www.predatoryplants.com

Venus Flytrap (Dionaea)

• Keep soil damp at all times.  Leave pots in a shallow tray or saucer of water.

• Use rain water, distilled water, or tap water with low mineral content (like Hetch Hetchy water in the SF Bay Area.)  If you use bottled water, make sure that it has NO sodium added.

• DO NOT fertilize your flytraps with traditional fertilizers.  Flytraps get their nutrients from the sun and insects, and their root systems are sensitive to fertilizers.

• Grow your flytraps in as much sun as possible.  They can be grown outside in most climates.  If grown indoors, they should be in the sunniest location possible or under fluorescent lights.

• Flytraps are perennials.  They flower and grow in spring and summer, and will stop growing or go dormant in winter.  If your flytrap appears to be completely dead in winter, keep the soil moist and it will probably re-emerge from its roots in spring with larger growth.

• Transplant every few years in a mix of 50% peat moss and 50% sand or perlite.  This is best done during winter dormancy.  Make sure there is no fertilizer in the soil you use.

Sundew (Drosera) - Temperate Varieties

• Keep soil damp at all times.  Leave pots in a shallow tray or saucer of water.

• Use rain water, distilled water, or tap water with low mineral content (like Hetch Hetchy water in the SF Bay Area.)  If you use bottled water, make sure that it has NO sodium added.

• DO NOT fertilize your sundews with traditional fertilizers.  Sundews get their nutrients from the sun and insects, and their root systems are very sensitive to fertilizers.

• Grow your sundew in sunny to partly-sunny conditions.  They can be grown outside in most climates, on a sunny windowsill, or under fluorescent lights.

• Sundews are perennials.  They flower and grow in spring and summer, and will slow down or stop growing in winter.

• Sundews may go dormant if the weather becomes too cold or the plant is stressed.  If your sundew appears to be completely dead while grown outside in winter, keep the soil damp, and it will probably re-emerge from its roots in spring.

• Transplant every few years in a mix of 50% peat moss and 50% sand or perlite.  This is best done during winter.  Make sure there is no fertilizer in the soil you use.

American Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia)

• Keep soil damp at all times.  Leave pots in a shallow tray or saucer of water.

• Use rain water, distilled water, or tap water with low mineral content (like Hetch Hetchy water in the SF Bay Area.)  If you use bottled water, make sure that it has NO sodium added.

• DO NOT fertilize sarracenia with traditional fertilizers.  Sarracenia get their nutrients from the sun and insects, and their root systems are sensitive to fertilizers.

• Grow your sarracenia in as much sun as possible.  They can be grown outside in most climates.  Due to their high light requirement, they are unlikely to thrive indoors, and because of their height, they are difficult to grow under fluorescent lights.

• Sarracenia are perennials.  They flower and grow in spring and summer, and will stop growing or go dormant in winter.  If your sarracenia appears to be completely dead in winter, keep the soil moist and it will probably re-emerge from its roots in spring with larger and more colorful growth.

• Transplant every few years in a mix of 50% peat moss and 50% sand or perlite.  This is best done during dormancy.  Make sure there is no fertilizer in the soil you use.

Butterwort (Pinguicula) - Temperate Varieties

• Keep soil damp at all times.  Leave pots in a shallow tray or saucer of water.

• Use rain water, distilled water, or tap water with low mineral content (like Hetch Hetchy water in the SF Bay Area.)  If you use bottled water, make sure that it has NO sodium added.

• DO NOT fertilize your butterworts with traditional fertilizers.  Butterworts get their nutrients from the sun and insects, and their root systems are very sensitive to fertilizers.

• Grow your butterwort in partly-sunny conditions.  They can be grown outside in most climates, on a sunny windowsill, or under fluorescent lights.

• Butterworts are perennials.  They flower and grow in spring and summer, and will slow-down or stop growing in winter.

• Transplant every few years in a mix of 50% peat moss and 50% sand or perlite.  This is best done during winter.  Make sure there is no fertilizer in the soil you use.

Tropical Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes) - Highland Varieties

• Keep soil damp but well-drained at all times.  DO NOT let your nepenthes sit in water.

• Use rain water, distilled water, or tap water with low mineral content (like Hetch Hetchy water in the SF Bay Area.)  If you use bottled water, make sure that it has NO sodium added.

• Grow your nepenthes in partly-sunny conditions.  They can be grown outside during warm weather, but should be kept above 50⁰ F.

• Nepenthes can also be grown on sunny windowsills or in terrariums under fluorescent lights.

• Nepenthes prefer high humidity.  If you live in a dry area or if you grow them indoors, mist regularly with pure water.

• Nepenthes respond well to foliar fertilization.  Spray twice monthly during the growing season with a 50% solution orchid or epiphyte fertilizer.

• Transplant ever few years in a light, airy mixture.  We use equal parts sphagnum moss, pearlite, vermiculite, and fine orchid bark.  This is best done in winter.