Insects are critical for carnivorous plants because they require them for nutrients, and unlike most other plants that need constant fertilizer and water to obtain them. Carnivorous plants have adapted to snare small animals and insects to compensate for their soils lack of nutrients. If you apply the right kind of treatment to your carnivorous plants, it will have a healthy growth and will survive with little maintenance.
Here’s our collection of articles in regards to caring Carnivorous plants you may want to read further and take advantage of; if you want your plant to grow as healthy as possible.
Do Carnivorous Plants Need Fertilizer?
There have been a lot of misleading talk and misconception on this very matter. It is while you should be careful about what you read on the internet. In this article about plants, we are going to be very accurate in giving you the facts. Before going deep into this here is the truth about the question. Yes, you can use fertilizers on your carnivorous plants. But when applying the compost is essential to follow the recommended instructions on the package.
We’ve also written another article in regards to the Carnivorous Plant Fun Facts to add on your “ToDo Read list” as a reference and learn further.
It is because misapplying it will kill your carnivorous plants. In this post on carnivorous plants, you will discover how to apply fertilizers to your carnivorous plants. We are going to explain the recommended way of fertilizing your carnivorous plants.
How to Fertilize Carnivorous Plants?
-Use Plant Specific Soil That Is Nutrients Poor
Carnivorous plants rely mostly on insects and small animals for their food, so it is not a bad idea to place them in soil that lacks nutrients. There are specific types of soil that are good for them. They are sphagnum peat moss and horticultural soil. These soils are perfect for growing your carnivorous plants.
-Watering
It essential to supply your carnivorous plants with water, but it’s vital to note that this water has to be free off nutrients. Well, it is because carnivorous plants grow well in nutrients free conditions. Also, minerals in that existing in some waters can result in over fertilizer in the plants. So to prevent this is necessary to use distilled water or fresh rainwater. You can then use them to feed your carnivorous plants.
-Keep the Soil Wet or Damp
Keeping your soil wet is very important when you want to fertilize your carnivorous plants. That’s because carnivorous plants require moist soil for proper growth. Remember that the moisture level of every soil is not the same; it varies depending on the breed of carnivorous plant you are breeding. To make sure your soil is damp, put your carnivorous plant in a container or pot that you can fill with water and keep it wet for the rest of the day.
When pouring water into the pot or container, avoid pouring it directly at the carnivorous plant flytrap, because this will falsely trigger, causing the plant to close it flytrap. Instead, drain the water directly into the pot or container.
-Sunlight
Continually exposing your carnivorous plants to regular sunlight is crucial for it to thrive. Carnivorous plants can thrive outdoors and indoors; all you have to do is make sure that it gets enough exposure to full sunlight. Alternatively, you can place your plant under a bright fluorescent bulb, and it has to stay approximately 12 to 14 hours. It is if you don’t have enough direct sunlight.
-Fertilize With Insects
You can fertilize your carnivorous plants with insects. It is because most carnivorous plants require insects to live healthily. To feed your carnivorous plants with insect, all you have to do is buy some freeze-dried insects like wingless fruit flies or crickets. Make sure that they are not more than one third the size of the carnivorous plant.
When it’s time for you to apply the insects, use a tweeze to place the insect on the carnivorous plant gently. Make sure to put it on the plant trigger hairs and also the location of a plant trigger hairs varies from one plant to the other.
These are the two commonly used carnivorous plants fertilizers. This fertilizer can be used on most carnivorous plants and non-carnivorous plants too. Some come in liquid and other powder then you can mix them with water, which you can then spray on the plants. The process of spraying them is called foliar feeding. The fertilizers are Maxsea and Oscomote.
What We Learned While Writing How to Fertilize Carnivorous Plants
It’s essential to repeat this, when applying fertilizer to your carnivorous plants, it necessary for you to proceed with caution. It’s vital for carnivorous plant owners to have some experience in rising carnivorous plants. It is to make sure that when applying fertilizer, you don’t overdo it.