Question
my venus flytrap came with no moss on the top so i called the nursery the lady sounded stupid or that she had no idea what she was saying.she said it was planted in peat moss and soil but i dont know if all peat mosses are the same and how do i find out if it has peat moss because i dont want to replant it and find peat moss in the middle or something.

Answer
Hi Miguel,

Peat moss is partially decomposed sphagnum moss, so it will not look like moss at all.  Instead, it will look like soil.  If you see photographs of our flytraps, you won't see any sphagnum moss on top of the soil.  We use a mix of peat moss and perlite.

If you want to ascertain if your plant is in peat moss, you'll need to test the soil pH.  You can find test kits at your local garden center.  If the pH is less than 7 (usually in the 5 or 6 range), then it's highly likely you have peat moss.  If the pH is higher than 7, then the soil might be regular potting soil OR it might be peat moss with fertilizers added.

Flytraps will usually wither within 2 weeks if the soil is not appropriate.  So if your flytrap is looking fine while growing in the optimal growing conditions, then I'd say don't worry about it.  

For information about growing flytaps, watch our DVD, Grow Carnivorous Plants Volume 1.  In this volume we focus specifically on North American plants, including flytraps.

http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD

Good growing!
Jacob Farin