# Looking for Venus Fly Trap plant.



## AquaNeko

Just looking to expand my search and wondering if people can keep an eye out for me where they saw it so if Im around I can pick one up.

Just saw a Discovery program with some VFT plants on it. I owned 1-2 of them when I was a younger and wanted to have a go at it again which could help with some indoor gnats Ive been having I think.


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## arinsi

ive occasionally seen them at home depot but im not sure if they have them now


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## fury165

I recall my daughter saying something about seeing them while we were in BA in Vaughn. Give them a call...


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## carmenh

BA's in Oakville usually has them...


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## Tbird

Big Al's in Oakville has had then in the past. I was there about 3 weeks ago and didn't see anymore though.


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## trailblazer295

I think I've seen them at BA scarb.


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## AquaNeko

What was the price and how many heads was on the plant?

I'm not driving out to Oakville just for that. I may see if there is someone come my way later that could perhaps bring one my way.

Tho I'm seeing if I can find it locally or closer first.


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## Joeee

I also think BA's Mississauga had them for less than $10 (?).

You should call your local BA's to see if they're going to get a shipment in if they don't already have some.


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## vrb th hrb

most garden sections in canadian tire, home depot, i think even wal mart usually have them

and much cheaper than 10 bucks. just make sure they are alive first


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## PACMAN

Joeee said:


> I also think BA's Mississauga had them for less than $10 (?).
> 
> You should call your local BA's to see if they're going to get a shipment in if they don't already have some.





vrb th hrb said:


> most garden sections in canadian tire, home depot, i think even wal mart usually have them
> 
> and much cheaper than 10 bucks. just make sure they are alive first


+1 to both of these!


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## carmenh

I've seen them at Dragon too...


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## characinfan

Make sure to keep them in distilled water and they'll do very well.  They are originally from North Carolina, so do make sure also to put them in a cool and shady location in the winter months. They will start to perk up again around February.


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## Cory

BA Vaughan mills always has them around the betta bowls section unless they sell out but they always get more. Ive been wanting to buy one but keep neglecting to lookup the care requirements and won't buy anything I'm not sure I can handle .


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## AquaNeko

I am curious if you put a feed it say fish flakes or pellets or bloodworms will that be ok? Like as a snack and such with what you have on hand. I know you have to hit two hairs within about 2-3 seconds for the plant to sping it's trap or else it won't close to save energy. I am like that Cory. I always tend to read up on requirements on things if I want to own them. Sometimes I just go for the minimum setup while sometimes I go waaay overboard on the min (like my crazy MTB lighting  ). 

Tho it would be nice if there was a way for the plant to somehow feed itself then me having to always come and feed it. Obviously I don't think I want to let a bunch of flies into the house to breed.  >_<; Tho desgin some auto feeder thing would be cool in an enclosed dome with some mesh for ar circulation and releasing some bugs or such would be an interesting thought to autofeed.


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## Bio-Gold

^You're over thinking it...


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## sugarglidder

you just feed them with ferts to the soil. they dont get alot of anything from the bugs they trap. they are around $8 for a nice one. I can get them everyday at my local plant store. I am breeding carnivorous plants myself.

thanks

john


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## Guest

sugarglidder said:


> you just feed them with ferts to the soil. they dont get alot of anything from the bugs they trap.


ferts are NOT recommended for the vast majority of carnivorous plants, especially at the roots. It will kill them. The reason they evolved to utilize animals(insects) for nutrition is because the soils they come from are almost void of nutrients. They get all that they need from the bugs they trap. Some tropical species like some Nepenthes can be sprayed with a mild epiphytes (orchid) fertilizer in distilled or rain water. Tap water, especially our highly mineralized stuff will eventually kill them.

awesome source of carnivores is Keehns in BC. good healthy plants from someone who specializes in carnivores and knows how to take care of them.


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## Joeee

AquaNeko said:


> I always tend to read up on requirements on things if I want to own them. Sometimes I just go for the minimum setup while sometimes I go waaay overboard on the min (like my crazy MTB lighting  ).
> QUOTE]
> 
> That's just being responsible. XD
> 
> My mom was wondering why I was using a AquaClear 50 on my turtle tank, she was like 'I've seen them in pet stores with no filtration before'.


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## AquaNeko

Saw some at Sheriden Nurseries yesterday. They're inside the cold semi covered gorwing space inside the garden center. I was like 15C when I was checking it out. Interesting to see them again and they had a few other carniviourous plants there as well. They wanted $7.99/plant. THe plants looked like they're partly dead while the traps still sprung when the lady tested them. Any other pricings for those that check out your local shops?


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## characinfan

AquaNeko said:


> THe plants looked like they're partly dead while the traps still sprung when the lady tested them.


Most plants at this season will look partially dead because the plants are deciduous. They tend to lose a lot of their leaves over the winter. So long as the daylight is decreasing, the plants will not produce big, beautiful leaves. The plants will produce more leaves starting in February or so, when daylight hours increase.

As long as there's no fungus on the plants, they're probably fine.


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## AquaNeko

characinfan said:


> Most plants at this season will look partially dead because the plants are deciduous. They tend to lose a lot of their leaves over the winter. So long as the daylight is decreasing, the plants will not produce big, beautiful leaves. The plants will produce more leaves starting in February or so, when daylight hours increase.
> 
> As long as there's no fungus on the plants, they're probably fine.


Could you show me a photo(s) of a VFT with fungus so I can ID it when I'm at the buying stage?


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## AquaNeko

I was thinking of dropping some baby mealworms and perhaps some small chrikets fo rthe VFT to nom nom on. I am also looking for a natural way to have some plant eat small fruit flies or I think they're called fungus gnats by my indoor garden.


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## characinfan

You can tell if a plant has fungus on it because the fungus is fuzzy. Dead leaves that die in the fall or just during normal plant lifespans will look brown and shriveled.

Don't just drop insect material into a flytrap!! If there is too much food put in, it will rot. Venus flytraps are susceptible to fungus attack. One insect in one trap at a time is sufficient.

(Yes, I have kept Venus flytraps for years. If they are kept in a sunny location in the summer and a cool location in the winter, kept in distilled water and in a terrarium or other moisture-retaining container, they can live a long time and split into many new plants, and also bloom.)


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## matti2uude

I've seen them at BA's Scarb and the Morningside Home Depot before.


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## bae

Carnivorous plants don't use insects as food, but as a source of mineral nutrients. They need very little in the way of insects, and can go months or years without them.


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## Guest

bae said:


> Carnivorous plants don't use insects as food, but as a source of mineral nutrients. They need very little in the way of insects, and can go months or years without them.


Not true beverly. They do need insects occasionally if you are growing them as they would in nature. I had quite the collection of carnivores back when I lived at home with our greenhouse and the ones that did best were the ones that were fed insects. I experimented with four genera when I was growing them and found that the VFP that were not fed insects failed to form proper hibernacula and died during cold storage (three months). The ones fed regularly became large plants (15 + traps) and lived for years with regular flowering. This was also true of many of the Sarracenia. Carnivores not fed fail to flower and wither away. There is an awesome bog up by our cottage which is completely full of Sarracenia purpurea and some Drosera sp in which the pitchers are crammed full of insects. These plants flower profusely and are in amazing condition.

The only genera that seemed to do well without feeding were the more epiphytic Nepenthes and Utricularia which derived some nutrition from the surrounding rotting leaves. Even the Brocchinia reducta (carnivorous bromeliad) I had withered away without the occasional insect feeding.

I don't claim to be an expert but I do know some (some I used to trade with and buy from) and they always said feed occasional insects.


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## bcarlos

Here's a great online retailer of carnivorous plants -- http://www.keehnscarnivores.com/

My recommendation -- if you're going to order from them, I'd do so quickly. Many suppliers put their carnivorous plants through a dormancy phase during the winter months, so supplies drastically dwindle once it starts to get cooler outside.


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## Guest

bcarlos said:


> Here's a great online retailer of carnivorous plants -- http://www.keehnscarnivores.com/
> 
> My recommendation -- if you're going to order from them, I'd do so quickly. Many suppliers put their carnivorous plants through a dormancy phase during the winter months, so supplies drastically dwindle once it starts to get cooler outside.


that link was in my earlier post 

they have awesome plants!


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## Darkside

h_s said:


> Not true beverly. They do need insects occasionally if you are growing them as they would in nature. I had quite the collection of carnivores back when I lived at home with our greenhouse and the ones that did best were the ones that were fed insects. I experimented with four genera when I was growing them and found that the VFP that were not fed insects failed to form proper hibernacula and died during cold storage (three months). The ones fed regularly became large plants (15 + traps) and lived for years with regular flowering. This was also true of many of the Sarracenia. Carnivores not fed fail to flower and wither away. There is an awesome bog up by our cottage which is completely full of Sarracenia purpurea and some Drosera sp in which the pitchers are crammed full of insects. These plants flower profusely and are in amazing condition.
> 
> The only genera that seemed to do well without feeding were the more epiphytic Nepenthes and Utricularia which derived some nutrition from the surrounding rotting leaves. Even the Brocchinia reducta (carnivorous bromeliad) I had withered away without the occasional insect feeding.
> 
> I don't claim to be an expert but I do know some (some I used to trade with and buy from) and they always said feed occasional insects.


I've been looking all over for some Sarracenia purpurea but have never seen one. My cottage is up by the French river and I haven't had any luck looking up there even though I spend my fair share of time in bogs. There are a lot of Drosera plants all over the place, but the majority of them are pretty much bug free.


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## bae

Thanks for the correction, Harold. I was overreacting to the notion of feeding these plants in massive quantities as if they were animals.

And thanks both of you for the excellent link. Maybe I'll buy some seeds from these people. I like to grow things from seed.

I had a potted S. purpurea for some years, and it bloomed outdoors every summer. One year it got ripped to shreds by raccoons and didn't recover, alas. Wretched animals must have been starving to go after rotten flies.

Btw, if anyone is looking for Nepenthes, Fiesta Gardens, at the far end of a parking lot on Christie between Dupont and Bloor has a few very good looking hanging baskets of them. I didn't check the price, but since they are outdoors in a tent, they'll soon freeze, so you may be able to cut a deal. Since I got a couple of 5" pots of two unusual Rhipsalis there a couple of weeks ago for $5 each, regular price, the Nepenthes may not be all that expensive to start with.


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## vrb th hrb

Darkside said:


> I've been looking all over for some Sarracenia purpurea but have never seen one. My cottage is up by the French river and I haven't had any luck looking up there even though I spend my fair share of time in bogs.


my parents live year round in muskoka and their land backs onto a large marsh. I've seen these plants there on numerous occasion. they are pretty cool


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## Guest

bae said:


> Thanks for the correction, Harold. I was overreacting to the notion of feeding these plants in massive quantities as if they were animals.
> 
> And thanks both of you for the excellent link. Maybe I'll buy some seeds from these people. I like to grow things from seed.
> .


http://www.bestcarnivorousplants.com/catalog/carnivorous_plants.htm

This is an excellent source of plants and seeds AND they will provide the elusive CITES export paperwork (required for plants but not for seeds). I would definitely steer most to Keehn's for the ease of ordering from a Canadian source. ... but for sheer volume of species, clones and morphs Best is the mecca. I used to look at the list periodically (haven't in a couple years) and wish I still had a greenhouse *sigh*. Perhaps next year we could do a group order, if my wife will let me set up a bog garden in the backyard.


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## Guest

Darkside said:


> I've been looking all over for some Sarracenia purpurea but have never seen one. My cottage is up by the French river and I haven't had any luck looking up there even though I spend my fair share of time in bogs. There are a lot of Drosera plants all over the place, but the majority of them are pretty much bug free.


Our cottage is not far from Rosseau.. posting from there tonight. (gotta love high speed internet in the wilderness). There are about 4 bogs not far from here (locations kept secret). Two have Sarracenia and Droseras, two have only Drosera. I will go to the one with Sarracenia tomorrow to see how they are doing.


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## vrb th hrb

h_s said:


> Our cottage is not far from Rosseau.. posting from there tonight. (gotta love high speed internet in the wilderness). There are about 4 bogs not far from here (locations kept secret). Two have Sarracenia and Droseras, two have only Drosera. I will go to the one with Sarracenia tomorrow to see how they are doing.


very cool, my parents live near minett


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