Question about a Venus Flytrap and a living rock plant.?

Question

Can you plant a living rock in sand like a lot of other plants in the cactus family? How fast does it grow?

And about the Venus Flytrap. How fast do the leaves open back up after closing, and is there a way to open them up quicker when they haven't got a bug when it closes? Also, how fast do they grow, and can I grow it in my backyard (I live in Central Pennsylvania)?

Answer 1

Please be careful not to overwater the lithop.  If they get squishy at the base, they need less water.  In nature most types get their water at specific times of the year at night as moisture in the air condenses on them.  

I have several varieties that came together in one pot.  It holds about a cup of soil and they get a teaspoon of water sprayed on them once a week.  Four times a year I let water run through the pot to help flush out salts.

They grow very very slowly which is nice because you can have lots of them in a small area.

Flytraps are nice in container bog gardens at the base of taller plants like iris and next to lady slipper orchids.

Answer 2

you can't keep the Venus fly trap in you back yard, they will die.  They need a very high humidity environment at about 80 or 90%, they usually are kept in a turarium.  They do not grow fast at all. I don't know the answeres to the rest of your questions, hope this helps! you may be able to keep the living rock in your sandy backyard, if its a hot climate like the desert. you prob will have to dig it up in the fall.

Answer 3

Your "living rock" plant is a succulent  known as Lithops. It is very similar to a cactus and should be planted in a sandy soil mix. You can buy special cactus soil mixes or make your own with regular potting soil and sand. They are slow growers.

Here's a good reference site:

http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/...

The traps on a VFT should reopen in a few days after a failed trap.They will start the reopening cycle shortly after closing if the trigger hairs on the leaf do not sense any movement. There is no way to force them to reopen. Be careful not to accidentally make them close as they only can reopen a few times before the leaf stalk will "wear out" and die.

VFT's are actually fast growers when given the right conditions. The are a perennial bog plant. It's best to keep them outside in full sun and keep their soil wet. They do not require high humidity and do not do well indoors. This is a misconception that kills most VFTs. They are native to freshwater bogs in North Carolina (US) and prefer to spend their time out in the open in full sun and wet soil. You may be able to plant it outside in Central PA if you could give it the proper bog conditions and protect it from hard winter freezes, it is normally a zone 8 plant and you're probably a bit to cold for that. A better idea would be to plant it in a container to simulate a bog garden and keep it outside in all but the worst winter conditions. It would be much easier to manage it's conditions that way.

Good care links:

http://www.flytrapcare.com/

http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_pag...

Answer 4

You could plant it in the ground but it needs an environment similar to where it originates in order to survive/thrive.  PA doesn't provide that type of environment.

I have no idea how long it takes for a Venus Fly trap to reopen.  I imagine it would take as long to open after it had consumed an insect.  Maybe 24 - 48 hours?

In the right area you might see obvious growth but like the succulent, it needs the perfect environment to grow.  You would have the best luck if you planted it in a terrarium where it will be exposed to high humidity and really warm temps.

Personally, I have never known anyone who could keep that plant alive very long.