How do you take care of a pitcher plant outside?

Asked by: Claudia Kubota

Outdoor specimens live in slightly acidic soils. 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.

Can pitcher plants be kept outside?

Growing pitcher plants outdoors is all about picking the right site and providing the proper soil. These plants do not require a rich, organic soil, instead preferring a slightly acidic nitrogen-deprived medium that has excellent drainage. Pitcher plants perform well in environments from full sunlight to light shade.

How much sun do pitcher plants need?

8 to 12 hours

Provide 8 to 12 hours of indirect sunlight per day, or use a grow light. Choose a warm, humid location. Always use distilled water, avoid municipal water. Feed your plants year-round with mealworms or small crickets.

What do I do with my pitcher plant in the winter?

Caring for Pitcher Plants in the Winter

In extreme cold, apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plants to protect the roots. If you have varieties growing in water, break the ice and keep the water trays full. Caring for pitcher plants in winter in colder zones will require you to bring them indoors.

Is pitcher plant indoor or outdoor?

Pitcher plants are fascinating carnivorous plants that are surprisingly adaptable to the indoor environment. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many types of pitcher plants with many different needs, and some varieties can be a little on the fussy side.

How long do pitcher plants live?

The plants grow new pitchers throughout the summer, and one plant can have as many as 10 pitchers. The pitchers only last a year or two, but the plant itself can live for 50 years.

What do you feed pitcher plants?

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 are my pitchers 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.

How often should I water my pitcher plant?

Pitcher plants like humid, boggy environments; this is the main thing to keep in mind when watering nepenthes. Feel the planting medium regularly, and water whenever the surface of the medium begins to feel slightly dry to the touch.

Do pitcher plants need bugs?

Your plant only needs bugs if all its other horticultural requirements are being met. You should be worrying about the light, humidity, and water your plant is getting. Only once you have those things addressed and your plant is growing really well should you concern yourself with feeding it.

When should you repot a pitcher plant?

Pitcher plants, like other plants, do best when you repot them early in the spring before they have a chance to produce new growth. When your plant is still dormant, right before the spring arrives, remove it from its pot and gently remove as much planting medium as you can using a chopstick or other small object.

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.

How big can a pitcher plant 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.

How do I get my pitcher plant to flower?

Light – Most pitcher plant varieties need at least three to four hours of bright sunlight per day. Failure to produce pitchers is an indication that the plant isn’t receiving adequate light. However, although the light should be bright, it should be indirect and not too intense.

How cold can a pitcher plant tolerate?

Some plants will retain their pitchers into winter, but many leaves will turn brown. While dormant, your plants can withstand overnight frosts down to 20°F (-7°C). As long as temperatures rise above freezing during the day, you don’t need to protect them.

What is the life cycle of a pitcher plant?

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. After the plant has flowered, it will continue growing stems. This way, plant will always continue growing throughout its life.

How long does it take a pitcher plant to grow a new pitcher?

In six months or more, the plant will develop a classic pitcher form. Propagating pitcher plants in this way is quite easy, but you have to watch the cutting for any signs of fungus or rot.

What is the habitat of pitcher plant?

Habitat. The pitcher plant can be found in bogs and fens all across Canada. They are native to North America and have adapted to growing in thin, nutrient deficient soils. They absorb nutrients derived from their prey to supplement those lacking in the soil to thrive.

Should you add water to Nepenthes pitchers?

I recommend that you only use purified water. If you grow your Nepenthes correctly, its pitchers should start producing their own fluids within a month or so. If they don’t, your humidity may be too low. Increase it.

How do you fertilize a pitcher plant?

A mild fish fertilizer diluted by one-quarter every two to four weeks can be added to the pitcher. Young plants and seedlings benefit more from fertilizer and may be soil fed. Dilute by half and follow any soil feeding with a drench of rainwater or distilled water.

Why do pitcher plants close their lids?

In a juvenile pitcher the lid is firmly closed and the walls of the pitcher plant are soft. As the pitcher matures, the walls get firmer and the inside gets filled with fluid secreted by the plants. When the pitcher is fully charged, the lid opens, there is a popular belief that the lid closes upon its prey.

Why are my Nepenthes pitchers turning black?

When pitcher plant (Nepenthes) leaves are turning black, it is usually the result of shock or a sign that the plant is going into dormancy. Something as simple as a change in conditions the plant experiences when you bring it home from the nursery can cause shock.

Should I cut off black pitchers?

Re: Removing dead Nepenthes pitchers

The black tendril is toast. As for the the nepenthes that’s completely brown be sure not to cut it too close to the pitcher or it will spill. I recommend waiting for the half dead completely to die.

What kind of soil do pitcher plants need?

Potted pitcher plants need to be in well-drained soils. Use any type of pot for indoor plants and provide a low fertility mixture in which the plants will grow. For instance, the potted pitcher plant thrives in a mixture of peat moss, bark and vermiculite.

How do you save a dying pitcher plant?

A slightly acidic pH is also beneficial. Try moving your plant into a sunny area; pitcher plants need full sun to do their best. However, if you place them in a window with bright, direct sunlight, they may burn, so choose your location carefully. Humidity should be high, around 60 percent when possible.

Should I cut the dead pitchers off my pitcher plant?

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.

Why are the leaves on my pitcher plant turning yellow?

The main causes of Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher plant) and its leaves turning yellow are too much light, heat stress, low humidity. Other reasons include under or overwatering, using the wrong soil, lack of temperature gradients, lack of repotting/nutrients, aging.