How to Plant Pitcher Plants
Use a premade mix specially created for carnivorous plants., Do not use any products that may contain fertilizer during planting., Stick to using genuine sphagnum moss., Mix the soil ingredients in the correct ratio., Choose the right type of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use a premade mix specially created for carnivorous plants.
Using these mixes is highly recommended.
Pitcher plants typically grow in damp soils that are devoid of most regular nutrients.
They evolved to catch bugs to fulfill their nutritional needs.
Therefore, even the tiniest bit of chemical fertilizer is a recipe for disaster and most of the time will cause fatalities.
Pitcher plants tend to react badly when exposed to regular potting soil and using it may kill plants, especially if there is any fertilizer in the soil. -
Step 2: Do not use any products that may contain fertilizer during planting.
Most companies that sell carnivorous plants also sell potting soil for them but this can lead to expensive shipping charges and make growing these specimens cost prohibitive.
Gardeners who, therefore, want to create their own mix for their pitcher plants should take care to avoid Miracle Grow brand products, such as vermiculite and sphagnum moss, because these often contain fertilizer as well. , Similarly, gardeners should only use genuine sphagnum moss.
Oregon green moss can be fatal to a number of carnivorous plants.
Pitcher plants of both types (Sarracenia and Nepenthes) benefit greatly from having sphagnum moss added to their environments. , Use either a 1:1 ratio of peat and sand or a 2:1 mix of peat and perlite for Sarracenia species.
For the first recipe, horticultural sand is best but washed playground sand also works in a pinch.
Tropical pitchers should be grown in a mix containing a 3:1 combination of sphagnum moss and a secondary material such as orchid bark, pumice, perlite, or charcoal. , Gardeners will want to use a plastic container or one that is made of glazed ceramic to hold their plants.
These containers should be carefully washed out, preferably with the same type of water one would use to irrigate the pitchers, and allowed to dry.
Nepenthes species can also be grown in orchid baskets, wooden boxes, and terracotta containers.
Sarracenia plants can be grown in pots that do not have drainage holes, but those that are growing nepenthes types will need a container with the aforementioned feature. , When planting nepenthes specimens, try to begin covering up the drainage hole with sphagnum moss to prevent the soil from escaping.
Otherwise, gardeners can skip this step and begin by filling up the container almost full of the appropriate potting medium. , Gardeners will want to scoop out a hole in the soil and gently stick the plant’s roots inside.
They should then cover the roots and fill in around the pitcher plant with additional carnivorous plant soil. , Gardeners should also resist the temptation to top off the container with inappropriate materials.
Even if there is not enough specially formulate soil to completely fill the pot, the plants should be fine as long as their roots are not exposed. , Water the plants well, so that they can easily recover from the stress of being transplanted and also so that they don’t dry out. , Carnivorous plants should not be irrigated with anything other than distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or collected rainwater.
Part of the reason these species are endangered in the wild is that these plants are particular about their water sources and are very sensitive to impurities.
Chemicals that are found in most tap water will have a detrimental and possibly fatal effect on your plants. , Pitcher plants should not be allowed to dry out because most prefer slightly moist to constantly damp soil and this is the second quickest way to kill them. (The first is by administering fertilizer.) With that in mind, Sarracenia species are more tolerant of the occasional missed watering than other carnivorous plants are. , Sarracenia plants should be watered by setting a tray underneath them if the container they are being grown in has a hole.
The tray should be kept topped up with water.For plants that are being grown in bog environments, try to pour the water directly into the containers and keep the dirt as moist as a damp sponge. , Nepenthes don’t prefer to sit in water, so gardeners can skip having a tray for these specimens.
They should still be watered regularly from the top of the plant rather than at the base. -
Step 3: Stick to using genuine sphagnum moss.
-
Step 4: Mix the soil ingredients in the correct ratio.
-
Step 5: Choose the right type of container.
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Step 6: Use sphagnum moss when growing nepenthes pitcher plants.
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Step 7: Place the plant in the prepared container and cover its roots with soil.
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Step 8: Don’t add any additional materials to the container.
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Step 9: Keep the plants well-watered.
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Step 10: Be careful about the kind of water you use.
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Step 11: Don’t allow the soil to dry out.
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Step 12: Allow sarracenia plants to sit in water.
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Step 13: Water nepenthes plants from above.
Detailed Guide
Using these mixes is highly recommended.
Pitcher plants typically grow in damp soils that are devoid of most regular nutrients.
They evolved to catch bugs to fulfill their nutritional needs.
Therefore, even the tiniest bit of chemical fertilizer is a recipe for disaster and most of the time will cause fatalities.
Pitcher plants tend to react badly when exposed to regular potting soil and using it may kill plants, especially if there is any fertilizer in the soil.
Most companies that sell carnivorous plants also sell potting soil for them but this can lead to expensive shipping charges and make growing these specimens cost prohibitive.
Gardeners who, therefore, want to create their own mix for their pitcher plants should take care to avoid Miracle Grow brand products, such as vermiculite and sphagnum moss, because these often contain fertilizer as well. , Similarly, gardeners should only use genuine sphagnum moss.
Oregon green moss can be fatal to a number of carnivorous plants.
Pitcher plants of both types (Sarracenia and Nepenthes) benefit greatly from having sphagnum moss added to their environments. , Use either a 1:1 ratio of peat and sand or a 2:1 mix of peat and perlite for Sarracenia species.
For the first recipe, horticultural sand is best but washed playground sand also works in a pinch.
Tropical pitchers should be grown in a mix containing a 3:1 combination of sphagnum moss and a secondary material such as orchid bark, pumice, perlite, or charcoal. , Gardeners will want to use a plastic container or one that is made of glazed ceramic to hold their plants.
These containers should be carefully washed out, preferably with the same type of water one would use to irrigate the pitchers, and allowed to dry.
Nepenthes species can also be grown in orchid baskets, wooden boxes, and terracotta containers.
Sarracenia plants can be grown in pots that do not have drainage holes, but those that are growing nepenthes types will need a container with the aforementioned feature. , When planting nepenthes specimens, try to begin covering up the drainage hole with sphagnum moss to prevent the soil from escaping.
Otherwise, gardeners can skip this step and begin by filling up the container almost full of the appropriate potting medium. , Gardeners will want to scoop out a hole in the soil and gently stick the plant’s roots inside.
They should then cover the roots and fill in around the pitcher plant with additional carnivorous plant soil. , Gardeners should also resist the temptation to top off the container with inappropriate materials.
Even if there is not enough specially formulate soil to completely fill the pot, the plants should be fine as long as their roots are not exposed. , Water the plants well, so that they can easily recover from the stress of being transplanted and also so that they don’t dry out. , Carnivorous plants should not be irrigated with anything other than distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or collected rainwater.
Part of the reason these species are endangered in the wild is that these plants are particular about their water sources and are very sensitive to impurities.
Chemicals that are found in most tap water will have a detrimental and possibly fatal effect on your plants. , Pitcher plants should not be allowed to dry out because most prefer slightly moist to constantly damp soil and this is the second quickest way to kill them. (The first is by administering fertilizer.) With that in mind, Sarracenia species are more tolerant of the occasional missed watering than other carnivorous plants are. , Sarracenia plants should be watered by setting a tray underneath them if the container they are being grown in has a hole.
The tray should be kept topped up with water.For plants that are being grown in bog environments, try to pour the water directly into the containers and keep the dirt as moist as a damp sponge. , Nepenthes don’t prefer to sit in water, so gardeners can skip having a tray for these specimens.
They should still be watered regularly from the top of the plant rather than at the base.
About the Author
Elizabeth Graham
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