Pitcher Plant Fertilizer When And How To Fertilize A Pitcher Plant

Dilute by half and follow any soil feeding with a drench of rainwater or distilled water. Make sure the pitcher is at least half full before fertilizing pitcher plants. Outdoor plants should be fine without extra feeding, provided they are in moist, acidic soil and bright light.

When should I feed my pitcher plant?

Pitcher Plants are probably the easiest carnivorous plants to feed. During their active growing season, drop bugs, fish food, or fertilizer pellets in a few of the pitchers every 2-3 weeks.

Why is my pitcher plant not producing pitchers?

Failure to produce pitchers is an indication that the plant isn't receiving adequate light. ... Water and potting mix – Pitcher plants don't appreciate the minerals and additives in tap water. If possible, give them only filtered or distilled water. Better yet, collect rainwater and use it to water your pitcher plant.

Can you fertilize Nepenthes?

Fertilizer/Feeding: MaxSea fertilizer can also be applied, once per month, to the leaves and pitchers of the plant. Avoid pouring through the soil. Osmocote 16-16-16 fertilizer pellets are also a wonderful addition to your fertilizer routine. Put one pellet into each new pitcher as it opens.

Why are the pitchers on my pitcher plant turning brown?

When your Pitcher Plant has dry or brown pitchers, it is likely not getting enough water, in an area of low humidity, or a combination of both. Pitcher Plants require consistent moisture and high humidity in order to thrive.

Should I fill my pitcher plant with water?

Most of the experienced growers have so many plants, they don't have the time for this kind of shenanigans. ... Since these plants do much of their digestion via bacteria, you should probably keep the pitchers filled with a bit of water at all times so the bacterial populations are healthy.

Should I let my pitcher plant flower?

Unlike the pitchers, which are deadly to visiting insects, pitcher plant flowers are perfectly harmless. ... In fact, the flowers function like regular flowers by providing insects (mostly bees) with nectar and pollen.

Should I prune my pitcher plant?

If the plant is old and uncared for, it will accept severe pruning. Pruning a pitcher plant encourages new growth to form. ... As pitchers and leaves die back naturally, trim them off to keep the plant vigorous. Prune back the green vine stems to encourage side shoots to grow.

How do you revive a dying pitcher plant?

Re: Dying/dried out pitcher plant

Pitchers drying up is a normal process but all of them drying up at the same time is generally a sign that it was not being kept in good conditions at the store which is pretty common. Just keep it watered with mineral free water and by a window with part sun.

Can you fertilize pitcher plants?

Pitcher plants should not be fertilized over the soil. The plants are used to low nutrient soil in their native habitats and excess nutrients can actually kill them. ... Young plants and seedlings benefit more from fertilizer and may be soil fed.

Can I feed my pitcher plant dead bugs?

Feeding Carnivorous Plants. ... You can use live or dead bugs to feed these plants. However, some carnivorous plants like Venus flytraps will only eat live bugs unless otherwise motivated.

How often should I water my pitcher plant?

However, most pitcher plants do just fine in a less controlled environment. Use filtered, distilled water or rainwater instead of tap water. If you use hard water from the tap, water deeply with distilled water every two to three weeks to flush minerals from the soil.

What kind of bugs do pitcher plants eat?

Pitcher plants (Sarracenia, Nepenthes, Cephalotus, etc.) capture foraging insects, especially flies, moths, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and ants.

Do pitcher plants need direct sunlight?

Pitcher plants must be kept wet and can even grow in water gardens. The plants need boggy, moist soil and will perform well at the margins of a pond or bog garden. Pitcher plants thrive in full sun to light shade.

How long do pitcher plants live?

Tropical Pitcher plants live for many years, often ranging from 10-20 years. The plant can take 5-10 years to flower and it will have new shoots growing each year that turn into rosettes.

How do you propagate a pitcher plant?

A faster way to propagate them is by rooting pitcher plant cuttings. Cut pieces of stem that have two or three leaves on them, and clip off half of each leaf. Cut the bottom end of the stem on a diagonal and cover it with rooting hormone powder. Fill a planter with sphagnum moss and wet it.

What is the liquid inside a pitcher plant?

The small bodies of liquid contained within the pitcher traps are called phytotelmata. They drown the insect, whose body is gradually dissolved. This may occur by bacterial action (the bacteria being washed into the pitcher by rainfall), or by enzymes secreted by the plant itself.

Do pitcher plants eat mosquitoes?

The pitcher plant, also known as trumpet leaf, doesn't repel mosquitoes; it attracts and eats them and uses them as nutrients to grow. It's often grown as a curiosity plant because of its insectivorous nature. ... Venus flytraps, which eat many types of insects, including mosquitoes.

Do pitcher plants go dormant?

Pitcher plant dormancy requires the chilling period and then warm temperatures that signal it to break dormancy. The chilling requirement is important for all species of Sarracenia to signal when it is time to begin growing again. ... Potted species of S. purpurea can stay outdoors in a sheltered location.

Are pitcher plants Hardy?

A group of hardy to nearly hardy plants with pitcher-shaped leaves, sarracenias range in height from prostrate forms to those with pitchers 1m (3ft) tall. Pitcher colours vary from light yellow through green to purple.

How big do pitcher plants get?

Pitcher plants are herbaceous perennials; they blossom in spring, then wither and go dormant in winter. They grow in clumps and can spread to several feet in diameter. Depending on the variety, pitchers can be 6 inches to more than 36 inches tall.

Do pitcher plants smell?

Pitcher plants create a minty smell due to the nectar they produce while eating their prey. It's a pleasant smell to us, and not so much for the prey. It can help make the space around them smell good and tempt insects to fly over to them.