The nutrient lacking soils that carnivorous plants thrive in are usually rich in sand and peat. This can be duplicated with horticultural sand and sphagnum peat moss. It is always essential for you to carefully check for the sphagnum moss in the peat label. The other types will not work correctly. Also, the sand ought to be washed and cleaned. While playbox sand is ok, the horticultural sand is preferred. One thing to avoid is the contractor’s sand because it may contain clay, silt, fine dust, and other minerals. The mix ratio is also essential; 1 part sand to 1 part peat works perfectly for the carnivorous plants. But research your particular species for the best results. For instance, nepenthes prefers large amounts of sand, while Venus flytrap needs a bit less sand.
Only use professional-grade peat moss. You must be cautious not to use perlite and the Miracle-Gro brand peat since it has added fertilizer and will harm the plant.
We often use the New Zealand long fibered-sphagnum moss as the baseline for most plants, including Heliamphora and Nepenthes. Most retail garden nurseries and centers unknowingly sell Oregon green moss as the Sphagnum moss. It is important to note these are different, using Oregon green moss will kill your plants.