Venus Flytraps are gorgeous, deadly (to insects), and absolutely fascinating. So, it’s no surprise they’re fast becoming a popular household staple. However, many new owners make a crucial mistake: assuming they can water a Venus Flytrap with regular, boiled tap water.
You cannot use boiled tap water for a Venus Flytrap. Carnivorous plants require water that is low in dissolved solids. Tap water contains many dissolved solids (minerals), which remain even after boiling. Using tap water will cause mineral build-up in the soil that could kill your Venus Flytrap.
In the rest of this article, I’ll explain why boiled tap water is bad for carnivorous plants and what kind of water you should use for a Venus Flytrap. I’ll also explain how to get the correct water for a Venus Flytrap. If you’re interested in this information, keep reading!
Why Boiled Tap Water Is Bad for a Venus Flytrap
If you’ve recently got a Venus Flytrap, you might wonder why it can’t be watered with regular tap water. After all, that’s what we all use to water other plants, right?
That is the first mistake – assuming that a Venus Flytrap is like other plants. The truth is, Venus Flytraps are very different from other plants in several ways!
One big difference between regular plants and Venus Flytraps is the environment that they grow in.
Venus Flytraps naturally grow in moist, acidic soil, which would normally be too harsh for a regular plant. Because they’ve adapted to their environment, they don’t pull up most of their needed nutrients from the soil but rather from the insects they eat instead.
As a result, tap water will add minerals (known as Total Dissolved Solids or TDS) to the soil that can actively harm your Venus Flytrap. Since the plant isn’t pulling them through the root, they build up in the soil, leading to root rot or shifting the pH balance of the soil.
What Kind of Water Is Suitable for a Venus Flytrap?
So, I’ve already covered that tap water, whether boiled or not, is bad for your Venus Flytrap. Then we get to the pressing question: If boiled tap water isn’t good for my Venus Flytrap, what kind of water should I use?
You can use distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis (RO) water for your Venus Flytrap. These waters (especially distilled water) have a lower level of dissolved solids, making them more suitable for carnivorous plants like the Venus Flytrap than tap water or bottled water.
To learn more on why venus flytraps need distilled water, you can check out this article: Why Do Venus Flytraps Need Distilled Water?
Is Boiled Water the Same As Distilled Water?
Boiled tap water is not the same as distilled water. Boiling tap water kills microorganisms and germs that can cause diseases. However, boiling water does not remove minerals. Distilled water is pure water without any mineral content, made by condensing water vapor.
Although boiling water can safely remove germs and disease-causing microorganisms, it isn’t suitable for watering a Venus Flytrap. Water boils at a lower temperature than many of the minerals dissolved, so these dissolved solids remain in the water even after you boil the water.
What if I Don’t Have Distilled Water for My Venus Flytrap?
I know distilled water isn’t always available wherever you go. Even though it may be the safest for your Venus Flytrap, you may not have it ready at home.
If you don’t own distilled water, you can make your own, buy some, or use alternative sources like rainwater, snow, or RO water. Rainwater and snow are natural sources of distilled water, so they’re suitable for your Venus Flytrap.
Let’s look at how you can make distilled water or use other water sources.
How To Make Your Own Distilled Water
Distilled water is simply water vapor condensed to make pure water with no dissolved solids, bacteria, or other impurities.
There are many increasingly complicated ways to distill water. For this article, though, I will focus on methods that are easy to do at home.
Making Distilled Water: Method 1
Before you begin, you will need the following items:
- A large, 5-gallon (18.92 L) aluminum or stainless steel container.
- A rounded lid for the container.
- A smaller, lighter metal or glass bowl that can float on the water.
- Ice cubes (optional).
This process involves taking impure tap water and boiling it to collect distilled water in a separate container.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Fill the large aluminum/stainless steel container half-full with tap water.
- Place it over a stove and heat up the tap water.
- Place the smaller metal/glass bowl inside and make sure it floats on the tap water.
- Place the rounded lid upside down on the larger container so that the lid forms a concave shape over the bowl.
- As the water boils, it evaporates and forms condensation droplets on the lid.
- For an optional step, you can put ice cubes on top of the lid to condense the water vapor inside.
- The droplets will fall into the smaller bowl as the water vapor condenses.
- When the smaller bowl starts sinking, turn off the stove and remove the bowl from the inside.
- Store the distilled water in a separate sterilized container.
Remember to be careful that you don’t burn yourself when you remove the lid or the bowl, as it will be extremely hot!
Making Distilled Water: Method 2
This process is similar to the one above. However, the method of collecting the distilled water is different. This method is more difficult but also carries less risk of contaminating the distilled water.
Before you begin, you will need the following items:
- A large, 5-gallon (18.92 L) aluminum or stainless steel container.
- A funnel large enough to cover the container.
- Copper or plastic aquarium tubing.
- A sterilized container to collect and store the distilled water.
Here are the steps to follow.
- Follow steps 1-2 as mentioned in Method 1.
- Instead of the rounded lid, place a funnel on the large container.
- Connect copper or plastic aquarium tubing to the funnel.
- Feed the tubing into a sterilized container to collect the distilled water.
- The water vapor will condense in the tubing and fall into the connected container.
Remember to keep the sterilized container below the tubing to ensure that the condensed water vapor (the distilled water) doesn’t fall back into the larger container.
Making Distilled Water: Method 3
This method is the easiest, although it is more expensive. In this method, you have to buy a water distiller and use that to make distilled water. This option is perfect for those who cannot or don’t want to go through the trouble of setting up a DIY distilling system like the ones mentioned earlier.
I’d recommend using the Mophorn Pure Water Distiller (available on Amazon.com). It has an easy 1-switch system and a timer, as well as automatic temperature controls and ventilation systems. All you have to do is pour tap water into the larger container and press the switch. You can leave it alone for a while and return to pure, distilled water!
Alternative Sources: Precipitation or RO Water
If you absolutely cannot make distilled water at home, you can rely on nature to distill the water for you. As I mentioned earlier, distilled water is water vapor condensed into pure water with no impurities like dissolved solids or bacteria.
Precipitation, like rainwater or snow, is naturally distilled water formed by water vapor that condenses in the atmosphere. Although it may collect particulate matter on its way down, it doesn’t contain enough mineral content to affect your Venus Flytraps.
Another alternative to distilled water is RO (reverse osmosis) water. Many conventional drinking water filters use an RO system to clean the water. This system separates pure water from dissolved solids and toxins. So, if you have an RO water filter, you can use that water for your Venus Flytraps.
Final Thoughts
Venus Flytraps require pure water that is extremely low in mineral content. This makes tap water, boiled or not, unsuitable for them.
Instead, you can use distilled water, RO water, or rainwater/snow to water your Venus Flytraps. These water sources are purer than tap water and contain less dissolved solids, making them ideal for the picky Venus Flytrap!
