Venus Flytrap - 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid for a Vibrant Plant 

I bet this guy has zero flies on his property.

I just watch 6 flytrap videos, about 2 hours worth, and this 10 minute video taught me more. Thank you

Jesus this was more informative then 99% of plant videos on youtube. Thank you!

This needs to be the first video that pops up when searching for VFT care. Thanks.

I tried SO many times to grow flytraps, but always"protected" inside. This year I put one on my back deck in full sun, a WOW, what a difference! I'm going to buy 4-5 more . and some sphagnum and perlite. VERY informative video...THANK YOU! SUBBED!

Thanks for the pics of VFTs in the snow. I never would have believed it without seeing it.

If you do feed your flytrap, another important thing to remember is not to give it a bug that's too big. The insect shouldn't be bigger than about 2/5 of the trap, or less than 1/2, just over 1/3 really. If the bug is too big, it's prone to rot and kill the trap before its fully digested.

Wow. More useful and relevant VFT info in 10 minutes than anywhere else on RU-vid for this subject. I've looked. I'm embarrassed that I've made all 5 of these mistakes over the decades whenever I've tried my luck, and ended up killing them all.

I have had a Venus Flytrap since 1970 which has proliferated. I live in northern Germany, which has a different climate than Wilmington. I water them with osmosis water and use white peat or Leucobryum glaucum as substrate. She is still alive today. Due to the many offshoots, I was able to experiment with their hibernation. I can't hibernate her outside because she freezes to death because of the very wet winters and has a lot of stress from the changing temperatures. Severe frosts and thaws alternate constantly. It also does not survive a period of rest in a frost-free cellar. Consequently, I cultivate them at 20° to 25°C. It forms very wide leaf blades in winter to capture more light. With a rest period, it recovers very poorly in the spring, since the winters are very long here. This leads to the death of the plant. Without a rest period with artificial lighting, I have very good results! Since I mixed the white peat with quartz sand, mineral salts are slowly released into the substrate. This increases the conductance to approx. 200 micro Siemens, so that the mineral salts occasionally have to be rinsed out with osmosis water. The plants are still very vigorous for me, even if the cultivation conditions are different according to the circumstances. There is very little sunshine in northern Germany, so the plant is kept outdoors from mid-May to October.

The basic issue is new growers tend to try and “baby” their new VFT, when they are actually incredibly hardy. Just make sure they’re ALWAYS moist in spring and summer, give them as much full sun as you can, and at the start of spring give them a spray of imidaclorprid to prevent aphid infestations. That’s all I do and I’ve had the same pot of batch VFTs for over a decade, have to throw out a handful of bulbs every spring though.

I love "Your flytrap doesn't care what you think." 😆 I have also made all of these mistakes. I did eventually find out that they prefer to be outdoors, and I usually water everything with rainwater, but I didn't know about their sunlight needs, or anything else. I might finally be able to keep a baby flytrap alive. What I'd like to know, though, is why growers don't ever include this information on the plants they send to nurseries. It looks like they really don't care if all of those plants die, so you have to go out and buy a new one every year. How irresponsible. 😠

Grew them for years this is the first vid i see that covers everything !

Another great video! Thank you for always putting out amazing content. I have so many people that want to grow their flytraps in a window. I try really hard to talk them out of it. Great advice for anyone looking to grow flytraps. Keep up the great work!!

Hey, just wanted to stop in and say that I learned more in your video than most and I don’t grow flytraps. Keep up the awesomeness. 😊

I just bought my first Venus Flytrap, I’m so excited to watch it grow outdoors in south Texas! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with this great video

Very informative video. A lot of this I knew but I love to refresh my memory any chance I get. Nice job!

Well said Jacob! I've been growing them for 20 years and been telling people the same thing.

This is so helpful! You explain it so well, thank you!

Your place looks AMAZING!!!! I love it! Thank you for this video.

I just learned more in this short video about VFTs than from years of reading about them, and trying to grow them indoors! You are such a good teacher!

Oh wow, this video was so informational!!! Thank you!!

Fantastic video. Great presentation. Thanks

Very fluent, clear and informative...

Fantastic video, thank you for the effort you put into this!

This was an incredible video. Great work ❤

Beautifully explained. 🙌🏻

Thank you so much for this info! Going to give it a shot next spring after some prep. Living in southern Missouri, so hopefully it’ll work well!

Thank you very much for your videos on VFT's. I think your way of explaining is very easy and understandable. Definitely subscribing 👍

Thank you for the lesson Jacob! 😊

This one is the ultimate guide information on Venus Fly trap hands down !❤

Thank you very informative video local grocery store has some for sale but in the past not very successful with those plants as a kid. What a beautiful yard and green houses you have sir.

What a delightful video! Thank you!

Thank You for posting this video! I was under the impression that the Flytrap was a tropical plant and never put it outside. I bought them at a lowes depot and would water them with tap water, not knowing that they thrive on distilled water. No wonder my Flytraps never lasted that long. You have educated myself and many others who I am sure were just as ignorant as I was.

this video was super informative and explained so well! I learned so much!!

Thank you so much for this video and the resources! I’m so excited to try growing flytraps!

7:53 - I appreciate the candor from people who teach. There's no need to coddle anyone. Thanks for this straightforwardness. 🤘

That was really helpful, thanks a lot! Subscribed!

So glad I came across your video, best tutorial video so far. Thank you for sharing your content 😊.

Your garden is absolutely gorgeous!

This was very very helpful. Thank you!!

So helpful! I learned a lot from this video and I just wanted to say thanks! ❤👍

Great tips! Thank you.

straightforward, brutal, no nonsense. great stuff. you got a subscriber.

Absolutely excellent presentation! 👏👏

I just bought my first baby VFT, you've given much different info than the little info stick that it came with. I'll trust you.

I stumbled across your channel and am pleased to say at 76 I have always loved plants and still have quite a few but have never owned a venus or a pitcher plant...love them tho'. TY so much for sharing your knowledge, your love for these plants and influencing me to give them a go. Wish me luck. And TY again.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience in really easy way!

Brilliant video, so much information, thank you

Thanks for this. Very helpful. Especially the first one for me!

Really interesting video, thank you so much for sharing it with us 😊

Great tips. Love my flytrap found by my kids in a Walmart trash can. They are an amazing plant!

The Winter section was inspiring. Thx alot.

What an informative video - excellent presentation with useful tips. I'll put mine outside...

This is such an insightful video. I live in southern California and was wondering about leaving my trap outside! Looks like it's all good. Also, the dehumidifier for watering tip was amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

I can speak to its presence in South Georgia 40 years ago. I've seen multiple specimens growing in planted pine forests as far south as 5 miles north of the Florida state line. The specific areas where I've seen them were near swampy areas or fresh water bogs. Where the natural soil is high in peat and sand. There's very little clay, and the topsoil is pretty thin, so when you wander near old swamps, the topsoil is replaced with peat, with the sand substrate.

This is great information I been thinking about getting back in those plants

This has got to be the best venus fly trap information video out there. Thank you so much.

Thank you for your advice, great work!

Very good information, I didn't know any of this, thank you!

Probably the best flytrap video I've seen. New subscriber for definate!

Great video thank you broseph

Excellent and informative

Brilliant video. Thank you!

Great video & great tips ! Thank you !

Fantastic informative video ❤️

SOLID info. Thanks mate!

This is THE BEST video I have seen on the Venus Flytrap. Thank you

Great video well explained

Very informative. Thank you.

Great information. Thank you.

This is a very informative and a professional presentation! Just what I was looking for. I've tried to grow Venus Flytraps in the past and now I know why I wasn't successful. Thanks from your newest subscriber!

Fantastic video fantastic information thank you so much 🙏🏻🌹

Very informative, thank you

Great job on the video!

Most helpful tips and amazing knowledge your sharing. Couldnt find nothing helpfull here till i kept scrolling & your my flytrap saver.

Excellent and engaging video! 😁

Nicely presented. I agree with everything you stated!

Amazing video!

great tips well explained! 👏

As a kid it was always a treat when my mom would buy me one from the supermarket. Of course it didn't last long, inside under the plastic cup that was on top. Venus Flytrap has always been one of my favorites. Brings back good memories.

This is the best explanation on RU-vid.

great video, new sub. been keeping for 3 years now. Always worry about the winter temps zone 6b. we get below zero at times.

This video is amazing. Thank You!!!

Wow, a lot of excellent information.

Excellent video. Thank you so much.

Great Tips, Great Advice... 👍👍👍👍👍 I'm taking my Venus Flytrap Plant outside right this minute... 😊

the information density of this video is outstanding; excellent work

SUCH A GOOD VIDEO THANKS

I was gifted a Venus flytrap! I had no idea how to grow it. This helped a TON!! THANK YOU I was going to buy a grow light today. Now it's going outside 😲 Thank you for all the information!

very good video thank you.

I bought one yesterday, wish me luck. Your video is very helpful, thanx dude

Thanks, I learned a lot.

I appreciate the captions 😊

I´ve never managed to keep those plants alive.....now I know why. The sunlight......I always had them in my dark flat and it´s a shame that they sell them as indoor plants here. Like WCiossek writes in this comment section, it is possible to keep this species alive even here in Germany, but it´s a complicated thing. I won´t try it again. We should always inform, what a plant or an animal needs, before we take it under our custody and ask ourselves, if we can provide it. This are living creatures.

great video...well done...useful

Great video, thank you!

i am fascinated with Venus Flytraps but knew so little about them. Or more like what I thought I knew. Your video is so interesting!!!

His voice is fascinating!

excellent video

Great information