Trying my first Venus flytrap indoors only (no balcony, north-facing window). I’ve got a full-spectrum LED on a smart plug, a small USB fan, and a Wi‑Fi temp/humidity sensor. I’d love to “fake” seasons so it gets a proper dormancy without using a fridge. Has anyone built a simple, repeatable indoor schedule for this?
- Month-by-month targets: What photoperiod and day/night temps do you run in spring/summer vs fall/winter? Example numbers would be awesome.
- Tapering: How quickly do you shorten daylength and drop temps going into dormancy, and how do you ramp back up in spring?
- Lights/fan behavior: Is abrupt on/off fine for traps, or is a sunrise/sunset ramp noticeably better? Do you run the fan 24/7 or only with lights?
- Substrate indoors: Peat/sand, peat/perlite, or straight long-fiber sphagnum-what’s been the least mold-prone and most stable for you long term under indoor air?
- Watering during dormancy: Tray method or top-water only? Keep it barely damp or allow brief dry edges? How do you judge the sweet spot to avoid rot?
- Mold prevention when it’s cool and low light: more airflow, thinner media, top-dressing with live sphagnum, cinnamon-what actually works?
- “Good enough” dormancy: If I can only hit 12-14°C (54-57°F) at night for 8-10 weeks with a shorter photoperiod, is that sufficient, or do I really need sub-10°C nights?
- Feeding indoors: Okay to rely on fungus gnats, or should I hand-feed (e.g., bloodworms/BSF larvae)? How often before it becomes counterproductive?
- Anyone tried a mini wine fridge just at night for a dormancy window-worth the hassle or more trouble than it’s worth?
If you’ve kept a flytrap thriving 2+ years fully indoors, I’d love to see your exact settings and timing. Real numbers and “gotchas” appreciated!