Carnivorous Plants General Care Guide

In this series we will be detailing the basic care of different species of common carnivorous plants. Below you'll find recommendations that can be applied to most carnivorous plants as you are starting out. Carnivorous plants may seem daunting to the budding novice but with the best practices described below you'll find success with these incredibly unique and rewarding plants.

What container should I use?

• The goal of the container is to hold water as efficiently as possible, so a plastic or glazed ceramic pots are going to be the best container to use when growing carnivorous plants.

• Terracotta pots should be avoided as they leech water from the growing medium more rapidly than plastic or glazed.

• Pots with small holes in the bottom allow for tray watering which is our preferred method. Tray watering involves placing the pot in a tray of distilled water, and allowing the growing medium to stay fully saturated.

  
  

How much sunlight to they need?

• For the most part carnivorous plants thrive in bright direct sunlight. They can be grown in medium light levels, but many will live their happiest life with 6 or more hours of direct sunlight.

• If growing indoors, a supplemental light can help make up for lacking light levels. A fluorescent or T5 grow light is the best bet.

  
  

Watering

• Having evolved in a nutrient-void environment, all carnivorous plants should be grown with low mineral water. This includes; rain water, distilled water, reverse osmosis water, and de-ionized water

• Most carnivorous plants enjoy their feet wet and will thrive with saturated medium full-time.

  
  

Soil

• Each species requires its own specific blend of soil but most carnivorous plants will succeed in a mix of peat moss, perlite, sphagnum moss, or sand.

• Carnivorous plants adapted to grow naturally in medium with virtually no nutrition. Transplanting them into a standard potting mix will kill them.

  
  

Fertilization and Feeding

• These plants have adapted to acquire their food from insects rather than nutrients in the soil. Healthy plants that have access to insects will not need additional fertilization.

• If fertilization is necessary, MaxSea at a rate of 1/4 tsp to 1 gal water can be applied to the foliage. For pitcher plants, one pellet of 16-16-16 Osmocote slow-release fertilizer can be applied to each new pitcher as it opens.

• To feed Venus Flytraps use live mealworms or other live insects. If the feed is dead or inert the full digestive process is less likely to be triggered.

Our future entries in this series will dive into the specific care for each species to really get your plants to thrive. As you progress into this side of gardening the differences detailed in future articles will help hone your craft and further unlock doors in the world of carnivorous plant care.