Being new to growing Venus fly traps it is normal for you to be concerned about the growth of your plants. Or maybe you are just curious. Whichever you might be, this article is what you should be reading. Because here we are going to answer the question “How long does it take for Venus Fly Trap to grow?”
To answer your question, usually, a Venus flytrap will take two to four years to grow fully mature. And they grow about 4 to 5 inches tall. It truly depends on some factors like if you’re growing them outside, whether it’s getting enough sunlight, the type of soil you’re using, and many more.
I suggest you go through this article completely in order to have a complete understanding about their growth. So, stick around and keep reading.
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How Long Does It Take for a Venus Flytrap to Grow?
Growing a Venus flytrap is no easy task. It takes determination, patience, and of course proper care. You also need to be careful about the factors that are playing roles in their growth like sunlight, water, soil mixture, etc. Growing your Venus flytraps properly starts from your seeds.
Usually, even with proper care and treatment, the Venus flytrap would take about four to five years to grow completely. At the beginning, the flytraps grow slowly and the growth accelerates later.
If you are looking to grow your Venus flytrap from seeds, then make sure you buy the correct ones. Many people get amazed by the colorful seeds in blue, purple, and buy them. In reality, this is a huge mistake. Those seeds are completely fake.
Now let’s take a look at factors that play vital roles in the plant’s growth.
How Tall Does a Venus Fly trap Grow?
A healthy Venus flytrap usually grows four to five-inch. They grow up to 1.5 inches in diameter. During spring, adult Venus flytraps produce tiny white flowers.
In order for your Venus flytrap to grow 4 or 5 inches, it will take more than two years at least. Venus flytraps grow very slowly. Little seedlings start coming out after 10 to 15 days of germination and grow for about four months straight.
Factors that Play a Vital Role in the Growth of Venus Flytrap
Factors like sunlight, humidity, water, soil mixture, etc. play vital roles in the effective growth of the Venus flytraps.
Sunlight
Like most plants, Venus flytraps cannot grow without sunlight. Now it doesn’t necessarily have to be sunlight, you can also use UV lights for indoor gardening. But it’s best to use sunlight and keep your plants outside.
Your plants will require a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight for healthy growth. Experts recommend giving Venus flytraps as much sunlight as you can. However, you do need to keep an eye out to see if the soil is drying up. Water it properly to avoid dried up soil.
Some people keep their plants beside the window but this is not recommended as it doesn’t get enough light. Seedlings require way more light than adult flytraps. So, you have to make sure they get an adequate amount of sunlight otherwise the seedlings will not grow properly.
Soil
In case you didn’t know, carnivorous plants require soil that is completely nutrient-free. You can either use readymade soil mix for carnivorous plants buying from any store or make a peat moss mixture. Avoid using home plant soil or general garden soil as it can even result in the death of the plant.
To stay on the safe side, I’d recommend you to use a handmade soil mixture of peat moss, perlite, and silica. One more thing to note is that if you’re looking forward to growing your plants from seeds, then soak the soil in distilled water for a long time. When the texture is moist-muddy, then simply sprinkle the seeds.
Humidity
Venus flytrap like all carnivorous plants like a high humid atmosphere. The optimum humidity is 50% to 70%. The higher the humidity is, the better the plant will grow. In order to ensure your plant is getting sufficient humidity, keep them in a plastic packet especially during the early phase.
Water
Similar to the soil, Venus flytraps cannot take normal water or tap water. They can only survive with distilled water or rainwater. Tap water will burn the root or seeds if they are in the germination period, and it can end up being fatal to your plants.
Now, Venus flytraps like most carnivorous plants need a lot of water. Their soil must be kept moist with distilled or rainwater. Any sort of additives will kill and burn your plants. If you don’t moisten the soil often, their growth rate might slow down.
How Long Do They Live?
Surprisingly, the exact lifespan of Venus flytraps is still unknown. But scientists estimate that they can live for about 20 years. Each Venus flytrap has multiple traps.
However, the traps can only be used a limited number of times and then later dies only to be replaced by new traps.
So, the Venus flytrap stays strong and continues to have powerful traps regardless of their age after being an adult plant. Ultimately, they die after 20 years or so. The longer you want to keep your plant, the more profound care you should give to it.
Venus Flytrap Growth Process
Venus flytrap’s life cycle has three phases. Well, to be exact, it grows in two steps and the last step is like a break that’s needed for Venus flytrap to stay alive and healthy the coming year.
Here’s are the three phases in the life of Venus flytraps –
Germination
The optimum germination period of Venus flytraps is April to June. You can buy the seeds and simply germinate them without any trouble.
You can also store the seeds for next year in your refrigerator. For germination, you just need peat moss and rainwater or distilled water. Make sure the soil is soaked beforehand and simply sprinkle the seeds.
Keep the pot covered in a plastic bag and expose it to sunlight or any alternatives to it. Within two weeks, little seedlings will grow.
Flowering
Venus flytraps take a long period of time to grow properly. In about four to five years, your plants will become adults and will start having flowers.
About 10 flowers grow in spring. Cup-shaped and white in color, these small flowers eventually release seeds. However, it takes about seven to eight weeks for the seeds to be released.
You can use these seeds to grow more Venus flytraps.
Dormancy
Winter dormancy is required for both seedlings and almost adult flytraps. The seedlings grow for about four months in summer. However, as soon as winter hits, they stop growing. The same goes for grown-up Venus flytraps.
The dormant period stays on for about five months. It’s really important because research shows reduced light, moisture, and humidity level makes the plants weak and Venus flytraps that do not go dormant most likely die sooner.
Also, many flower loving insects hibernate during winter. Simply because there aren’t many flowers or leaves during the winter for them to gather food resources. Thus, food is scarce in the winter season for Venus flytraps and they go into a dormant state to conserve energy and live through the winter.
Your garden flytraps also need dormancy as well. Keep your plants inside a cold place after spraying it with distilled water or rainwater. Don’t worry about sunlight or soil because, during the dormant period, they use their reserved energy to stay alive.
After winter goes away, simply plant the Venus Flytraps again and they will continue growing healthily.
Final Thoughts on How Long Does it Take for a Venus Fly Trap to Grow
One of the awesome things about growing your own garden is that you get to know each and every plant, sort of like you would if you own a pet.
Not that they have pet style emotional expression but you will start to know when it is time to feed and whether they have reached full maturity.
It will teach you patience and that you can’t expect immediate results and that time and effort are what you need to put in consistently for AMAZING results!
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