How to Make a Terrarium for a Venus Fly Trap

Overview

Terrariums provide a low-maintenance way to grow indoor plants that require few nutrients but need a high-humidity environment, such as the Venus flytrap. These plants receive most of their nutrients from insects, which they break down and digest inside their traps. Create a terrarium for these carnivorous plants to provide for their needs, give them an attractive display and ensure the continued health of the flytrap.

Step 1

Combine two parts sphagnum peat moss with one part coarse builder's sand. Or use perlite or vermiculite instead of sand.

Step 2

Place a 1-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of fish bowl, glass terrarium or a quart-sized jar. Place 3 to 4 inches of the peat moss mixture on top the gravel.

Step 3

Plant the Venus flytrap into the peat mixture inside the terrarium. Plant it at the same depth it was growing in the nursery pot, ensuring that the roots are completely covered with the potting medium.

Step 4

Water the peat mixture with distilled water until the mixture is evenly moist throughout. Place a sheet of clear plastic over the top of the terrarium, leaving one corner uncovered to vent, to help retain the moisture inside the terrarium. Water again when the surface of the mixture begins to dry.

Step 5

Set the terrarium in an area that receives four hours of direct sunlight and bright, indirect light for the rest of the day. Choose an area that maintains a temperature of 70 to 75 F during the summer and a temperature of approximately 60 in the winter.