General plant care.

Carnivorous plants have evolved methods of capturing and digesting insects and other small (sometimes large) prey to substitute the nutrient poor soils they often grow in, below are basic guidelines for the different species of carnivorous plants, for now this will be basic but please keep in mind growing conditions at home vary greatly and it’s difficult to outline exacting care advice for everyones growing conditions so further research and advice is always recommended. Note I am currently only outlining species available on this website to keep things focussed and less cluttered.

Light - As much direct sun as the positon you are growing them in allows but keeping in mind even fly traps can get too hot and scorch in the height of Summer particularly behind glass. more so when just re-potted.

Water - Ideally you are aiming to keep the soil moist but not soaking wet, in times of colder, overcast weather watering would be needed less frequently and in hot times you may need to raise the water level, only water at the base of the pot or container and never the top. Rainwater is recommended unless you are lucky enough to have a water hardness of 30 - 50 (check your local water suppliers website for a full water data breakdown) but rainwater is always better, if you have reasonably hard tapwater and nothing else is available ie. rainwater, de-ionised or filtered water etc. then using the tapwater for a day or two will suffice just revert to soft water as soon as is reasonably possible.

Temperature - Venus fly traps are quite cold hardy taking frost although keeping them a bit cosier will not hurt but not so warm it keeps them from going into a natural dormancy (see Winter care) within reason the warmer they are the faster they will grow and snap shut on prey, cooler conditions will slow things down to the point the plant will slow right down.

Growing medium - Often referred to as soil, the growing media should be acidic and nutrient free so general houseplant compost will see a quick demise of these plants as they are ill adapted to deal with the excess of nutrients and lack of acidity, the media I use is 100% Sphagnum Irish moss peat packed loose (I appreciate this will be difficult to get in time and is environmentally damaging and will get increasingly hard to obtain) other professional growers have adopted this method but in general many use a 50/50 mix of peat and perlite with great results, they can grow in Sphagnum moss alone or mixed with perlite and there are the ready to buy peat based mixes and peat free mixes, these latter ones I can not recommend as there have been mixed results among the community and I have not used any of them, take advice from those that are successful with those medias if that is the thing that appeals to you more.

Winter care - To grow these plants successfully long term a natural dormancy period should be observed, in an unheated greenhouse for example this is natural and takes care of itself with the colder weather and shorter days, if however you are growing on a windowsill, conservatory or any other aspect in a heated home then in Winter the plant may need to be placed in a shed or garage window that is unheated until Spring or possibly just outside, saying that I have heard on more than one occasion of people keeping fly traps growing continually year round for many years, I’m not really well versed on growing fly traps indoors personally. And to add it is possible to grow your fly trap outside year round but they would be exposed to the elements and pests more so than any other growing location but many growers get good results this way.

Light - Full sun to diffused bright light, if plants grow green and leggy they are probably not getting enough light as a rule of thumb.

Water - These plants can’t really be overwatered in the Summer months and although they can sit in an inch or two in Winter while dormant it is better to have the media just moist as there is always a risk of rot if too wet while inactive, rainwater is recommended unless you are lucky enough to have a water hardness of 30 - 50 (check your local water suppliers website for a full water data breakdown) If you have say a water hardness of 100 you could still use this on accasions when softer water is not available.

Temperature - These plants can take fairly high temperatures under glass but at the hotter times of the year make sure there is plenty of water, several inches at least or they can wilt when temperatures get extreme under glass.

Growing medium - Sarracenia are quite forgiving and respond well to many mixes of media, from 100% Sphagnum moss peat to peat and perlite, 50/50, Sphagnum and perlite, 50/50, coir husk (needs a longer rooting in time in Summer) and peat free mixes of Melcourt pine bark, perlite and cornish grit has seen great results for professional growers.

Winter care - Sarracenia will typically go dormant in Winter where they will stop growing and can lose many of the trapping leaves gradually dying back, some hybrids retain thier trapping leaves into the following Spring, it is better to keep the soil just moist at these times unless grown outdoors exposed where being too wet is far less of a problem.

Light - Full sun for most species you’ll find on here but some of our UK temperate forms can get too hot so very bright indirect light helps prevent excessive heat.

Water - Many of the Drosera are happy in plenty of water but if they are do go into dormancy it is probably better to keep the media just moist although many times they have been fully wet here through Winter and it has not phased them, again rainwater is recommended unless you are lucky enough to have a water hardness of 30 - 50 (check your local water suppliers website for a full water data breakdown)

Temperature - For D. binata and D. capensis forms these are tolerant of heat being of Australian and African origin but are not such lovers of freezing temperatures but can still survive cold temperatures, our temperate species such as D. rotundifolia, D. intermedia, D. anglica they are slightly less tolerant of heat but very cold hardy and are often better off outdoors or a cool unheated greenhouse, D. filiformis varieties seem to do better with a slightly frost free environment for me as I find they can rot in Winter otherwise.

Growing medium - Sphagnum moss peat, 50/50 mixed with perlite or just peat, peat and sharp sand (horticultural lime free)50/50 and Sphagnum moss, I’ve never really grown them in anything else so limited on my recommendations.

Winter care - For temperate types that form a Winter resting buds (hybernacula) there is no too cold when they are dormant, for D. binata forms they are frost hardy apart from D. extrema, D. capensis forms are also quite frost hardy but top growth will die back, if temperatures are high enough with good light these can be grown without a dormancy maintaining leaves and growth , kept frost free they will stop actively growing and usually maintain their foliage and continue growth in Spring, if they are subjected to cold and even frost they can die back to the basal stems regrowing from these in Spring as new crowns, when these are in full die back they can give the appearance of being dead but the roots regenerate from Spring to Summer so don’t give up on them too soon.

Light - Bright diffused light, a sunny window not in direct sun or an East or West facing window, in a glasshouse something diffusing or netting should work or growing under benches out of direct sunlight but (see Temperature).

Water - Pinguicula are different to most carnivores (for Latin American species) as they can not only tolerate a higher mineral content and more alkaline media they can actually thrive on it so watering should be far less concerning, I say should as I have never really considered it until now as I just water Pinguicula the same as everything else I grow here so tapwater of any hardness should be fine. In the Summer months keep the media moist and fairly dry in Winter for those forming tighter resting f (note to self, research then continue)

Temperature - Warm in Summer but in Winter try to keep the plants above 10 Deg C, they can take colder dips but better to try and keep them protected from cold, Pinguicula make perfect windowsill growers in the home year round.

Growing medium - There are almost as many growing mixes as there are Pinguicula, some successfully grow in a simple mix of peat and perlite 50/50 but for mew I personally use a mix of John Innes No.2, perlite, vermiculite, Cornish grit and a little peat, over the years other growers medias have been added and mixed in so there is a bit of everything, I aim for an open free draining mineral mix to keep the media open and stave off crown rot with the John Innes No.2 acting like a fertiliser as the media is repeatedly reused.

Winter care - More or less outlined above keeping plants frost free and care with watering in Winter.

Light - Bright indirect light behind glass or exposure to full sun outdoors or partial shade - see notes on Temperature - below.

Water - Rainwater is highly recommended but soft tap water should suffice if rainwater is not available, keep several inches of water at the base of the pot, less in winter.

Temperature - With Darlingtonia heat can be a problem for the roots so utilising methods like keeping a high water level, using an open mix for the media or pure Sphagnum moss or mixed 50/50 with perlite will keep things cooler and growing in larger airated containers, again outdoors is a cooler fresher environment for them.

Growing medium - Already outlined above Sphagnum Irish moss mixed with or without perlite is an ideal media where available or a mix of perlite, Cornish grit (granite grit) and peat as an airy free draining mix seems to work quite well.

Winter care - These plants are completely frost hardy, I’m not sure how successfully they can be grown indoors particularly in winter but they would be best grown in a cold greenhouse under benches or outdoors year round.

Additional links to Pests and Diseases - Managing Pests and Diseases

Disclaimer - I am still getting used to the more recent addition of Nepenthes so I can offer only the most basic guidelines here but this will be updated in time.

Light - Nepenthes again seems less tollerant to full sun behind glass so bright diffused light seemd to suit them moreover.

Temperature - Warmer days and cooler nights seems to be the rule of thumb but they vary, humidity needs to be higher than Dionaea or Drosera for these plants to do their best, a bathroom or kitchen window can be good for them.

Growing medium - For me as a work around I find coir husk a convenient way to not have to water them frequently when they are in pots or hanging baskets not sat in water, I use the tray method and the coir husks don’t over saturate causing leading to dying roots, it’s a matter of convenience this way.

Winter care - Definitely needing protection from frost, again for myself they seem to slow down and produce mainly vines, traps here seem to be produced more often in late summer but I don’t really have optimal conditions.