Venus Fly Trap

[Sean Barry]

Winter time is dormancy time for Venus Fly Traps, and they should be kept
outdoors during that time and definitely not fed.  As noted earlier in
this thread, some growers have been successful using a root fertilizer,
but in general it is not recommended for most carnivorous plants.  It is
also true that many carnivores can live a long time without being fed, but
they definitely grow better, live longer, and flower/divide/set seed more
freely when they are fed.  I keep my flytraps, Sarracenia pitcher plants,
and most of my sundews on a southern-exposed patio year round in the
central Valley of California--temperatures during the winter are low
enough to allow dormancy, but frosts are rare.  From late August through
October I use 40% shade cloth over all but the flytraps, which definitely
thrive best with maximal sunlight.  I keep all of the carnivores in 50%
sand--50% sphagnum peat moss with a live sphagnum top dressing, in plastic
pots in trays with about 1" (2.5cm) of distilled water.  Repot/divide
during early spring, just as new growth is beginning.  Do not feed them
hamburger or anything but bugs.  These conditions are pretty much
standardized for growing these plants--they're not my invention, but they 
definitely work.

Sean Barry