Always thought those little grow kits were a scam, but my kid's Venus flytrap one actually worked

Got my son the 'Bug Bites' kit from the garden center for his birthday, fully expecting the seeds to be dead. Planted them in the tiny pot it came with, kept it on the kitchen windowsill. Two weeks later, we have three tiny traps that actually closed on a fruit fly. Totally changed my mind about pre-boxed plant stuff. Anyone know if these little guys can survive a Michigan winter indoors?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesf2919d ago

That's awesome, totally proved me wrong too. My own attempt at a cactus from one of those kits ended with a sad, mushy lump. Those flytraps are tougher than they look. They should be fine indoors over winter, just keep them in a bright spot and use distilled water, tap water minerals will kill them.

phoenix_bailey19d agoTop Commenter

Okay but "they'll die in a year or two" feels like fear mongering. I kept one alive on a sunny kitchen windowsill for like three years with just distilled water. It got a bit leggy but it was fine. They might prefer the cold but calling it a death sentence seems over the top. People act like these plants are super fragile but they're survivors.

thomas_sanchez19d ago

Wait, are you sure flytraps are fine indoors all winter? @jamesf29, they actually need a cold dormancy period or they'll die in a year or two. A bright windowsill helps, but they really need those chilly months. I keep mine in an unheated garage where it stays above freezing but below 50 degrees.