> Thanks to the FAQ about Venus Fly Traps on the Internet, I finally managed
> to adapt the Venus Fly Trap from the in-vitro stage to outside conditions
> (peat moss and lots of distilled water). I also got advised that I should
> not fertilize it. The oldest adapted plantlets may have some 5 month now,
> they are in an excellent condition, but they are still as little as half
> a dollar-coin. Do they grow so slow or should I nevertheless try to aply
> some fertilizer ?
There'll no doubt be some people who will recommend a dilute solution
of something or other, but in my opinion NO. Resist the temptation.
Don't feel that giving fertiliser is bound to make it better - it
isn't. By all means attempt to give it the occasional insect,
preferably alive, so long as it had traps to put it in, and it isn't
catching enough of its own.
As another example of plants adapted to a low nutrient regime: I have
grown some Protea cynaroides from seed this year. I used the same
peat/sand mix as I might use for Sarracenia, and have only applied
rainwater (no fertiliser) yet they are already healthy leafy plants
about 4 inches tall.
-- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)