What is a carnivorous plant?

A carnivorous plant is a plant that gets its nutrition from soil as well as, for example, insects. These plants survive best in nitrogen-poor soil. An example of this is marshes. The soil contains little nitrogen, which is why you often see these plants there. It is a real living plant. If it sees insects coming, it will first attract them. Then the plant will hold them and they will be killed and eaten. There are about 630 species of these plants. However, there are only 5 families which is quite small. Some species can survive without eating insects.

How long does a carnivorous plant live

The carnivorous plant can survive up to 20 years. There are even rare cases of plants that have reached an age of 25 years. When you take good care of them, they will last about this long. Many people think that the care is very complicated but it is not. It only takes a few minutes a day. These plants like to stand in the sun. And it is also important not to give artificial food or pieces of meat. These can even kill the plants. It is important to water them regularly. They love a wet soil. You also have to remove dead leaves immediately. This way they get the chance to grow again.

What are you giving?

The carnivorous plant likes a clear and structural diet. They prefer to eat insects or animals. These you can give with confidence. Despite the name, you should not give them meat. This can have a toxic effect on the environment of this plant. In the worst case the plant can die from it. They prefer to have a wet bottom. You can just fill it with tap water. The softer the water the better the plant will do. You must never give these plants any kind of artificial nutrition. This is pure poison. Also do not use any potting soil with these plants. They do best on a mixture of peat and perlite. The bigger garden stores may have special soil for these plants.

How to care for a carnivorous plant

It is best to give the carnivorous plant a spot in the sun. They love wet feet and good sunlight. Never be too sparing with water. A dry soil will kill them sooner than a wet one. The best place for this plant is in the window frame so it gets as much sun as possible. You should also remove dead leaves immediately. Otherwise, they may cause the plant to die completely. It is also important that they have a good underground. You must never give them any kind of artificial nutrition. Most plants will perish from this.

Where to buy a carnivorous plant

You can buy a carnivorous plant at most garden stores. But you can also choose to order them online. However, it is always nice to see the plant before you buy it. Most people like to buy them on location. If this is not possible, you can also ask the seller to send you a picture. This way you know if and how the plant will arrive at your home. During the shipment many things can go wrong. And especially a plant is very vulnerable. Especially since this plant lives best in the sun. Online you can read which plant suits you best. There are many species which are extensively researched. With some regularity a blog is published about this.

What types are there?

There are several species of carnivorous plants. You have the unique sticky trap which you can recognize by its tentacles. The glandular hairs also produce some moisture so that in the morning it looks as if there is dew on the plant. Then you have the sticky trap. This is where people often recognize the carnivorous plant from. If you touch two or more of its hairs, it will snap shut. It does this of course to be able to catch the prey. Most have about 3 to 10 hairs per leaf. The beaker trap has its name from the beaker shape of the leaf. An insect can not hold on to it and falls into the cup as it were. So he has caught his prey and he can enjoy eating it. Of course there are many more species.

What to give a carnivorous plant

A carnivorous plant needs a lot of water and regular watering. This plant needs special potting soil and it likes to drink. They also like to stand in the sun. It is best to put them in a sunny spot such as a windowsill. They also like to eat insects and they prefer to catch them alive. Do not give them pieces of meat because this will poison the plant. Depending on the species you have, they are very sensitive. They can close at a light touch. It is therefore important that you handle the plant carefully.

Can a carnivorous plant have flesh?

A carnivorous plant can have absolutely no meat. Meat is poison for these plants and that's why they usually die. But they do like living insects. These they prefer to catch themselves. Then they will close the opening to catch the insect. Then they will slowly kill the insect. If the insect is dead they will eat it. And that is how this plant survives best.

Benefits

A carnivorous plant catches insects and animals. This ensures that you have less trouble with flies or spiders. But they also digest these animals completely. So you do not have to drive a mess. They are not big eaters so you will need some of these plants in the house. It is also important to place them in the sun. They have grown up in this climate and they love it. They also like a lot of soft water. This makes for a wet surface in which they can soil themselves. So give them water regularly.

Caring for a carnivorous plant

It is not complicated to take care of a carnivorous plant. You can do this by placing it right in the sun. Because the plant often grows in the marsh or another nitrogen poor area they love this. They also love water, so you have to give them water regularly. They are used to this because of the marsh climate. They also like it when you cut off dead leaves immediately. If you do not do this, it can spread through the plant which can eventually lead to death. Never give them real meat because they are insects and animal eaters. In most cases they catch them themselves. Eventually you can put a fly or spider on the plant carefully. Then the plants can start eating them. They are not big eaters so do not give them too much.

Advantages of a carnivorous plant

A carnivorous plant ensures that you have less trouble with insects in the house. This is one of the most common problems in the Dutch household. There are many flies and spiders who like to visit us. Spiders are often attracted to clean spaces. We don't like a dirty environment so we easily see 20 spiders a year in our household. You can carefully feed these animals to the plant. Be careful not to touch the feelers with your fingers. This can cause them to bite your fingers. And this is the last thing you want. They also like to drink water. So always make sure they have enough. And just like us humans they like to stand in the sun.

Types

There are many species of the carnivorous plant in the Netherlands. Officially there are only 5 families. You have the sucker trap which lives under water in for example a pond. It catches small larvae or fish eggs. Then you have the trap which you often see in South Africa. With this species you see very thick roots that are directed inwards. There are also many breeders active who try to breed their own species. In the future the number will therefore only increase. These are ideal plants to prevent nuisance flies and spiders. This is the favorite meal of this plant. Never give them meat because this is poison for these plants. Put them always in the sun because they are used to this. They find this the most pleasant environment.

The step-by-step plan for a carnivorous plant

When you buy a carnivorous plant, you always start with the right soil. Most growers have a separate kind of soil especially for this plant. If this is not the case, you can also mix terlite and blond peat yourself. This provides the ideal environment for the plant. They like to stand in the sun so, for example, a windowsill is an ideal place for this plant. They also like to swim in the water. This is because they originally only grow in marshes. So give them a large amount of water regularly. They prefer water that is as soft as possible.

Summary

There are many growers where you can buy a carnivorous plant. But also on the internet there are several people who offer this. Sometimes you can find these plants in the local garden shop. However, it is important that you ask good advice about these plants. Usually they like to stand in the sun. But they also like to go swimming. So it is important to give them timely and sufficient water. You should never give them real meat because they can die from it. They love spiders and flies.