Just starting out?

Are you new to carnivorous plants and their unique conditions?

We've all been there, and it's much less daunting than it seems!

Carnivorous plants are special not only because they catch bugs, but because they're specially adapted to live in some extreme environments (at least as far as plants are concerned!) They adapted to take nutrients from insects because their growing environments have almost no minerals or other nutrients in the soil. But luckily for them, the phosphorous and nitrogen they need is readily available in the exoskeletons of small (or large) insects. While they have many different ways of catching their prey, the basic care is almost the same.

Carnivorous plants don't want to be fertilized.

Since these plants are so specially adapted to a nutrient-devoid environment, they can only take in nutrients through their insect traps, not their roots. Any amount of fertilizer in the soil can burn them and shock them badly enough that they don't survive. They'll grow perfectly fine without bugs to catch, but if you want to feed them, rehydrated bloodworms (a tropical fish food) sprinkled on/in their traps, or VERY diluted (1/4 tsp/gallon) Maxsea fertilizer will give them a large boost. Other fertilizers contain additives that they can't tolerate, and can shock them even at very low levels. Almost every soil mixture you'll find at a store has fertilizers already in it, so the best way to get around that is to either buy a pre-mixed bag along with your plants, or to mix it yourself at home.

My plants grow in one of two mixtures, either a 50/50 mix of Canadian peat and horticultural perlite, or in live Sphagnum Moss. Since almost all of the plants I sell grow perfectly fine in a peat mixture, that's my recommendation.

Carnivorous plants can't dry out.

With a few special exceptions, carnivorous plants grow in bogs and other perpetually-wet environments, and if they dry out they will certainly die. What's the best way to combat this? All of my sundews, trigger plants, and bladderworts are grow using the 'tray method' where their individual pots sit in a larger container. I add water to the larger container so that it doesn't empty, and that in turn keeps their soil always pleasantly moist. It's important to use water that's low in dissolved solids. The minerals that make water taste great to us, are harmful to these plants and will build up in the soil over time. Distilled or reverse-osmosis water is the best, but you might be lucky and have water perfect for them!

These plants LOVE light.

Have you ever explored a bog or wetland boardwalk? There are very few trees, and almost no shade anywhere to be found. Since carnivorous plants grow in areas where most other plants can't, they want as much sun as they can get. I grow mine with a mix of small, cheap light panels, and natural afternoon sun. But just about every plant here can be acclimated to full sunshine as long as your temperatures are acceptable. That's not to say that you have to, but the more light you can give your hungry friend, the bigger and most richly colored they'll be!

Know if they need a good winters' rest or not.

Some carnivorous plants need a period of dormancy for the winter. As a safe bet, almost every carnivorous plant that's originally from the United States needs at least two months of dormancy. This gives them time to store and recycle some energy, and sets the stage for a beautiful show of flowers in the spring. Others, like African and tropical plants, don't need that rest and can grow happily in your windowsill for years without skipping a beat. If you've fallen in love with a plant and don't know exactly what it needs, ask! I want you to have a great experience with your plant, and I (in a hot, dry climate) grow all of my plants inside, even the ones that might prefer to be outside!

It might sound like a lot, but these plants take care of themselves once you've gotten the swing of it! I water mine when the levels get low, but most of what I do is enjoy how quickly they grow and mature. With no fertilizer and a propensity for harsh conditions, these plants will be absolutely spoiled in your window!