Nepenthes or tropical pitcher plants do not require dormancy. Other varieties of pitcher plants need a yearly dormancy period. Troubleshooting for beginners. Some pitcher plants wonât receive adequate sunlight indoors and will require an additional lighting source, such as artificial plant lighting. The important thing to remember about growing pitcher plants outdoors is that the key to the plant thriving is site and soil. What nutrients they donât receive from the soil, they simply receive from their prey insects and arthropods. It appeared to have burned my leaves so I moved it under a tent with zero direct sun. Pitcher plants require at least 10 hours of light to be healthy. Nepenthes are tropical pitcher plants native to parts of South East Asia, India, Madagascar and Australia. Bloodworms are an excellent food source for hanging pitcher plants. If the pitcher plant leaves turning red are young leaves, the coloration can be perfectly normal. Sarracenia is an easy-to-grow US native plant, perfect for most gardens. These plants use phosphorus from insect meals to augment the green chlorophyll in its leaves for photosynthesis. Pitcher plants should remain moist at all times. Your carnivorous plant needs to be repotted into a larger container, or divided and repotted into several pots, every single year after the winter dormancy period. Set each pot in a tray or saucer, and keep water in the tray or saucer at all times. As long as the soil is a well-draining, low nutrient blend, it should do exceptionally well for pitcher plant growth. Hall of fame. However, they can be considered to have a certain level of difficulty in growing, so they arenât recommended for the beginning gardener. This is especially important if they are inside a home with a central air conditioning system running, as this can quickly dry them out to the point of no longer being able to grow. Pitcher plants require specific care instructions to thrive. You should thoroughly drain the excess water from the pot after every watering. Nepenthes pitcher plants use their pitchers to attract insects, not for pollination but for nutrition. When I first bought a pitcher plant, I was very worried about not caring for it properly and killing it. There is no need to feed the plant manually. The location must provide bright light and high humidity, which are necessary for the growth of the plant. They get trapped in the digestive fluid, and absorbed by the nepenthes pitcher plants for their nutrients. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. This is one of the main reasons that they arenât recommended for indoor growth. Plant photography. Healthy pitcher plants produce bright color pitchers ready to capture prey! The pitcher plant is actually native to humid swamps and bogs, so they really do grow best in humid and wet conditions. I have done tons of research to perfect my setup and care practices. If youâre going to attempt indoor growth with your pitcher plant, itâs very important to read the care tag that came with your plant carefully. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Pitcher plants are perennials that have a dormant winter period with no growth. I employ the water tray method, by adding water to the tray. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Pitcher plants require high humidity and contact watering. Plant leaves turning white is often the first, and sometimes the only sign of leaf sunscald in plants. They also grow best in soggy soils that donât drain completely for most of the year. There are various possible reasons for a pitcher plant with red leaves; some require fixing, some do not. They catch their own insects and arthropods for nutrition by using the mucilage that occurs naturally on their leaves to trap the insects and force them down the pitcher tube. The rim and inner walls of the leaf swelling are slippery, causing visiting insects to slide into the pitcher. Also, be certain to check for a care tag in the plant before you purchase it. A few years ago, I started growing Venus flytraps and experimenting with other carnivorous plant species. New leaves often grow in with a distinct reddish tinge. It should be placed in a basement or on a frost-free porch to sit out its winter dormancy period. Hanging pitcher plants can only tolerate tiny amounts of diluted fertilizer, or they will form leaf burn. Employ plastic, glazed ceramic, or glass pots with drainage. Pitcher plants absorb the nutrients from their prey, which helps to make up for the lack of nutrients in the soil that they grow in. Never use a commercial potting soil mix to grow them, as it wonât have an acidity high enough to maintain healthy growth. I left my pitcher plant in the window assuming it needed full sunlight (about 4hrs of morning/ afternoon). They make excellent garden plants in moist places in the garden or as container or terrarium plant. It’s normal for them to have a tinge of reddish brown which means that it’s getting a good amount of light. They must have damp soil at all times, though, in order to thrive. A sure way to kill a pitcher plant is to plant it in an area where it doesn’t receive the required hours of direct sunlight every day. ... Plants, seeds and books for trade. They also do not require nutrition from insects to survive in the winter dormancy period. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Nepenthes pitcher plants are often grown as houseplants in cooler climates. You can think of this problem as plant sunburn damage and you won’t be far off from the truth. Nepenthes, often called pitcher plants, are native to tropical regions in South East Asia, India, Madagascar and Australia. Your plant will be fine as long as it is properly stored during the winter months to avoid frost, and it will return to its active period with the spring weather. Grow lights will work, as long as the pitcher plant is placed several inches away from the light. A 1 to 1 mix of peat moss and perlite is recommended for most Nepenthes plants, but you should always check the care tag on your plant to be sure that there isnât a specialized blend recommended for your variety of carnivorous plant.