The Venus fly trap originates from swampy areas where the soil is devoid of any proper nutrients. The lack of nutrients had caused the plant to evolve carnivorous features such as traps, which allow it to hunt its prey for survival. Thus, to allow the Venus flytrap to flourish as a houseplant, we must provide it with a similar type of soil. So, let us learn how to prepare the potting soil for Venus fly trap.
Procedure to make the soil for Venus fly trap
Never use commercial potting soil to plant your Venus flytrap. The best way is to make your potting mixture, as it is suited to the needs of your Venus flytrap.
The simplest way to make such a mixture is to mix one part of peat moss and one part of perlite. It can be easily made and ideally provides the required nutrition to your plant. Adding things such as compost or fertilizers can provide excessive nutrition and damage the plant.
To ensure that your plant stays robust, try to refill your pot every year with a fresh homemade mix of the above-given ingredients. Changing the soil every year helps improve aeration, balance the acidity, and enable the plant to grow in strength. However, you should avoid re-potting the plant when it is dormant or flowering.
Why you should make your homemade potting mix for your Venus fly trap?
So, let us discuss why you should make your homemade potting mix rather than using a commercial potting mix –
- Composition
- Nutrient Overdose
- Availability & Affordability
1. Composition
General potting mixes generally contain a lot of organic matter and are neutral. However, the Venus flytrap requires soil that is devoid of organic material and relatively more acidic.
The excess of absorbent organic materials causes stagnation in the soil, and the improper acidity in the commercial potting mix harms the plant. However, the homemade potting mix contains peat moss which makes the soil acidic as per the requirements of the plant.
Further, making the mix at home allows you to reduce the amount of organic matter since the Venus flytrap doesn’t need too much organic matter to thrive.
2. Nutrient Overdose
Most commercial potting mixes tend to be high in minerals and fertilizers to enable faster plant growth.
However, the Venus flytrap needs the soil to be deficient in minerals and nutrients to help it thrive well.
Excess minerals can saturate the plant and eventually cause it to die. However, if you make the potting mix at home, you can regulate the number of minerals that go in it. Thus, it allows you to customize the soil as per the need of the plant.
3. Availability & Affordability
To allow proper growth of your Venus flytrap using a commercial potting mix, you would need a mixture that is suited for carnivorous plants. Such mixes are not widely available and are generally more expensive than regular potting mixes.
Thus, making your mix at home presents a more affordable option. Further, peat moss and perlite are generally more easily available than potting mix for carnivorous plants.
These are the reasons why you should make your potting mix and ensure more customized care for your plant.