Most everyone has heard of the Venus Flytrap ,(Dionaea muscipula) We just wanted to give you some facts and myths about this unique plant. You might think of exotic images such as an amazon jungle to be where the Flytrap lives, But in reality they only grow naturally in a tiny geographical area of marshes in North and South Carolina. Yes they do actually capture and devour insects and small amphibians , like frogs. They don’t really eat them ,it’s kinda works like the human stomach does , it secretes digestive juices that breaks down the prey. It cannot envelop the tough exoskeletons of the insects so it will just reopen and they fall out or the wind will blow them away.
There are over 500 types of carnivorous plants in the world. They mainly are found in low nutrient environments, they do survive off of photosynthesis like all other plants , but they require additional nutrients to stay alive. Hence the trapping of bugs and such ,The way their “trap” works is when the prey enters, trigger hairs are contacted as the prey tries to escape causing it to close.
If you ever do end up with one of these wonders for yourself, it grows best as an outside container plant, its needs a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight for vigorous growth. It likes the heat originating from an area that often is humid and in the 90’s
Keep the pot in standing water at all times , with the pot raised up a bit, rain water is the best as they like mineral free water.
The flytrap requires nutrient free soil that has good drainage, use a 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite – never use potting soil , compost or fertilizer as it will kill the plant. They do best if repotted every year.
Venus Flytraps are endangered, as you can imagine it’s man being so fascinated with the plant that has caused this.
A few myths about the Venus Flytrap are – 1 – Venus Flytraps are swamp plants and need lots of water at all times…. False – they need well drained soil that the roots can easily make there way down to a water table that allows them to take up water as they want it . To much water will kill them.
2- Venus Flytraps need to be fed bugs to survive – False – they will survive with just sunshine for a long time, They will catch bugs when possible, one trap can eat up to 4 bugs before dying off .They cannot eat human food, like hamburger.
3- Venus Flytraps will hurt me or my kids or my pets – False – If you do stick your finger in one it will feel like eyelashes or a feather, also another less- fallen- for myth that has been caused by the movie ” Little Shop of Horrors ” That Flytraps are giant plants is also false, they are actually quite small.
In our opinion orchids rank among some of nature’s most beautiful flowers. Once you understand their basic needs it’s easy to grow them yourself. Most
Most everyone has heard of the Venus Flytrap ,(Dionaea muscipula) We just wanted to give you some facts and myths about this unique plant. You
The Crown of Thorns or some refer to it as the Christ Plant is thought by many to be a succulent, but it is not
Lets talk a bit about trees , The Japanese Maple or Acer palmatum , Has brilliant ,delicate foliage that can come in reds or greens.
The Iceland Poppy or Papaver Nudicaule is a biennial that will give you a long lasting show of flowers all summer long.. The Iceland Poppy
Balloon Flower or Platycodon Grandiflorus is a hardy perennial, that will have your summer garden popping with large blossoms in a number of pastel shades.
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About Stephen Follett Company… Our company has its roots on a farm outside the Village of Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, where in 1952 our founder, botanist and horticulturist Stephen Follett, began production of his newly developed liquid plant food concentrate Follett’s Watch Us Grow®.
He spent the previous decade experimenting with various compounds of fertilizers, trace elements and other organic and inorganic materials to find a formula that would foster healthier and better plant growth. He based his studies on the ancient idea of foliar feeding; the theory that plants can absorb nutrients through leaves, branches, stems, buds, fruits and even flowers as well as its root system. After years of trial and error, Mr. Follett perfected his gentle 8-8-8 liquid formula . . . a 256 to 1 concentrate of three major elements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potash) and five micronutrients (boron, copper, iron, manganese and zinc) plus his proprietary compound Fol-Ade® which contains eight ingredients that react on the elemental plant foods in the formula.
Since his death in 1992 at the age of 81, Mr. Follett’s grandson Phil Faustini has run the 50 year old family business. Few things have changed over the years. We’re still located on a farm a few miles from where the company started and the Watch Us Grow formula remains the same. We just don’t see any reason to tamper with something that works so darn well on everything — flowers, shrubs, trees, grasses, vegetables, fruits and house plants. Mr. Follett, known for his sense of humor, jokingly said in his later years, “why it works so well is my little secret, but I think plants grow up to get away from the stuff.” He did share his secret but only with his family. We’re glad he did. You will be, too.
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Email: sales@watchusgrow.com
Phone: (920) 746-9062
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