Pitcher Plant Care: The Complete Guide

Do you want to have some fascinating and attractive houseplants in your home? Or do you want something that takes your gardening game to the next level? Well, you can satisfy both of these needs by getting a pitcher plant, and the good thing is that pitcher plant care is also easy. 

The pitcher plants are one of the fascinating ones among the various varieties of carnivorous plant. What’s even amazing is that the pitcher plant is very adaptive to indoor environments, so it can be an appealing option for indoors. However, you also need to keep in mind that there are many varieties of carnivorous pitcher plant you can get. Each of the varieties has different needs, and some can even be a little fussy. 

To help you with this, we have prepared a guide in the article below, which will help you to understand and handle the pitcher plant care. 

Pitcher Plant Care

Follow these steps for a proper and well maintained carnivorous pitcher plant:

Light 

Like any other plant, the first thing you need to know for the pitcher plant care is its sunlight needs. The first thing you need to know is that each of the plants’ sunlight needs varies from one variety to the other variety of the pitcher plant. 

Some varieties of this plant, like the purple pitcher plant, may require full light and even supplemental lights throughout the whole year. At the same time, some varieties like the ones which originate on the floors of the rainforest are opposite. They require sunlight but not direct and love filtered sunlight. The reason for this is that they get filtered sunlight through the canopy of other large plants. 

In cases where you are not sure of the variety of your carnivorous pitcher plant, then the best thing to do is place them in indirect sunlight. The best thing you can do is provide them with bright to moderate light. You should avoid intense and direct sunlight to avoid damage to the leaves. You should also lookout for the leaves as if you see scorched leaves or the edges of the leaves look brownish, then move the plant to low light. 

Watering The Pitcher Plant

Water is the next necessity for any plant, and it also plays a role in pitcher plant care like any other plant. For the best results, like better pitcher plant flower, you will be needing to keep the soil moist at all times. But remember not to make the soil soggy. 

You should also allow to let the water drain properly after you water it according to the schedule. Another thing you must know is that you should not allow the plant to stand in water as it may lead to rotting of the plant and harming it. So you will be needing to provide the pitcher plant with well-draining soil and moisture at the same time. 

The next thing you need to know about pitcher plant care is that you should avoid using tap water for it. It is essential as the chemicals in the tap water can harm the lant. This plant loves rainwater and distilled water. 

Temperatures 

The next step in the pitcher plant care is temperatures that suit the plant best. In indoor conditions, the pitcher plant generally requires warm temperatures ranging between 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the need for temperatures in the pitcher plant can vary. Some varieties of this plant prefer warm nights, whereas some prefer cooler nights. So you must always read the tag which you get when buying the plant. 

You can also consult your garden shop owner when buying the plant for the temperatures that suit you best. Other than this, when buying, you should also consider which variety you are choosing as they will help you to select the best suited to you. Some of the popular varieties of this plant include the purple pitcher plant. 

Soil 

Pitcher plants are tolerant of a variety of soil types. So you can choose from a wide variety of potting soil options for this plant. However, you must remember some things like the soil you choose should be relatively low in nutrients. Another thing is the soil must also provide the plant with excellent drainage. 

Many gardeners for the pitcher plant care prefer a combination of soil that contains sphagnum moss in half dry condition and half perlite. Other than this, you can also use a combination of peat moss and perlite. Or you can also go for a mix of peat moss and the half-sharp sands. Whichever mixture you try, one thing to remember is that you should avoid the regular commercial mixtures as they are too rich in nutrients. 

Feeding The Pitcher Plant

When it comes to feeding the pitcher, plants generally don’t require any types of supplemental fertilizers. However, you can go for a dilute fertilizer food plant if you want to use one. 

You will be needing to feed this plant during the summer and spring seasons with a solution of dilute fertilizers. The best you can use is a water-soluble kind of fertilizer that is formulated for orchids and bromeliads plants. However, the adult pitcher houseplants are more than happy in case they are able to catch some insects once or twice in a month. In case you don’t have any kind of bugs flying around in your home, then you will be needing to feed them. 

The best thing you can do is give it a freshly killed insect after a while. But you should only use small size bugs for feeding your pitcher. It is essential as you need to provide it with only a size that can fit easily into the pitchers. One more thing to know is that you should never overfeed it and never be tempted to provide your plant with meat chunks. So you should always remember that the nutrient requirement of the pitcher plant is low. Thus you should never provide them with too much nutrients and food or the fertilizer as it can harm them or can even be deadly for them. 

These are some of the pitcher plant care tips which you should remember for better growth and other aspects of this plant. If you follow these steps, then the pitcher plant flower levels will also be good, and it will bloom more profusely. 

Final Words

Pitcher plants are one of the fascinating carnivorous plants which you can have for your home. The good thing is that the pitcher plant care is also easy and doesn’t require much effort from your side. 

When choosing this attractive plant, you also get the choice of choosing from a wide variety of plants. So you can choose what you like the most and the one which suits your requirements the best. Choosing the right variety is essential as the temperature, water, and light needs for each variety are different, so choose according to them.