Pitcher plants do not need to eat insects to survive. They extract additional nutrients from insects that help stimulate growth, but that are not required for survival. Pitcher plant owners can let their plant capture insects, feed them or skip the feeding without any harm.

However, as a Pitcher plant owner I do recommend feeding your nepenthes or Sarracenia as it helps promote growth (larger and brighter pitchers and leaves), and encourages propagation. Your plant will likely divide a lot more and generate baby pitchers

How to Feed Pitcher Plants

Feeding a pitcher plant is very easy, just follow these instructions. First, what should you feed pitcher plants?

Feed pitcher plants by dropping a live or dead insect into a pitcher, you can also employ dehydrated bugs, diluted Maxsea fertilizer, or fish food. Feed several or all pitchers and repeat the process every two to four weeks.

Use insects that fit within the pitcher of your plant and preferably select some small enough so they can be completely submerged in the pitcher’s liquid. I made a complete list of pitcher plant food in this article and listed some examples of some common insects you can use:

• Flies
• Cricket
• Mealworms
• Caterpillars
• Ants
• Bloodworms

Never feed human food such as raw meat, chicken, candy, and fruit to your pitcher plant. Such food will rot, stink, and attract pests.

You can also use dehydrated freeze dried insects.

Use freeze-dried insects to feed your pitcher plant by first soaking them in distilled water for 5 minutes, padding them dry, and dropping them inside a pitcher.

• Freeze dried mealworms
• Freeze dried crickets

This links will take you to Amazon.com to view the availability of these products. Both options are extremely nutritious and very affordable (less than $10 with enough food to feed a pitcher plant for years.)

You can feed healthy pitcher or half dried pitchers as long as they have digestive fluid inside the pitcher, they will be able to consume insects. If they do not have any liquid, consider adding a few drops of distilled water and assessing their growing conditions.

Healthy Pitcher plants will produce their own liquid (this guide will help you resolve this issue). Dry pitchers are usually a sign of improper watering and lack of lighting.

How to Fertilize Pitcher Plants

Fertilize your pitcher plant by following this easy instructions:

First, never fertilize the soil of your plant. Pitcher plants are very sensitive to nutrients in the soil. Fertilizer in the soil will kill them. You can try fertilizing the leaves, but that is not the optimal strategy.

Instead, drop fertilizer inside the pitchers.

Use 1/4 of a teaspoon of Maxsea fertilizer diluted in a gallon of distilled water. Mix well and drop 2-3 drops of the solution inside each pitcher. Repeat once a month for best results.

You can choose to feed or fertilize your pitcher plant. However, none are a requirement to keep them alive. So… do not get stressed if you are not able to do it

The recommendation is to decide between feeding insects or fertilizing one at a time. Adding too much inside the pitcher at a single time can burn the pitcher and kill it.

Pitcher Plant Care Information

Read this pitcher plant care guide for a complete overview and the summary below for a consolidated checklist:

Care Consideration	Recommendation
Lighting	This consideration is one of the most critical ones. Expose your plant to more than 10 hours of natural or artificial light. LED or fluorescent lights are suitable for indoor locations, 6500K is a suitable light temperature.
Watering	Only employ pure water sources such as distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Water consistently and keep the soil humid at all times. Avoid the tray method for Nepenthes. Since watering your plant correctly is critical, this guide explains the process in great detail.
Soil	Do not employ standard potting media such as MiracleGro, cactus soil, or succulent soil, this can kill Pitcher plants. Instead, use nutrient-free carnivorous plant soil. This article can help you select the correct soil for your pitcher plant.
Humidity	Pitcher plants thrive in humid environments. A humidity level of over > 50% is optimal. Still, most plants can adapt to lower humidities and might benefit from a humidifier.
TrimmingIt is not required to prune Pitcher plants, but you can remove dead leaves to promote growth. The link has the instructions on how to trim properly..
Feeding pitcher plants	Outdoor Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. Indoor Pitcher plants need to be fed at least once a month to supplement their diet. You can employ mealworms, bloodworms, crickets, flies, fish flakes, or other small insects. Do not feed human food.
Fertilizers	Avoid fertilizing unless you have researched the detailed process. Maxsea fertilizer is a common choice.
Repotting	Repotting is not critical, but yearly repotting can promote growth.
Dormancy	Some pitcher plant varieties require a yearly dormancy. Nepenthes, tropical pitcher plants do not require dormancy.
Best indoor Pitcher plant varieties	Tropical Pitcher plants can grow in indoor growing.

Recommended Products for Growing Carnivorous Plants

Finding the best pots, lights, and soil for carnivorous plants is difficult. I have grown carnivorous plants for over 5 years, and these are the products I use. The links will take you to Amazon to view the prices and full specs:

• Carnivorous Plant Soil
  • Carnivorous plant soil: https://amzn.to/3uVbg39
• Artificial Lighting
  • Small plant light for 1-2 plants: https://amzn.to/2RsGlxr
  • T8 LED light fixture for multiple plants (6500k Cool White): https://amzn.to/3uWoeh2
• Pots and Miscellaneus
  • Nursery pots for single plants: https://amzn.to/34Q6byu
• TDS meter to measure water quality: https://amzn.to/3g8VKLI
• Dried crickets to feed carnivorous plants: https://amzn.to/34QEnKv

Glazed ceramic, plastic, and resin pots are suitable for Pitcher plants. Young plants fit in 4-6 inch pots, while adults fit in 6-10 inch pots. The pots must contain enough drainage holes to avoid root rot and molding.

Since the color, size, and structure of the container you choose can affect the growth of your Pitcher plant, make sure to follow the recommendation in this table and read the next section for pot recommendations and advice.

Suitable Pots and Growing Containers for Pitcher Plants

I have tried several pots and found some that work great for my Pitcher Plants and other carnivorous plants.

You can find many different potting containers that will be safe and appropriate for Pitcher plants online or in shops. But, if you are looking to buy something that works right away, I recommend this pot if you are looking: https://amzn.to/3IYVGKU.

The link will take you to Amazon.com, where you can check the price. They are affordable (you can get multiple of them for less than 20 dollars), have proper drainage, and the plastic is safe for your plants. For the size, I recommend the 5.5 or 6.5-inch pots for a young Pitcher plant and the 7.5-inch pot for mature nepenthes. Also, choose the white pots for hot outdoor locations for better insulation.

These are the key considerations when selecting a pot for your Nepenthes:

Pot Material: When selecting a container, first make sure it is made of a safe material. Terra cotta, metal, clay, and concrete pots can leach minerals into the soil. Those minerals are usually harmless to most plants, but they are toxic for Pitcher Plants.

For best results, employ a material like plastic, resin, wood, or glazed ceramic. Those materials do not leach any minerals to the ground, and they provide insulation.

Drainage: Avoid pots with no drainage. The lack of drainage holes keeps the soil moisture too high and can kill your plant. Instead, use pots with multiple drainage holes.

Size: The size of the pot you use depends on the size of your plants. However, do not worry too much about the sizing as it is not critical. 4-6 inches work well for young plants, 6-10 inches for mature plants.

Color: The color of the pot can influence the insulation for your plant. Avoid dark color pots if you live in a very sunny location and are worried about extreme heat. White pots work best in sunny climates.

Hanging pots: Hanging pots are great candidates for Pitcher plants. Water can moisten the soil when pots are hanging and then exit the pot through the drainage holes. Hanging pots prevent your plants from sitting in water for extended periods.

Hanging pots are not mandatory. However, I do recommend getting rid of the tray. Do not use a pot tray. Instead, let the pot drain any excess water immediately. Technically, pitcher plants can sit in water for short periods, but it is risky as you have to be measured.

Pitcher Plant Potting Guide

When potting or repotting your pitcher plant, you will need a handful of important elements: carnivorous plant soil, pure water, a pot, and a pruning tool. Employing the wrong ingredients can end up harming your plants.

The timing for repotting and potting a Pitcher plant is also essential.

As a general rule, repot pitcher plants every one to two years. Replace the old soil with new media to promote growth and prevent rotting. If the plant outgrew its original pot, upsize.

Make sure you have the correct soil, water, and pot before you get started by going over the requirements. Then, watch the video for a step-by-step guide.

Avoid standard potting mixes, employ carnivorous plant soil

Pitcher plants are unique in appearance and unique in their specific soil requirements.

Never plant Pitcher plants in standard potting mixes, such as Miracle-Gro, garden soil, or cactus soil. Always employ carnivorous plant soil; it has low mineral content and usually has elements that help drainage and aeration.

Nepenthes are very sensitive to minerals. Any type of nutrients present in the soil or the water can be very harmful to these plants. Pitcher plants thrive in low-nutrient environments.

Pitcher plants require soil that preserves moisture and has drainage. Sphagnum moss, peat moss, orchid bark, perlite, and horticultural sand are common elements in most Pitcher plant soil mixes like, for example, a 2:1 combination of long-fibered sphagnum moss and silica sand.

If you still have questions about the soil requirements for Pitcher plants, make sure to read my full guide on the soil.

Only water with distilled water or rainwater

Tap water and most bottled water contain too many minerals and nutrients to be suitable for nepenthes. These plants require low mineral water. To keep your plants healthy, you should employ any source of pure water, such as:

• Rainwater
• Distilled water
• Reverse osmosis water

Technically, Pitcher plants can withstand some amount of minerals in the water. However, unless you are measuring the ppm water content, avoid tap water, stream water, bottled water, etc.

Pitcher Plant Potting Instructions

Pitcher Plant Care 101

Growing Pitcher plants can be a challenge. It can be done when following specific instructions. The table below contains a summary of the critical highlights of Pitcher plant care. And, if you are looking for more information on pitcher plant care guide, read this complete guide. 

Care Consideration	Recommendation
Lighting Requirement:	More than 10 hours of light exposure through natural or artificial light.
Watering Requirements:	Only employ distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. The soil must be humid at all times. Avoid the tray method Bog gardens are suitable options. Mastering watering is critical to keeping your plant healthy. My guide on watering Pitcher plants contains the complete instructions and best practices.
Soil:	Employ nutrient-free soil: A mixture of peat moss or sphagnum moss and perlite or silica sand.
Temperature:	Common temperature range during the growing season: 60 – 80 F (15 – 27 C)
Humidity:	> 50% humidity level is recommended
Trimming:	Occasionally trim dried up leaves and flowers. This article explains the trimming process.
Feeding:	Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. There is no need to feed the plant manually.
Fertilizers:	Not required.
Pots:	Employ plastic, glazed ceramic, or glass pots with drainage.
Repotting:	Repot once a year to promote growth.
Dormancy:	Some pitcher plant varieties require dormancy.
Outdoor vs. Indoor growth:	It can be grown in both outdoor and indoor environments

The Best Containers for Carnivorous Plants

If you have other carnivorous plants make sure to check my guides on pots and growing containers for Sundews and Venus Flytrap:

The Best Pots for Sundews Plus Potting Guide

The Best Pots for Venus Flytraps – Complete Guide

Feed Pitcher plants by dropping live insects, dead insects, fish food, or diluted fertilizer such as Maxsea inside the pitchers. As a general rule, feeding Pitcher plants once or twice a month can provide substantial benefits. Avoid human food and insects that are too large or can eat their way out of the pitcher.

Now, let’s get into the details on how to feed your plant!

Easy Steps to Feed Pitcher Plants

1. Obtain the correct food for Pitcher plants: live bugs, dead bugs, fish flakes and fertilizer are common choices.
2. Get a hold of the food. Live insects might require you to employ tweezers. Fertilizers often need to be diluted beforehand.
3. Drop a couple of insects, fish flakes, or about 5 drops of diluted Maxsea inside a pitcher.
4. Consider repeating the process for multiple pitchers, but feeding 1-2 pitchers will provide enough nutrition for the full plant
5. Observe the pitchers in the next few weeks and repeat the feeding process every 2-4 weeks.

Do you have to feed a Pitcher plant?

In the outdoors, pitcher plants trap enough insects to stay healthy. They lure bugs with sweet nectar and, after trapping them, they extract nutrients from their prey.

Feeding pitcher plants is not a requirement as they produce their own food through photosynthesis. Their predatory nature was developed since they grow in very nutrient-poor environments. The nutrients they extract from the insects they capture provide and extra boosts, just like fertilizer.

Outdoor pitcher plants capture plenty of insects, and they do not usually need to be fed. Indoor pitcher plants do benefit from the occasional meal.

Placing Nepenthes or Sarracenia in windowsills can offer them the chance to capture insects.

How much to feed a Pitcher plant?

You can feed pitcher plants employing 1-2 bugs for each pitcher every 2 to 4 weeks. A couple of insects are more than enough to provide the extra boost in nutrients.

Nepenthes, as well as Sarracenia, capture large amounts of insects when they grow outdoors. Some pitchers can sometimes get close to being full. So, do not be too concerned about the amount of insects pitcher plants can consume.

Pitcher Plant Feeding Tips

Make sure to follow all the tips below when feeding your Pitcher plant; they will help you avoid common mistakes.

• Avoid spilling fertilizer or fish flakes in the soil: Never drop any of these elements in the ground. Pitcher plants are intolerant to nutrients in the soil. Adding fertilizers or the nutrients from fish flakes to the soil can cause mineral burns in the soil and the leaf, and could kill your plant.
• Do not leave dead bugs in the soil: If you drop a dead bug in the soil, make sure to pick it up. The insect can take a long time to decompose and might attract mold or fungi.
• For best results you must feed pitchers that have fluids: Without the digestive enzymes inside the pitchers, your plant won’t be able to absorb the nutrients. Pitchers with fluids are a sign of health.
• Employ bugs with lots of soft tissue: Some insects provide more nutritional value than others. Mealworms and bloodworms are very soft and contain tons of nutrients. Ant and gnats offer benefits, but they are pretty tiny for most pitcher plants.
• Do not drop water inside the pitchers: When feeding, be careful not introducing water or any other element inside the pitchers that are not food. Adding water can dilute the digestive enzymes inside the pitchers and prevent your plant from consuming bugs. This article on when to fill pitcher plants with water can explain the process in more detail.
• Change the food you employ if it attracts mold or causes the leaf to die. Always continue to monitor your plant and check if the food you are employing is working. It is normal for pitcher to wither sporadically, but check for patterns.

What to Feed and Not to Feed Pitcher Plants

Pitcher plants are not picky in terms of what they like to consume. You can employ almost any type of bug and also fish flakes or diluted fertilizer.

In this section, I explain the basics of what food to employ. If you want a detailed guide for beginners, check this article: What To Feed a Pitcher Plant: A Comprehensive List. 

Insects as Food

Gnats, ants, crickets, mealworms, bloodworms, grasshopper, butterflies, moths, beetles, spiders, rolly pollies, mosquitoes, bloodworms, and ladybugs are suitable food options for Pitcher plants.

You can employ live or dead bugs to feed your pitcher plant safely. The list above is not comprehensive; any insect is suitable. As a personal recommendation, I try to avoid large live caterpillars that can eat your plant’s leaves.

You can collect insects from your home or the park, but you can also buy feed. Most pet stores, including Petsmart and Petco, sell dried-up mealworms, bloodworms, crickets, and live insects. They are usually available in the reptile aisle.

Also, you can buy freeze-dried insects online. A whole container is usually less than $15 and will last you ages. Here are two links to some feed I have used; both are incredibly nutritious:

• Dried crickets to feed carnivorous plants: https://amzn.to/34QEnKv
• Freeze-dried mealworms for carnivorous plants: https://amzn.to/3B9V4i0

Fish Flakes as Food

Feeding fish flakes to Pitcher plants can provide the same benefits as insects. They are highly nutritious, and they last a long time. A single bottle can last you for months or even years!

Here are some links to some suitable fish food you can buy online.

• Tetra Tropical Fish Flakes: https://amzn.to/3gRZJO7
• Goldfish flakes: https://amzn.to/3DiVJ2p

Employing Fertilizer

Never fertilize the soil of Pitcher plants, instead consider feeding your plant with a few fertilizer drops. A safe fertilizer for Pitcher plants is Maxsea.

Before using Maxsea, you need to dilute 1/4 of a teaspoon (Maxsea) in 1 gallon of distilled water. Then, you can use a few drops of this mixture to feed your plant.

This same dilution can be employed for other carnivorous plants. Here is a link to the Maxsea fertilizer if you are interested in such an option.

Never Employ Human Food for Pitcher Plants

Avoid any of the following as food for your Pitcher plant.

• Hamburger
• Chicken
• Sausage
• Salami
• Raw meat
• Candy
• Fruit
• Steak
• Hotdog
• Cheese
• Any animal that is not an insect or a spider

Can Pitcher plants eat human food? Human food is not appropriate for Pitcher plants or any other carnivorous plants. Pitcher plants won’t be able to consume such complex food. Instead, after an unsuccessful digestion attempt, the pitcher will wither and die.

Can Pitcher plants eat animals other than insects? Pitcher plants can digest meat from tiny animals such as rodents, birds, or frogs in the wild. However, this behavior is not very common; their diet almost always relies on insects.

Never attempt to feed your pitcher plant any animal other than insects or spiders. Larger animals will rot inside the trap and can cause unpleasant odors, mold, and rotting.

Pitcher Plant Care Information

Besides feeding your plants, make sure to provide optimal care by going over this list:

Lighting: This consideration is one of the most critical ones. Expose your plant to more than 10 hours of natural or artificial light. LED or fluorescent lights are suitable for indoor locations; 6500 K is a proper light temperature.

Watering: Only employ pure water sources such as distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Always water from the top and keep the soil humid at all times. Avoid the tray method for Nepenthes. Since watering your plant correctly is critical, this guide explains the process in great detail.

Soil: Do not employ traditional potting media such as MiracleGro, cactus soil, or succulent soil. Instead, use nutrient-free carnivorous plant soil. Carnivorous plant soil can be composed of many elements, such as peat moss or sphagnum moss and perlite or silica sand. The ratios are not critical, but a 3 to 1 ratio of moss and perlite is a suitable mixture. You can purchase carnivorous plant soil online for an affordable price (here is the one I use)

Humidity: Pitcher plants thrive in humid environments. A humidity level of over > 50% is optimal. Still, most plants can adapt to lower humidities and might benefit from a humidifier.

Trimming: It is not required to prune Pitcher plants, but you can remove dead leaves to promote growth.

Feeding: Outdoor Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. Indoor Pitcher plants need to be fed at least once a month to supplement their diet.

Fertilizers: Avoid fertilizing unless you have researched the detailed process.

Repotting: Repotting is not critical, but yearly repotting can promote growth.

Dormancy: Some pitcher plant varieties require a yearly dormancy. Nepenthes, tropical pitcher plants do not require dormancy.

Make sure to research your specific species of pitcher plants as care considerations may vary.

For more information on growing pitcher plants, make sure to download the complete care sheet here: Ultimate Pitcher Plant Care Guide.

Pitcher plants can eat and be fed almost any live or dead insects or spiders, such as ants, gnats, fruit flies, house flies, months, and rolly pollies. Also, pitcher plants can benefit from fertilizer pellets. A single bug once a month is enough to keep a Pitcher plant thriving.

If you are unsure how to feed a pitcher plant or do not know what type of food to employ, keep reading for the complete list and instructions.

Pitcher plants are one of my favorite carnivorous plants due to their spectacular modified leaves. I have grown carnivorous plants for several years and have found great success when feeding pitcher plants. In this guide, I will share with you suitable food options and best practices to keep pitcher plant healthy and thriving.

Pitcher plants, like all other plants, produce their food through photosynthesis. They do not rely on capturing bugs to survive; they only capture insects to extract key nutrients that give them a boost. It is a similar effect to employing fertilizers.

Since pitcher plants grow in areas characterized by low nutrient levels, they need to extract elements from insects. The insects Pitcher plant capture should be considered a fertilizer rather than food.

In many cases, you can let Pitcher plants capture their own insects. They will thrive as long as they capture at least a couple of bugs every month during the growing season.

When Pitcher plants are unable to capture bugs, it is recommended to feed them. Bugs act as a fertilizer as they help boost growth.

Here is a comprehensive list of food options for Pitcher plants; some are insects, others are artificial options:

• Flies
• Cricket
• Mealworms
• Yellow Jackets
• Caterpillars
• Bees
• Butterfly
• Bloodworms
• Fruit flies 
• Gnats
• Ants
• Worms
• Rollie pollies
• Beetles
• Spiders
• Ladybugs
• Grasshoppers
• Mosquitos
• Cockroaches
• Moth
• Slug
• Fish food
• Fertilizer pellets

Pitcher plants are not picky in what they can or cannot eat. They will be happy consuming most insects and spiders. In the wild, Nepenthes and Sarracenia attract a wide range of creatures. On most occasions, they lure flying insects, but crawling insects are also common prey.

Feel free to collect bugs from the garden or a park and feed your plant.

Pitcher plants can consume live or dead bugs. Both options provide nutritional benefits and are available at most pet stores. For example, you can employ insects, such as mealworms, crickets, and bloodworms which are incredibly nutritious.

Personally, I like employing highly nutritious insects with lots of soft tissue, such as crickets or mealworms. But, overall, most bugs provide enough nutrients to encourage growth for your plant.

Can Pitcher Plants eat slugs and caterpillars? Pitcher plants can capture and consume slugs, caterpillars, and other similar insects. However, employing large slugs or caterpillars can be risky. These insects (if big and robust enough) can eat their way out of the pitcher and harm Pitcher plants.

Can Pitcher plants eat cockroaches? Pitcher plan can eat cockroaches without a problem, as average cockroaches fit in medium-sized Pitcher plants. However, Pitcher plants do not provide a pest control solution.

Besides insects, there are also artificial food options such as fish food and fertilizer pellets. You can drop bits of fish food or fertilizer pellets inside the pitchers of your plant one every month. If you decide to employ this option, I recommend doing a trial run. Start by feeding a single pitcher and verify there are no negative effects.

Where To Get Insects for Your Pitcher Plant

If you decide to employ dead bugs that you collected, make sure to inspect the insect before feeding your plant. Avoid any dead bug that is already attracting mold. You want to avoid attracting fungus or bacteria to your plant.

Most pet stores that sell supplies for reptiles and fish offer several food options for Pitcher plants.

Collecting insects for your plant is not always an easy and time permitting task. I prefer to buy feed at the pet store and opt for options that can be stored for long periods, such as freeze-dried mealworms. Here are some other options:

• Freeze-dried mealworms
• Freeze-dried bloodworms
• Freeze-dried crickets
• Wingless flies
• Live crickets

The first three options are widely available and perfect for people that do not like handling live insects. When employing freeze-dried insects, I recommend rehydrating the bug before feeding your plant. Soak the bug in distilled water for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove from the water, dry off excess water with a towel, and feed your plant.

What You Should Never Feed Pitcher Plants

Make sure to avoid all the items in this list as food for Pitcher plants:

• Hamburger
• Chicken
• Sausage
• Salami
• Raw meat
• Candy
• Fruit
• Steak
• Hotdog
• Cheese
• Any animal that is not an insect or a spider, such as:
  • Frogs
  • Mice
  • Birds
  • Fish

Even though you might have the temptation to feed your Pitcher plant human food, please, avoid doing so at all costs.

As a general rule, never feed human food to Pitcher plants. The digestive enzymes Pitcher plants produce are not strong enough to break up human food. Human food inside pitchers can rot and attract fungus, bacteria, and other pests.

Nepenthes and Sarracenia are carnivorous plants. They are equipped to consume insects, but they can also break up flesh. However, you should avoid feeding your plant any animal besides insects and spiders.

Can pitcher plants eat mice? Pitcher plants can consume mice and other small animals such as birds or frogs. In the wild, on rare occasions, they do consume prey other than insects. However, it would help if you did not attempt feeding your Pitcher plant mice as the animal might end up rotting inside the plant and creating a health hazard.

Larger animals won’t necessarily provide more nutrition than insects. For that reason, I always recommend a bug diet.

How to Feed Pitcher Plants

Feeding pitcher plants is an uncomplicated process. Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Select the appropriate food option, preferably some type of insect
2. If you selected a dehydrated insect, such as a freeze-dried mealworm, you must rehydrate the insect. Add a few drops of distilled water to the insect and let it rest for several minutes until the insect absorbs most of the water. Then, clean off any excess water.
3. Grab the food with tweezers
4. Drop the food inside the pitcher
5. You can repeat the process multiple times and feed all the pitchers.
6. Monitor the pitcher of your Nepenthes of Sarracenia for a few weeks.
7. Repeat the process once or twice a month during the growing season.

When employing a new type of insect, I suggest monitoring the plant. Make sure most of the insect gets digested in the pitcher (at least the soft tissue). Also, keep an eye for leaf eaters, such as caterpillars, which might try to eat your plant.

Not everyone enjoys handling insects. Some of us do not feel comfortable with tasks that involved bugs. So, if that is not your cup of tea, you can let your plant capture its own bugs and skip the process altogether.

Do you need to feed Pitcher plants?

In the outdoors or a windowsill, Pitcher plants can capture their own bugs. They are effective bug catchers as they lure prey with sweet nectar.

When Pitcher plants capture their own bugs, there is no need to feed them manually. Still, you can do so safely without any issues. There is no harm in feeding your plant even if it already captured some insects.

Pitcher Plant Feeding Tips

Feeding Pitcher plants is not a complex process. However, making some small adjustments can ensure the feeding is successful.

• Do not drop bugs or fertilizer in the soil: It is safe to feed pitcher plants and fertilize them if you are familiar with fertilizer concentration ratios. However, you must not drop any matter in the soil. Pitcher plants are sensitive to any type of minerals that can build up in the ground.
• Employ bugs with lots of soft tissue: Some insects provide more nutritional value than others. Mealworms and bloodworms are very soft and contain tons of nutrients. Ant and gnats offer benefits, but they are pretty tiny for most pitcher plants.
• Do not drop water inside the pitchers: When feeding, be careful not introducing water or any other element inside the pitchers that are not food. Adding water can dilute the digestive enzymes inside the pitchers and prevent your plant from consuming bugs. This article on when to fill pitcher plants with water can explain the process in more detail.
• Change the food you employ if it attracts mold or causes the leaf to die.

Pitcher Plant Care Information

Care Consideration	Recommendation
Lighting:	This consideration is one of the most critical ones. Expose your plant to more than 10 hours of natural or artificial light. LED or fluorescent lights are suitable for indoor locations, 6500K is a suitable light temperature.
Watering:	Only employ pure water sources such as distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Water consistently and keep the soil humid at all times. Avoid the tray method for Nepenthes. Since watering your plant correctly is critical, this guide explains the process in great detail.
Soil:	Do not employ standard potting media such as MiracleGro, cactus soil, or succulent soil. Instead, use nutrient-free carnivorous plant soil. For best results, make sure you use soil that provides aeration and retains moisture. This article can help you select the best soil for your pitcher plant.
Humidity:	Pitcher plants thrive in humid environments. A humidity level of over > 50% is optimal. Still, most plants can adapt to lower humidities and might benefit from a humidifier.
Trimming:It is not required to prune Pitcher plants, but you can remove dead leaves to promote growth. The link has instructions on how to do it properly..
Feeding:	Outdoor Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. Indoor Pitcher plants need to be fed at least once a month to supplement their diet. You can employ mealworms, bloodworms, crickets, flies, fish flakes, or other small insects. Do not feed human food.
Fertilizers:	Avoid fertilizing unless you have researched the detailed process. Maxsea fertilizer is a common choice.
Repotting:	Repotting is not critical, but yearly repotting can promote growth.
Dormancy:	Some pitcher plant varieties require a yearly dormancy. Nepenthes, tropical pitcher plants do not require dormancy.
Best indoor Pitcher plant varieties:	Tropical Pitcher plants can grow in indoor growing.

Pitcher plants must be watered often to keep the soil humid at all times without it drying out completely. Water until the soil is moist throughout and do not leave the plant standing in water for multiple days. Never employ tap water or bottled water; only use distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater.

Watering Pitcher plants incorrectly can kill Pitcher plants, and making small mistakes will slow down their growth. So, let’s get into the details of how to water your Pitcher plant to perfection.

Pitcher Plant Watering

At a glance summary: Pitcher Plant Watering

1- Get the correct water. Choosing the wrong water type can kill Pitcher plants.

Pitcher plants are unique in which type of water they require. Please do not attempt to water your Pitcher plant with tap water or bottled water, as it can be extremely harmful.

Pitcher plants are intolerant to nutrients and minerals. For that reason, they need to be watered with pure water sources that contain little to no additives.

Pitcher plants should only receive distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater. These three options are safe for pitcher plants and other carnivorous plants. Tap water and bottled water can be very harmful to pitcher plants, they cause mineral burns and mineral build-up in the soil.

If you have access to rain, rainwater is the free option. Distilled water can be found in grocery stores for about $1 a gallon. Reverse osmosis water is sold in water stores and some pharmacies. Personally, I use distilled water since it is cheap and available near me. Make sure to buy the distilled water jugs that are pure. Avoid any bottles that contain the works “additives for taste,” ” enhanced for flavor,” “electrolytes.”

2- Water Pitcher plants from the top until the soil is humid all around and water comes out of the drainage holes.

Pitcher plants thrive in humid environments. So, make sure to moisten the soil all around. The plant does not only need the water to produce food, but it likes the humidity of the soil.

Besides the watering, make sure you select the correct soil. This article can help you select soil for your pitcher plant.

3- Leave no more than an inch of water in the tray. Never water a pitcher plant before the tray has dried up completely, and never let the plant sit in water for long periods.

When watering your plant, make sure to employ a shallow tray and not fill it up too high. An inch of water is the recommended maximum depth because Nepenthes do not like to sit in water. If it gets full, empty the tray. It is better to let your plants sit in an empty tray than to let them sit in water for long periods.

The little water in the tray helps increase the humidity in the area and provides a reserve of water.

4- When the tray dries up completely, water the plant again until the soil is moist all around. Never let the soil dry out completely.

The watering frequency for your plant will vary throughout the year as temperature changes.

As a general rule, water Nepenthes every 3-4 days or when the soil is less humid. You must never let the soil dry out. Pitcher plants suffer greatly when the environment is dry as they are accustomed to humid habitats.

I water my pitcher plants twice a week year-round. Since my plants live indoors, I do not have to account for environmental changes.

Pitcher Plant Watering Tips and Advice

The list below covers critical points to consider when watering and caring for a pitcher plant. Pay close attention to all and ensure your plant stays healthy.

• Employ pots with drainage: Technically, drainage holes are not a requirement for pitcher plants. However, employing pots with drainage lowers the changes of root rot and mold.
• Select the appropiate soil: To ensure the soil does not retain moisture excessively, make sure to employ soil with good drainage. A combination of 3 part sphagnum moss and 1 part perlite or silia sand are appropiate.This guide can help you choose the best soil for your Pitcher plant.
• Avoid terra cotta pots or clay pots: Such materials tend to absorb water from the soil. This characteristic is beneficial for many plants, but not for pitche plants. Those materials lower the humidity level and let too much water drain away from the soil. Also, terra cotta and clay tend to leach minerals to the ground. Plastic and ceramic containers are safe for pitcher plants.
• Employ a humidifier instead of a mister: Misting your plant provides minimal benefits. Instead of misting, consider employing a humidifier to increase the water content in the air.
• Monitor the water in your Pitchers: Check the pitchers in your plant and verify they contain liquid. A lack of water inside the pitcher is a sign of poor growing conditions. Is in many cases linked to uderwatering and lack of adequate lighting.
• Check your plant for root rot: Even though it is not very common, pitcher plants can suffer from root rot. When repotting pitcher plants, remove all the old soil and replace with fresh media. Then, make sure to clean the roots and examine them to check for root rot. It is easy to spot: dark and smushy spots or sections in the bulb of the plant.
• Research about dormancy needs: Some pitcher plants must undergo a winter dormancy. During dormancy, plants have different wtering needs. Make sure to adjust the watering frequency through the seasons.
• Avoid experimenting with other water sources: Most boiled water, tap water, bottled water, filtered water, pond water, and river water is unsuitable for pitcher plants. Test the water before using (with a TDS meter) or stick to pure water sources.

Should Pitcher Plants Sit in Water

Many plants thrive in damped or waterlogged conditions when they are placed in trays with water. Pitcher plants can sit in water, but only for short periods.

There are two general methods to water plants. You can water them in the standard fashion by pouring water from the top. You can also water the plant’s tray and wait until the plant absorbs it. The second option is often referred to as “watering from the bottom” or “the tray method.”

Preferably, water pitcher plants from the top and do not allow them to sit in water for extensive periods of several days or weeks. Pitcher plants can die due to root rot caused by overwatering.

You can water the plant until some liquid starts coming out of the drainage holes in the water tray. You can let some water stay in the tray, but it should be minimal. Keeping an inch of water is acceptable and not a significant threat. Never refill the tray with water. Instead, let the tray dry out completely before you water.

For best results, avoid watering pitcher plants from the bottom. Such a method does not provide any benefit and can cause root rot.

How to Water Hanging Pitcher Plants

Watering a hanging pitcher plant is not too complex. Here are the instructions.

When watering a hanging pitcher plant, water the plant from the top until the soil is humid and some liquid starts scaping the drainage holes; you must water again when the soil is less humid but never let it dry out.

Since hanging pitcher plants do not have a water saucer, your plant won’t have a water reserve. Consider palpating the soil every 1 to 2 days and confirm the dirt is still humid. Check the ground often to prevent it from drying out.

Pitcher plants thrive in high humidity environments. Consider misting your plant to increase the relative humidity in the background.

How to Water Sarracenia

Sarracenias grow in very humid to damped soil conditions. They thrive in humid environments and need to be watered often. Also, they should only receive mineral-free water, such as distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater. Avoid employing tap water or bottled water for Sarracenies, as the high mineral content can harm them.

Make sure you have the correct type of water before you attempt to water your plant. You can buy distilled water in most big box stores for an affordable fee of 1 dollar a gallon.

Sarracenias potted in containers with drainage can be watered using the tray method. Place the pot in a tray. Then, fill the tray with water. The plant will absorb the water from the tray, and the soil will remain humid.

Since Sarracenias require very wet soil, you must fill the water trays quite often. Add a few inches of water and refill when the water is almost gone. The dirt must never dry out. Instead, it should resemble boggy conditions as Sarracenias thrive in bigs.

Without drainage holes, you can water Sarracenias from the top. Always water thoroughly until the soil is wet all around. Water again as soon as the ground gets less wet but never dry.

Should You Put Water Inside Pitcher Plants?

Pitcher plants produce fluids inside their pitchers to digest prey. The liquid inside their pitchers contains enzymes that help break up any bug that falls inside the pitcher.

In the wild, Pitcher plants produce their own fluids. However, in some environments, Pitcher plants won’t make their own fluids.

Do not fill your pitcher plant with water if it is not producing its own fluids.Pitcher plants produce liquid inside their pitchers when conditions are optimal. Improper conditions, such as a lack of humidity and insufficient water can cause a pitcher plant to stop producing digestive juices.

You can read this guide on Pitcher plant care and figure out what can improve your setup. Once your plant is happy, it will start producing fluids. The presence of liquid inside the pitchers is a sign of healthy growing conditions.

There are some scenarios where it is recommended to add water to Pitcher plants:

• Some types of pitcher plants, such as sarracenia purpurea collect water with their pitchers. If the plant does not have access to rain water, you can consider adding some water. Use distilled water or rainwater to refill the pitcher
• Add water if you spilled the water out of a pitcher. Most plant won’t produce fluids fast enough to recuperate a spill.
• When pitcher plants are shipped in the mail they lose all their fluids. You can add water to ensure the pitchers remain healthy for a longer time.

How do you add water to pitcher plants?

First of all, make sure only to employ distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater. Anything else is unsuitable. Then, add water to the pitcher slowly until you reach no more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the pitcher’s height.

This section covered a summary of the matter. Learn all about when to fill your pitcher plant with water by reading this article. Also, it will give you easy steps on how to make your pitcher plant start producing fluids.

Pitcher Plant Care Guide

Care Consideration	Recommendation
Lighting:	Expose to more than 10 hours of natural or artificial light. LED or fluorescent lights are suitable for indoor locations.
Watering:	Employ pure water sources such as distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. Water constantly and keep the soil humid at all times.
Soil:	Do not employ standard potting media (enriched soil). Instead, use nutrient-free carnivorous plant soil. Carnivorous plant soil can be made up of peat moss or sphagnum moss and perlite or silica sand. The ratios are not critical, but a 3 to 1 ratio of moss and perlite is a suitable mixture.
Humidity:	> 50%
Trimming:	Remove dead leaves to promote growth.
Feeding:	Outdoor Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. Indoor Pitcher plants need to be fed at least once a month to supplement their diet. You can employ mealworms, bloodworms, crickets, flies, fish flakes, or other small insects. Do not feed human food. This guide can help you learn which bugs to employ and how to do it: What To Feed a Pitcher Plant: A Comprehensive List (Plus Feeding Tips)
Fertilizers:	Avoid fertilizing unless advanced.
Repotting:	Repotting is not critical, but yearly repotting can promote growth.
Dormancy:	Some pitcher plant varieties require a yearly dormancy. Nepenthes tropical pitcher plants do not require dormancy.
Best indoor Pitcher plant varieties:	Tropical Pitcher plants can grow in indoor growing.

Pitcher plants require soil that preserves moisture and has drainage. Sphagnum moss, peat moss, orchid bark, perlite, and horticultural sand are common elements present in most Pitcher plant soil mixes like, for example, a 2:1 combination of long-fibered sphagnum moss and silica sand.

When I first started growing carnivorous plants, I was unfamiliar with their soil requirements. But, after some research and some personal experience caring for my plants, I have learned how to make and buy carnivorous plant soil for Pitcher plants, sundews, Venus flytraps, and many others.

This guide will help you select the suitable soil for your plant and decide between making it yourself or buying it online. I have included some links to online shops to make it easy for you.

For a detail explanation on Pitcher plant care, make sure to read this Pitcher Plant Care Guide I wrote for you.

Suitable Potting Media for Nepenthes

Pitcher plants are very unique in appearance and also very unique in their specific requirements.

Nepenthes are very sensitive to minerals. Any type of nutrients present in the soil or the water can be very harmful to these plants. Pitcher plants thrive in low-nutrient environments.

Never plant Pitcher plants in standard potting media, such as Miracle-Gro, succulent soil, or cactus soil. Instead, employ carnivorous plant soil; it has low mineral content and usually has elements that help drainage and aeration.

Carnivorous plant soil for Pitcher plants usually contains one or multiple of these elements:

• Long-fibered sphagnum moss
• Peat moss
• Silica sand (horticultural)
• Perlite
• Orchid bark

The links can take you to some options online

You can buy carnivorous plant soil (suitable for your Pitcher plant). I have used a couple of different soil mixes in the past few years. Below, I share links to some I have used in the past. The links will take you to Amazon.com. A bag of soil costs 10-15 dollars and is plenty to pot most medium-sized Nepenthes.

• Sphagnum Moss and Perlite Potting Mix for Pitcher Plants
• Peat and Perlite Pitcher Plant Soil

It is also possible to make pitcher plant soil by following some general recipes. The following section guides you through the process:

Pitcher Plant Soil Recipes

Buying premade Pitcher plant soil mixes guarantees the potting media is appropriate for your plant. If you decide to make your own soil, you must be extra careful, as mistakes can ruin your soil mixture.

Each element you employ to make the soil must be pure; it can’t contain any nutrients or fertilizers. For example, make sure you buy pure peat moss instead of MiracleGro peat moss. MiracleGro is packed with minerals that can kill Pitcher plants.

The pictures below are some examples of nutrient-free perlite and peat moss:

The following are some examples of Pitcher Plant soil recipes:

• 100% long-fibered sphagnum moss
• 100% peat moss
• 2:1 Long-fibered sphagnum moss and silica sand
• 2:1 Long-fibered sphagnum moss and perlite
• 2:1 Peat moss and perlite
• 3:1:1 Peat moss, sand, and perlite

You can plant Nepenthes in pure peat or sphagnum moss, but it is not the best option. Both types of potting media are appropriate for carnivorous plants as they retain moisture and contain no minerals; however, they lack drainage. For best results, avoid employing pure moss for Pitcher plants. Instead, add some perlite or silica sand to help break up the soil and prevent soil compression.

Perlite or sand in the soil can make a big difference when growing carnivorous plants. They prevent root rot and preserve the ground for more extended periods. Also, they promote growth, thanks to the added aeration.

The recipes on the list are some ideas of soil mixes I have used in the past. Make sure you buy the correct components and do not worry too much about exact rations. If you add a little extra or less sand, your soil will still be appropriate. Just make sure you follow the recipe ratios broadly.

How to Pot and Repot a Pitcher Plant

Pitcher plants can stay in the same pot (here are my pot recommendations) for many months or even years without trouble, however, repotting provides many benefits.

Follow the steps below to pot or repot your Pitcher plant:

Repot your Nepenthes when you plant outgrows the container, the soil looks compressed and mushy, or when it has been 1-2 years since the last repot. Fresh potting media encourages growth and prevents health issues such as rotting and mold.

1. Gather carnivorous plant soil, a pot (like this), and pure water.
2. Moisten the soil in your Pitcher plant by watering it.
3. Use your hands to loosen up the media in the edges of the pot.
4. Gently, pull the plant and the soil out of the container.
5. Employ some pure water to remove as much of the potting media as possible. For best results, try to remove most of the old media.
6. Trim any dead leaves, roots, or foliage. Bare root plants are easy to trim.
7. Prepare the new soil by moistening it ahead of time with pure water.
8. If you employ peat moss, place the humid moss in the pot, make a hole in the soil and insert the plant. If you use sphagnum moss, grab a chunk of moss and surround the roots with it, then insert it all into the pot.
9. Water the pot from the top to set the soil.
10. Palpate the soil and look for any air gaps. If necessary, add more potting media. The ground must be set in place but should not be compacted.
11. Pay extra attention to your plant in the next 1-3 weeks as it might be down due to the shock of the repotting.

The video below also explains the repotting process for Pitcher plants:

Make sure you gather all the materials you need to pot your nepenthes before hand.

The best pots for Pitcher plants have drainage holes and are made up of plastic, glazed ceramic, or wood. Avoid clay and terra cotta pots. In terms of sizing, 5-inch pots are suitable for medium-sized plants.

Plan your repotting ahead of time by looking at the calendar and researching about the species you own. For example, some Pitcher plants undergo dormancy, while others do not experience major changes through the year. Such details can affect the recommended timing for repotting.

The best time to repot Nepenthes is at the end of dormancy or right before the growing season starts. Avoid repotting Pitcher plants during the growing season, as the shock can slow down their growth. Also, avoid repotting Pitcher plants more than once a year.

Besides the soil and potting requirements, there are many other considerations to keep in mind when growing Pitcher plants. The following section gives you a concise guide on Pitcher plant care.

Pitcher Plant Care

Follow these care instructions to build a proper setup and keep your Pitcher plant alive:

Lighting Requirement: Nepenthes thrive in sunny locations. Provide more than 10 hours of light exposure through natural or artificial light every day. You can grow your plant outdoors and rely on natural lights or grow them under grow lights.

LED and fluorescent are common choices when growing Nepenthes indoors. Artificial lighting for nepenthes does not have to be complex. I have used this small plant light to grow some of my carnivorous plants without trouble: https://amzn.to/41Orn40.

Watering Requirements: Never water pitcher plants with tap water or bottled water, as these often contain too many minerals for most carnivorous plants. Only employ distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water.

Water often, so the soil remains humid at all times.

For detailed instructions on how to water Pitcher plants the right amount, make sure to read this guide.

Soil: Always employ nutrient-free ground. A mixture of peat moss or sphagnum moss and perlite or silica sand are suitable potting media options. Consider using a combination of 60% long-fibered sphagnum moss and 40% silica sand for nepenthes.

Humidity: High humidity is beneficial for most Pitcher plants. Humidity levels over 50% are recommended. If you live in an arid area, consider employing a humidifier. Without enough moisture, pitcher plants suffer and stop producing pitchers (in this article I share a method to make your pitcher plant start producing pitchers) (in this article I share a method to make your pitcher plant start producing pitchers).

Trimming: You can trim dried up leaves once they have withered completely. Avoid trimming healthy leaves at all costs.

Feeding: Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. In most cases, there is no need to feed the plant manually. However, if you grow pitcher plants indoors, they might not have access to nutrients.

Feeding pitcher plants is straightforward. Just drop a bug inside a pitcher once or twice a month. A single bug can provide nutrients for the whole plant.

Fertilizers: Not required.

Pots: Employ plastic, glazed ceramic, wood, or glass pots with drainage. Avoid terra cotta, clay, or metal pots, as these materials can leach minerals to the soil and harm pitcher plants.

Dormancy: Some pitcher plant varieties require dormancy.

Outdoor vs. Indoor growth: Assess if your indoor or outdoor environment is the most suitable for your nepenthes. A good strategy is to try to replicate the environment of their natural habitat.

If you are interested in indoor growing, I have written a care guide to help you grow Nepenthes as a houseplant. Make sure to check it out!

Trim pitcher plants by cutting off completely dried up leaves or sections that have withered. Avoid removing any healthy part of your plant. When trimming, employ sharp and sterilized scissors or pruners.

In this article, I will teach you exactly how to trim nepenthes to keep them thriving. The process is not complicated. But, trimming your plant incorrectly can slow down its growth. I also have this video to help you learn the process:

Pitcher Plant Trimming Guide

When trimming pitcher plants, the main idea is to remove only the plant’s dead parts and keep the healthy growth.

The only tool that you will need to trim your plant is a pair of scissors or a pruner; make sure your tool is sharp and sterilized before getting started. To sterilize your instrument, you can clean it with alcohol. Sterilizing your scissors prevents your plant from been exposed to pests from another plant.

Leaves in nepenthes plants have three distinctive parts: the leaf base, the petiole, and the pitcher. The leaf base looks like a standard leaf. The petiole is the filament that joins the leaf base with the pitcher. And the pitcher hangs at the end of the petiole. I will refer to each of these parts as I explain the trimming process. So, keep them in mind

First, start by removing completely dried up leaves.

Some leaves in your plant might be completely dry, all the way from the leaf base to the pitcher. Remove those leaves by cutting them off as close to the base as possible.

Then, continue by removing sections of the leaves that have withered. Sometimes a pitcher dried up, but the leaf base remains healthy. In that case, do not make the mistake of removing the whole leaf. Instead, cut off only the pitcher by cutting the start of the petiole. And leave the leaf base there. The leaf base will continue to help with photosynthesis.

Finally, in some cases, pitchers start to wither but do not dry up completely. Like in the picture below, the pitcher dried up halfway. For those leaves, you have two options. You can wait until the pitcher has dried up completely and then remove it. Or, you can remove the dried-up section.

If you chose to remove the dried-up section, use your scissors and carefully cut the pitcher’s top (and brown) part. Then, leaf the rest of the pitcher and the leaf alone. The leaf will continue helping with photosynthesis. Plus, if the pitcher is digesting a bug, it will continue to extract nutrients.

So in short… to remove dead leaves in Pitcher plants, do the following:

• Cut off withered leaves as close to the base as possible
• Optimally: remove all dead sections of a leaf, such as a dried up pitcher

Nepenthes Trimming Tips

Trimming or pruning plants brings many benefits. It encourages growth, prevents pests and mold, and makes your plants look heathier. However, the trimming process must be done correctly to offer all of these and more benefits.

The list below includes some useful tips to consider when growing nepenthes and trimming them.

• Trim your plant once every couple of months: Nepenthes do not grow as fast as other carnivorous plants, such as Venus flytraps. There is no need to trim your plant every single time a leaf starts to wither. Instead, prune your plant in batches. These will prevent your plant from suffering from unwanted stress.
• Never attempt to pull dead leaves: Sometimes leaves are so dry, you can pull them off without harming the plant. But, pulling the leaves is not always safe. Extracting dead leaves by pulling them can hurt your plant. I have made this mistake in the past and accidentally removed healthy leaves together with the dried-up one.
• Do not overreact with every black leaf: Dead leaves in any plant, including nepenthes. Make sure to read the next section to verify your plant is healthy, but, in most cases, black leaves are entirely normal.
• Consider taking leaf cuttings when trimming your plant.

Are Black Leaves Normal for Nepenthes?

Often, people tend to get overly worried about their pitcher plant losing a couple of leaves. However, dead leaves are not always an issue.

Brown or black leaves in pitcher plants are normal in most cases. As the leaves age, they start to wither and eventually dry up completely. Still, sometimes, black leaves are a sign of poor growing conditions.

When observing black leaves in your pitcher plant, ask yourself a couple of questions: Are several leaves dying at the same time? Is there new growth spurring from the bottom? have you change your plant’s setup lately? Is your plant going dormant?

A single leaf dying is not a warning sign, but multiple leaves drying up at the same time is a warning sign. Still, if your plant is producing new growth, it has a high chance of remaining healthy. I use a simple yet useful trick to assess the state of my plant. When I trim them, I count their leaves ( a rough estimate for large plants) and write the number down. Then, the next time I trim them, I check if the number is increasing or decreasing.

Some pitcher plant experience a dormancy period during the winter. During dormancy, pitcher plants turn to shed several leaves and reduce in size. The process is entirely normal and necessary for the plant.

Research your plant’s variety to assess its dormancy requirement. If they require dormancy, make sure you provide a suitable environment. While dormant, your plant won’t look at its finest, but it will flourish on the spring more robust than ever.

When plants experience any change, they can suffer from different effects. A drop in humidity, lighting, or temperature changes can make them lose leaves.

How to Reduce Black Leaves in Pitcher Plants

Even though black leaves in pitcher plants are not always a sign of poor growing conditions, it is beneficial to prevent leaves from drying up when possible (this guide can help you reduce black leaves in pitcher plants) (this guide can help you reduce black leaves in pitcher plants).

Here are some of my top suggestions to reduce brown leaves in nepenthes:

Water your plant consistently: Pitcher plants need plenty of water to remain healthy. With our enough water, they won’t produce fluid inside their pitchers (this is how you solve the lack of fluid in the pitchers). With our enough water, they won’t produce fluid inside their pitchers (this is how you solve the lack of fluid in the pitchers).

Sometimes leaves dry up due to the lack of watering. Water your plant often and keep the soil always moist (here is a guide on how to water them to the perfect level). (here is a guide on how to water them to the perfect level).. Please do not flood the ground, but make sure it is humid at all times.

Keep the humidity high: Pitcher plants commonly characterize by thriving in high humidity environments. Each species has different requirements which must be fulfilled.

Consider getting a humidifier if the humidity is too low for your plant. Do not place your plant in a terrarium to increase the relative humidity. A humidifier is much more effective and safe.

Provide enough lighting: Pitcher plants need plenty of lighting (8+ hours) to remain healthy. Expose your plant lots of sunlight to keep the leaves healthy and prevent them from dying.

Introduce your plant to a new climate slowly: Sometimes, changes in the environment can cause brown eaves. Consider acclimating your plant slowly to different locations of climates.

Do not play with the pitchers: Avoid touching your plant excessively as it can generate unwanted stress and black leaves. Only handle your plant when it is necessary to keep the leaves healthy.

Only feed bugs to your plant: Pitcher plants and carnivorous plants in general benefit from consuming bugs. But, they should not consume any human food. Do not feed your plant meat, chicken, fruit, candy, or other types of human food. The food will rot inside the pitchers and unnecessarily kill the leaf.

Feed your plant only when necessary: Pitcher plants only need to capture a bug or two every couple of weeks to experience the nutritional benefits.

Overfeeding your plant can cause black leaves. If you feed your plant manually, only employ one bug at a time, feed a single pitcher, and avoid large bugs with thick exoskeletons (hard to digest).

Pitcher Plant Care 101

Here is a quick overview on Nepenthes care:

Care Consideration	Recommendation
Lighting Requirement:	More than 10 hours of light exposure through natural or artificial light.
Watering Requirements:	Only employ distilled water, rainwater, or reverse osmosis water. The soil must be humid at all times. Bog gardens work well.
Soil:	Employ nutrient-free carnivorous plant soil (here is a great option on what soil to use): A mixture of peat moss or sphagnum moss and perlite or silica sand.
Temperature:	Common temperature range during the growing season: 60 – 80 F (15 – 27 C)
Humidity:	> 50% humidity level is recommended
Trimming:	Occasionally trim dried up leaves and flowers by cutting them out.
Feeding:	Pitcher plants capture bugs on their own. There is no need to feed the plant manually.
Fertilizers:	Not required, but you can add fertilizer drops to the pitchers (Maxsea is a good option)
Pots:	Employ plastic, glazed ceramic, or glass pots with drainage.
Repotting:	Repot once a year to promote growth.
Dormancy:	Some pitcher plant varieties require dormancy.
Outdoor vs Indoor growth:	Can be grown in both outdoor and indoor environments

For more information on growing pitcher plants, make sure to download the complete care sheet here: Ultimate Pitcher Plant Care Guide.

Pitcher plants close their lids due to insufficient humidity, improper temperature, dry soil, or other related factors. The growing habitat must be adjusted to encourage the pitchers to open back up. Open pitchers are ready to capture bugs and allow the consumption of valuable nutrients.

Close lids are commonly due to improper growing conditions, which can weaken and eventually kill your plant. This article will solve your doubts about why your pitcher plant is closed and teach you how to fix it.

The pitcher plant is considered one of the largest and most striking carnivorous plants in the world. It has large, jar-shaped leaves, which serve to trap and digest small organisms. These death traps hang from spiral-shaped tendrils and are filled with acidic gastric juices. To prevent the digestive liquid from being diluted by rainwater and losing concentration, the trap has a small lid that protects the pitcher.

One of the headaches that growing Pitcher plants can bring us may be that the traps of our pitcher plant are closed. In this article, we will explore key care considerations to solve this problem.

Keep in mind that there are many types of pitcher plants with different requirements. Knowing which kind of pitcher plant you own is useful to assess their needs.

Within pitcher plants, there are different varieties. The most commons are:

• Nepenthes Lowland: They endure temperatures from 25 C to 35 C, as long as their leaves are damp. These are characterized by being a little smaller and broader. Like most varieties of this species, it is brightly colored.
• Nepenthes Howland: Like Nepenthes Lowland, its leaves must be moist at all times. The range of temperatures that it can withstand is a little wider since it can withstand temperatures between 15 C and 30 C. This plant has a reddish hue and can reach a larger size than the previous one.
• Nepenthes Highland: Withstands temperatures from 10 C to 20 C. Physically they are very long and not very wide; they have an opaque hue.

Why Are Pitcher Plants Closed?

Pitcher plants have structures that resemble a “lid” over each pitcher. The lid can serve as protection from rain and the evaporation of its gastric juices. The top usually remains separate and does not close the pitcher completely. Three main problems cause closed pitchers:

1. Lack of humidity: This is another of the main problems. Carnivorous plants, in general, need adequate environmental humidification. In this particular species, a humidity of even 75% is recommended.
2. Dry soil: as in most carnivorous plants, they need reasonably moist soil to develop their roots.
3. Keep them at an inappropriate temperature: something that also affects our pitcher plant and that many people overlook when they start in the world of gardening is the temperature at which we must maintain certain species, especially the most delicate ones. As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are different Nepenthes varieties, and each of them needs a specific temperature. If the weather at which we keep it is outside the range it can withstand, it could be why it is not opening its traps correctly.

How to Encourage a Pitcher Plant to Open?

The essential thing if your pitcher plant has its traps closed is to remain calm. We should not rush and try to find disproportionate solutions.

The most useful advice we can give you is to review all the environmental factors in which your carnivorous plant lives and determine if they are adequate or not.

To carry out this task, we must examine the three factors mentioned in the previous point, since the problem usually lies here in most cases.

Solution for Dry Soil

To know the first possible problem, which is the lack of humidity in the substrate, we must: touch the surface part of the substrate on which our pitcher plant sits, and if it is dry, it would mean that it does not have enough humidity. If this were our case, the best option would be to water it and start doing it more frequently. We remember that this species needs to be watered between every three and five days, depending on how hot it is in the place where we live. The soil must remain humid, but not damped and never dry.

For best results, make sure you use soil that provides aeration and retains moisture. This article can help you select the best soil for your pitcher plant.

Solution for Lack of Humidity

This point is somewhat more complicated to solve than the previous one since it refers to environmental humidity, but this does not mean that it is impossible. To know if this problem is the one that is causing the jars of our jar plant not to open, we must look at whether the other conditions are under control.

Some tricks that we can try to solve this problem could be:

1. If our plant is located indoors (read the pitcher plant indoor care guide), a good option would be to purchase a humidifier and place it near it. Thanks to this device, we will be able to substantially increase the humidity in the air, thus favoring our plants in need of moisture.
2. Another option to consider would be to keep it in a terrarium. We must keep this alternative in mind because, in addition to keeping humidity under control, we can also keep other variables such as temperature constant. In this case, we can increase the humidity inside the terrarium by introducing a humidifier or a dish with water to use the effects of evaporation to our advantage.
3. The last and simplest trick to maintain adequate humidity for our pitcher plant would be to spray it manually. This alternative has its good part and its bad part. The good part is that we will increase the humidity substantially immediately. On the other hand, the bad part is that we will have to do it quite frequently, especially when the weather is hot.

Solution for Improper Temperature

Throughout this article, we have already mentioned the temperature necessary to care for this species in captivity depends on the variety we own since not all of them withstand the same temperatures. The tricks that we will mention in this section will serve equally for all varieties. You only have to adapt it to the variety to which your pitcher plant belongs.

The first option and the most comfortable in the long term would be to acquire the variety of pitcher plant that best suits the climate of the area in which we live. The benefits of making this decision are more than obvious. One of them is that we will not have to worry about adapting to the temperature that our carnivorous plant needs artificially.

If we have not taken this alternative, we must move our pitcher plant indoors when the climatic temperature is not within the range that the plant can withstand, either because it is too hot in summer or too cold in winter (it will depend on your plant’s variety).

Other Factors

Apart from these three factors, there are other more secondary factors. This does not mean that they do not play an important role in the development and correct functioning of our carnivorous plant’s system.

• One of these factors could be to use a suitable substrate. Pitcher plants thrive in nutrient-less soil with good aeration and drainage. A 1:1 mixture of peat or sphagnum moss with perlite or silica sand are suitable alternatives.
• Another critical point to keep in mind is that we should not make the mistake of adding some fertilizer. This action could damage our pitcher plant since they come from areas with soils poor in nutrients, and their roots are not adapted to absorb them. This is why they have adapted to be able to hunt insects and meet their needs to acquire nutrients.
• Another problem that we must rule out if we observe that our pitcher plant is closed is that it may have some type of infection caused by a pest. This will be of vital importance to save our plant from possible death.

Once your Pitcher plant starts opening, you can start feeding it (this guide can teach you how to feed your pitcher plant properly) (this guide can teach you how to feed your pitcher plant properly). This guide can help you learn which bugs to employ and how to do it: What To Feed a Pitcher Plant: A Comprehensive List (Plus Feeding Tips)

Adjusting the growing environment can make a huge difference in your plant’s health and allow the pitchers to open up. If you need more information on pitcher plant care, this article: A Complete Pitcher Plant Care Guide (with care sheet) will give you all the information you need.

Their natural lifecycle usually causes black leaves in Pitcher plants; old leaves wither while new ones spur from the center. Black leaves can also be a sign of dormancy or poor growing conditions, such as excessive sunlight or lack of humidity.

This article will explore the most common causes of black leaves and methods to avoid losing leaves due to common care mistakes.

What Causes Black Leaves in Pitcher Plants?

Black Leaves Due to Standard Leaf Rotation

Pitcher plants take only about six months to develop pitchers, but they take 5-10 years to fully mature and flower. Their lifespan ranges between 10-20 years. They use sunlight, water, soil nutrients, and prey to survive. Throughout their lifespan, they will occasionally shed some leaves and pitchers that are too old. For every leaf drying up there, there should be a new one growing.

Do not be overly worried when you see a leaf drying up and turning brown. Most of the time dried up leaves are harmless in Pitcher plants. The image above shows a healthy Pitcher plant with several brown leaves and pitchers. Even though the plant has lost some leaves, it is healthy. It has produced more leaves and pitchers than before in the latest months.

The Dormancy Period

Some varieties of Pitcher plants undergo a period of dormancy in the winter. During that period, the plant tends to produce more black leaves.

The Sarracenia pitcher plant native in North America, for example, develops non-carnivorous leaves from Autumn until the end of winter, and some other leaves will turn brown and die.

Even Nepenthes, which are tropical pitcher plants, undergo some physical changes to cope with winter. The days are shorter at this time of the year in tropical regions, so the pitcher plants conserve their energy. They grow at a slower rate and will shed some dried leaves and pitchers. Turning black or brown is a sign that they are drying up and about to shed.

Black Leaves Due to Improper Care

Many different factors can cause an increase in black leaves in your Pitcher plant. If your plant is not dormant and you observe several leaves dying up, those can be caused by improper growing conditions. This section will help you examine your setup and ensure your plant is receiving proper care. Also, it includes some tips on how to avoid black leaves.

Watering Technique

Nepenthes grow best in moist but well-drained soil. Even the top layer of soil has to stay moist as carnivorous plants are native to bogs. An easy way to maintain this is with the tray method. Put the pot on a tray and keep about 1/4 inch of water on the tray at all times. Allow the plant to be watered from the bottom and try not to water from the top to avoid getting water inside the pitchers. It is only advisable to keep about 1/2 inch of water in the pitchers if it is particularly dry.

The water used for this plant can only be rainwater, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water. Nepenthes are native to nutrient-poor habitats, and too many minerals in the soil may over-fertilize the plants. Keeping them under roof eaves or downspouts is also advisable, so they get ample rainwater. They can sometimes tolerate tap water, but the amount of minerals in tap water may differ according to where you live.

Humidity Requirements

Nepenthes need high humidity. Pitchers will not grow; they can dry up and die in low humidity (less than 30%-40%). Dried up leaves and a lack of pitchers are common signs of improper humidity levels. If you do not have a terrarium that can control the humidity, you can keep a humidifier near the plants to replicate a humid environment. Regularly misting them with water in a spray bottle will also help.

Be wary of other organisms that also thrive in high humidity, though. Do not keep the pitcher plants in a completely closed container because fungi and mildew might grow inside and kill the plant. Allow sufficient natural ventilation in the terrarium as well by keeping it slightly open.

Lighting Requirements

Carnivorous plants, not just pitcher plants, generally need lots of sunlight. Without plenty of lighting pitcher plants stop producing fluid (this is how you solve the lack of fluid in the pitchers), Venus fly traps stop growing traps, and many other issues.. The Highland species can survive in partial sun while the Lowland species will need full sun.

Place Pitcher plants outdoors in a spot where they can get unobstructed sunlight. If they are being kept indoors, place them near windowsills facing any direction except North. They will not get direct sunlight through a North-facing window. If they are kept in a terrarium, it is better to use fluorescent tubes designed for plant growth and set the timer at 12-14 hours. Read the Indoor Pitcher Plant Care Guide for more information and effective strategies to grow Pitcher plants in your home.

Optimal Temperature

Pitcher plants are resilient to various temperature levels. Indoor room temperatures are appropriate for most types of Pitcher plants.

A standard temperature range during the growing season is 60 – 80 F (15 – 27 C). Pitcher plants prefer stable temperatures within 60 – 80 F (15 – 27 C).

You should double-check the specific species you own or plan to buy and adjust the temperature accordingly.

Soil Composition

Sphagnum Moss and Perlite Potting Mix for Pitcher Plants

Pitcher plants thrive in nutrient-free soil. The minerals and fertilizers in standard soil can kill these plants.

Employ a mixture of long-fibered sphagnum moss or peat moss with perlite or sand as Pitcher plants. Each of the elements in the soil must be pure and lack any nutrients or fertilizers.

Pitcher plants do not need rich organic soil as they are native to nutrient-poor habitats. Their consumption of insects makes up for the soil’s deficiency in minerals.

For best results, make sure you use soil that provides aeration and retains moisture. This article can help you select the best soil for your pitcher plant.

Feeding Needs

Carnivorous plants need supplemental feeding for optimal growth. It is recommended that the plants are grown in an area with natural access to prey, like on an open window leading outdoors so they can feed themselves. An insect or two per month is sufficient if the plant has not caught anything by itself. Freeze-dried insects are available in pet shops, and you can also feed them crickets, wasps, cockroaches, and flies. Do not experiment with human food; stick with an insect-only diet for your Pitcher plant.

The pitchers could trap bigger prey like lizards and rats, but this is not advisable to allow them to feed on them because they take a long time to be digested and only emit a rotting smell. Also, as the animal rots, the leaf will dry up and die.

Do you want to learn how to feed your Pitcher plant? This guide can help you learn which bugs to employ and how to do it: What To Feed a Pitcher Plant: A Comprehensive List (Plus Feeding Tips)

Use of Fertilizers

Pitcher plants generally do not need fertilizing, but it’s not particularly bad for them. Use foliar spray and be careful not to overdo it because Nepenthes are especially prone to being over-fertilized. Indoor plants can be fertilized with 10% diluted orchid food twice a month during the growing season. 

Excessive use of fertilizers can weaken the plant. Also, they can cause dried up leaves.

Are Dried up Pitchers Signs of a Dying Plant?

Not necessarily. Often, the Pitcher plants are just approaching dormancy, or the pitchers are old. Pitchers occasionally turn brown, dry up, then shed. It should only be a cause for alarm if the pitchers are drying up all at once outside dormancy season.

It could be tricky when the pitchers start drying up during Autumn, though. It is hard to tell if it is going dormant or dying and the only way to know is to wait out the dormancy season. The plant is fine if it starts growing late in spring or early in Autumn. If it doesn’t, then it only means it has died.

How to Prevent Pitcher Plants From Turning Black?

Caring for pitcher plants could be easy, but mistakes are easier to make, and they could spell the death of the plant if they’re not immediately addressed.

Remember that plants will only thrive in environments that mimic their natural habitat. Pitcher plants grow best in warm, humid, and bright conditions.

Follow this advice to keep your plant healthy and avoid losing leaves:

• Avoid playing with the leaves or the pitchers. Touching the plant can cause stress and leaf loss.
• Do not fertilize your plant. Only experienced growers should experiment with fertilizers.
• Grow your plant outdoors with several hours (10+) of direct or indirect sunlight.
• Plant Pitcher plants in carnivorous plant soil. Avoid standard using standard potting soil, as it is harmful for Pitcher plants.
• Water frequently to keep the soil moist but do not flood.
• Only employ nutrient-free water such as reverse osmosis water, distilled water, or rainwater.
• Feed your Pitcher plant only if it lives indoors (this guide can teach you the basics of the pitcher plant feeding process). (this guide can teach you the basics of the pitcher plant feeding process)..
• Only feed insects to pitcher plants, never experiment with human food or larger animals.

For more information on Pitcher plant care, make sure to download the complete care sheet here: Ultimate Pitcher Plant Care Guide.

Pitcher plants stop producing pitchers when they are grown under improper conditions. Pitcher plants growing in an environment with insufficient humidity, lack of adequate lighting, and improper watering can stop producing pitchers and weaken over time.

It is helpful to understand the reason that your pitcher plant stopped producing pitchers, and this article will fully explain the possible reasons for this phenomenon to occur. In addition, the article will cover the possible remedies so that you may get your pitcher plant blooming again in just a short period of time.

And, if you are looking for more information on pitcher plant care guide, read this complete guide. 

Why Is My Pitcher Plant Not Producing Pitchers?

There is a multitude of reasons that a pitcher plant can stop producing pitchers for a short period of time in its growth cycle. Fortunately, only a few of those reasons can be life-threatening to your plant. However, with the fickle nature of the pitcher plant, many owners naturally assume the worst when their carnivorous plant seems to have no means to feed itself.

The most common reason for pitcher plants to lose their pitchers is a lack of the critical amount of direct sunlight that carnivorous plants need to absorb in order to maintain their normal growth and recovery rate.

Most varieties of pitcher plants will need a minimum of 8 hours of direct sunlight in order to stay healthy and vibrant, regardless of if they live indoors or outdoors. You can employ natural light or artificial lighting to fulfill the plant’s requirements.

Pitcher plants are also very delicate when it comes to their watering habits.

Pitcher plants are very sensitive to the additives and minerals that are found in tap and bottled waters. You should water your carnivorous plants with rainwater, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water. This is the case regardless of the soil blend that your pitcher plant is growing in.

Humidity is a very necessary element to a thriving pitcher plant. Unless you are growing your pitcher plant indoors with a humidifier directly beside it, you will need to regularly monitor the humidity of the environment. A great way to maintain a healthy level of humidity is to regularly spritz the plant in its entirety with caught rainwater by using a spray bottle.

If you have verified that the previous conditions aren’t at unacceptable levels, you can explore other care considerations. This article provides a complete guide for growing Pitcher Plants. You can go over each care instruction and confirm you are on the right track.

How Can You Encourage Pitcher Growth For Your Plant?

In order to encourage new pitcher growth from your carnivorous plant, inspect its growing conditions. First, check the humidity requirements.

Incorrect humidity, lighting, watering, or temperatures are common factors that affect Pitcher plant growth. To promote growth, ensure that the plant is in the correct humidity for the specific genus. Then, continue to analyze and adjust its growing conditions.

Sunlight: As with any gardening you choose to undertake, the proper care of each type of plant is imperative to its ability to thrive. If your pitcher plant is not getting adequate sunlight or getting too much sunlight, it will likely drop its pitchers, and new regrowth will be slow to occur.

Most varieties of pitcher plants require at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each and every day. However, if you notice that the leaves on your plant are turning yellow, it is more than likely due to receiving too much sunlight for your particular plant type.

Watering: Ensure you aren’t watering your pitcher plant with tap water, or any water that isn’t filtered, distilled or collected rainwater.

If you doubt the quality of the water that you’re giving to your pitcher plant, your best bet is to collect rainwater and start the tray watering system for your plants. In this method, rainwater that has been collected is poured into a tray or saucer, and the pitcher plant pot (here are my pot recommendations) is placed directly into the water in the tray. This allows the plant to feed itself the necessary amount of water without it allowing the soil to retain excess standing water or become waterlogged. Waterlogged soil or standing water in the soil will cause your carnivorous plant to develop root rot, which can kill the entire plant starting with the roots.

Although the soil should never feel bone dry to the touch, it should also never feel soggy to the touch. This is often the area that proves to be the trickiest in caring for a carnivorous plant, because the absolute ideal moisture level can be elusive, and it is easy to overwater your plants if you are watering manually, instead of using the tray method to keep your plants watered.

For best results, make sure you use soil that provides aeration and retains moisture. This article can help you select the best soil for your pitcher plant.

Temperature: Extremely cold temperatures can prove to be fatal to your carnivorous plant. A pitcher plant should be moved indoors if there is any threat of a frost occurring and should remain indoors until the spring has guaranteed that there is no further threat of your plant falling victim to frostbite.

Extremely hot temperatures are also potentially fatal to your carnivorous plant. If you are growing your pitcher plants outdoors, and the temperature range average is higher than 85F for 2 or more days, consider moving your plant indoors. In a matter of days, extremely high temperatures can destroy the plant, and they are often difficult to revive after they’ve been damaged by hot or cold extremes.

Although you may not be able to leave your pitcher plants outdoors in the hottest months of the year, moving them indoors should be well-thought-out.

The reason for placing them strategically for indoor growth is that natural sunlight is best for a thriving carnivorous plant, and they should be placed in a spot that receives direct sunlight through a windowpane for no less than 4 hours each day. That can be a tricky spot to locate inside of your home, and if they are placed in a room that doesn’t allow enough natural sunlight in, your plant and its health will rapidly deteriorate.

How Long Does It Take For A Pitcher Plant To Grow New Pitchers?

Once your pitcher plant sheds its existing pitchers, it should already be setting itself to grow new tendrils. If you don’t see evidence of new tendril growth in the following spring, you may need to repot or trim your pitcher plant (here are the instructions for trimming) in order to generate any new growth.

Although fertilization of your pitcher plant isn’t normally recommended, in cases where the new tendril growth won’t begin on its own, you may need to feed your plant a highly diluted orchid feed. It is advised to dilute the feed to at least ⅛ of its normal strength, and it should only be done to restore that correct level of acidity to the soil of your plant.

Will A Pitcher Plant Die Without Any Pitchers Present To Catch Insects?

Fortunately, this isn’t the case for what amounts to a comfortable period of time to allow for new growth to take place.

Carnivorous plants are a testament to the ingenuity of botany, as they can subsist on the water until they have grown new pitchers that are capable of digesting insects for nutrient absorption. Instead of wilting and dying when they cannot feed on insects and arachnids, the pitcher plant focuses a photosynthesis diet until the pitchers have formed and started operating fully

A pitcher plant will not die if it has no pitchers to catch insects in. Due to the photosynthesis process that feeds most other plants, this carnivorous plant can obtain growth necessary nutrients from the water provided to its soil, and the sunlight can turn carbon dioxide and water to synthesize food for nutrition.

Although it may be disappointing to have a pitcher plant that seems very slow to begin new tendril growth, sometimes it is necessary to urge the plant along in its growth by feeding it with heavily diluted orchid feed.

Pitcher plants obtain nutrients from the insects they digest. But, pitcher plants can also live just as well, producing their own food via photosynthesis if they cannot capture bugs. The nutrients absorb from pray are a supplement to their diet.