Setting up your own pitcher plant terrarium is always loads of fun. From picking the species you want to cultivate to selecting the proper container and mixing the soil properly, there are quite a few things to consider. Just follow these simple steps on how to make a pitcher plant terrarium and you’ll have one in no time at all.
Moreover, you will have no trouble with mosquitoes, flies and any other insect that has wandered into your home without an invitation.
In this instructive article, we will offer you a step-by-step guide. This guide will help you build your own unique terrarium and grow a healthy crop of pitcher plants. So, let’s roll our sleeves up to get started.
Making a Pitcher Plant Terrarium: Obtaining the Materials
Alright, step one would be to determine what materials you need to build your own carnivorous Eden. It is something where the little pitcher plants can gorge themselves on tasty flies and mosquitoes. Luckily for you, here we have a list of all the items right in front of you:
-Pick a Pitcher Plant species you like:
Maybe, if you want the names of specific plants we recommend, then Nepenthes will undoubtedly come to mind. Also, some people like the more subtle Sarracenia Leucophylla while others go right after Yellow pitcher plants.
Choose a proper container for your terrarium. Your terrarium is at least half of your future pitcher plant garden, and you will have to pick it well. However, there is both the growth and aesthetic value to consider here. We usually recommend having a terrarium that isn’t completely closed off. There are some outstanding examples here and there.
You may also read this article of our definitive Carnivorous plant shopping list for 2019 which you may want to consider as a reference when getting your first Carnivorous Pitcher Plant.
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-Pitcher Plant Soil:
You will need to procure several ingredients to make sure that your terrarium offers the perfect living conditions for your carnivorous plants. Usually, you’ll need to buy charcoal, sphagnum peat moss, sphagnum moss, and silica sand. They all have their use, and we will explain all, specifically in a minute.
Here’s one of our articles you may want to explore as well for the above idea: Carnivorous Plant Soil Recipes
Don't feel like mixing your own carnivorous soils?
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Building Our Terrarium from Scratch, Almost
- Mixing the Soil:
The terrarium and all the ingredients for a yummy nutrient-poor soil have arrived. Now, you may be wondering where to start. Well, it’s quite simple. We will need to mix the soil first to make sure that we have tackled this demanding task.
Soil mixture is of particular importance to carnivorous plants. You see, these little botanical miracles may be pretty fickle when it comes to the environment in which they develop, but it’s a different kind of fickle altogether.
Instead of clattering for nutrients, pitcher plants loathe them. It’s got to do with their evolution, and since pitcher plants haven’t had a chance to grow in nutrient-rich soil, they have dispensed with the need altogether. So whatever you do, make sure that there are no added fertilizers in your soil ingredients.
It took us a bit, but we have been able to find just the things you will need. For sphagnum moss, you can use any nutrient-poor variety. It helps to consult a specialist if the vendor from whom you are purchasing isn’t sure. Throw in sphagnum peat moss in there and make sure that you have silica sand as well. Once you’ve finished mixing, you can place the soil in the terrarium.
If you are, however, not a big fan of mixing your own soil and think to order each ingredient is too much, then here are some alternatives that will save you quite a bit of the hassle. Just add the charcoal to the bottom of the terrarium first to help with the bad smell and help with keeping your terrarium drained adequately.
-Placing the Plant into the Soil:
Once you have the terrarium’s soil all laid out, you will only need to look after the plant itself. Some plants arrive with their roots bear. So, you can plant them right into the terrarium. In other cases, you will get a whole pot, and that would require a little more effort on your part.
The simple truth is that pitcher plants don’t like it when you mess with their roots, so you will have to be somewhat careful when extracting the plant.
Upon planting it into your terrarium, you need to both dig a little so that the plants are laid in a sort of a furrow and then cover with the soil. Add additional soil until the plant is adequately propped up.
That’s all! Now all that is remaining is to make sure that you are managing your terrarium the way you are supposed to.
Managing Your Terrarium - Simple Enough
There are three significant things you should focus on when setting up your terrarium and maintaining the plant life in it. Those are lighting, water, and feeding the plants. Each is important, and you will need to make sure you pull all three off successfully to enjoy lush vegetation in your terrarium.
-Pitcher Planting Watering:
Once again, your pitcher plants are going to come across as a bit of the particular species. Just like with the soil, you can’t expect to give your plants tap water. Demineralized or rainwater would do, however. The reason why you wouldn’t provide them with the water you drink is that your pitcher plant merely doesn’t like the nutrients in it.
-Pitcher Plant Lighting:
All carnivorous plants love direct sunlight exposure. These plants love sunlight, and while you won’t see them baked to a crisp in the direct sunlight when you put them in a terrarium, you might want to control the direct exposure to sunlight. That is why some people purchase grow light options which allow them to have the final say in the terrarium.
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-Pitcher Plant Feeding:
Feeding carnivorous plants is quite easy. For starters, this species doesn’t necessitate regular meals. There is another upside that comes with the fact that the outdoorsy terrariums will usually allow the flowers to catch their own breakfast, lunch & dinner. If you want to boost your plants’ odds of catching flies, there are some very cool solutions.
