. For $3 you'll get some experience and enjoyment.
plasmashock: To bring your VFT's back follow the suggestions in the other posts: pure water, lots of sun; grow them in moist sphagnum moss.
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Post by Dennis A(cook1973) on Jun 3, 2013 10:37:56 GMT -5
We had one from a local hardware store, it started eating right away ! it was forgot about and was left in direct sunlight magnified by the window which basically killed it.
If your buying from a hardware store have the sales person trigger the hairs of a trap to make it close ..if it closes it ha a good chance of surviving indoors
before mine died it was reproducing in the pot with tiny traps near the base.
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Post by Dennis A(cook1973) on Jun 3, 2013 11:51:05 GMT -5
I started with 1 plant and 4 traps before it died those 4 traps turned into 10 !!!(still 1 plant though)
Feed them keep them in the right conditions and they will be rewarding and thrive and multiply
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Post by Dennis A(cook1973) on Nov 30, 2013 17:46:20 GMT -5
I'm interested in getting a flytrap as a house plant, and I was just wondering if the ones sold in hardware/grocery stores actually have a chance of surviving. I've read about 20 websites worth of information on how to keep the little guys alive (all in the past 2 days), and a couple of the sites seem to think that the plants in these stores are basically dead before you bring them home. But I'm rather tempted to ignore the websites and buy one anyway because its definitely a more convenient and less expensive way to obtain the plant... but there really isn't any point in doing it if its guaranteed to die on me. I'm not really expecting fabulous results with my first trap, but I would like to at least know that its my fault that the plant died. I bought one from wal-mart a while ago. They were kept outside (all summer) and only got watered when t rained, which was not often.They were still alive but did not look healthy like t should so I asked the wal- martian a few questions and found out that they knew what type of water to use but it was too expensive for the number of CP's they got and apart from nature never got fed or watered and they were unpacked and put outside and left alone,still bought the best looking one and when I got home decided to plant it in new peat and water it. I was shocked when I uprooted it,the media was so dry it looked and felt like sand! still I replanted it and the traps even ate for one feeding but died shortly after, so I went back to wal-mart who threw every excuse at me for it dying,they even tried blaming me !! so take my advice store bought VFT's are a really bad idea and a bad place to get a venus flytrap, I only order from nurseries now,it might cost more but the plants are healthy. |
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Post by canadaone on Dec 3, 2013 3:17:45 GMT -5
Sometimes even nurseries are bad places for flytraps and other carnivorous plants. I have seen flytraps in Sheridan Nurseries sitting in water all day long. Sure they like it a bit damp but not soggy. And they had used tap water to boot. I once saw a nepenthes at the local Sheridan that an ignorant cashier had cut all the pitchers off of the poor plant!
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Post by Dennis A(cook1973) on Dec 3, 2013 11:33:11 GMT -5
There should be training for stores selling them and further training for any employee working in a garden center or nursery,I bought 3 traps not realizing how much attention they needed to be healthy but I know now and I would never neglect them. as a matter of fact I have 2 typicals and a Big jaws I plan to order a Ping(P.Moransis) and a King Henry and a B52 Flytraps this spring from the nursery I ordered my first CP's from...HB.
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