How to care for carnivorous plants indoors - Carnivore Garden (2023)

Carnivorous, carnivorous plants are some of the most beautiful, interesting, and even fun houseplants to keep. Whether you're a plant collector or just want to add a little extra life to your room, adding a carnivorous plant is a fun and interesting way to do it.

There is a problem, however, that carnivorous plants are intimidating when you don't know what you're doing. They are a little different from regular houseplants, so they need special care to thrive in their new environment in your home. How do you care for carnivorous plants?

Obviously the answer is a bit more challenging than saying there is onlylikecorrect way to care for a carnivorous plant. However, there are a few basic tips you should know. One is that carnivorous plants naturally inhabit bogs; Therefore, they prefer to be constantly wetwell drainingFloor. Also, you want to keep a constant eye on the plant's water; if you let it go too long you mightdry outthe roots.

This tip is one of the most important, as it can go in the opposite direction for some plants. One of your main watering problems for many household plants is root rot or just generaloverhydrationthe plant.

With carnivorous plants, this is not the issue to worry about. Instead, just the opposite is true, although of course you want to make sure you're paying close attention to how your plant is responding to whatever watering schedule or system you're implementing.

Regardless, the water used should be distilled or filtered, as carnivorous plants are notoriously sensitive to chemicals and general contaminants in their water supply.

When they are outdoors, you should also mist them with water from a spray bottle once or twice a day to keep them healthy and happy.

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Another aspect to consider is the sun and how much the plant needs. Carnivorous plants thrive in better indirect and bright sun areas, so an outside patio, balcony, or south-facing window is the best spot for your plant.

They are dormant during the winter months, so moving your plant to a cooler location during the winter months is highly recommended.

How do you feed a carnivorous plant?

Obviously, feeding a carnivorous plant is where things are most different from a regular houseplant. Rather than just drinking water and getting nutrients from its fertilizer, carnivorous plants also eat small bugs — and even small animals like frogs from time to time.

Most of the time, however, your plant has to eat flies. When feeding a carnivorous plant, what matters is whether you feed it outside or inside.

TheCarnivorous plants are native to areas with mineral-free soils. They have adapted to survive and thrive in areas that offer them few impurities and minerals in their soil.

Sphagnum peat moss and horticultural sand can be mixed together to make a pretty decent "dupe" for the native sands they have adapted to. If you can't get horticultural sand for this mix, half play box sand works just as well.

Essentially, you should only avoid soil mixed with dust, silt, clay, and other minerals that would be considered harmful to your plant's life. As previously mentioned, the mix doesn't have to be exactly 50/50; For every part sand you have one part peat.

Instead, you should check with an expert or the seller as to what the specific plant you are buying is better suited for. For example, flytraps would be better with more sand, while Nepenthes would prefer more peat.

For this reason, you should never feed a carnivorous plant a fertilizer that you would use for another plant. If you take care of your plants properly, they shouldn't need the nutrition that comes from this type of fertilizer and should be able to gather enough insects to thrivewithoutfertilizer or plant food.

Feeding your carnivorous plant gets a bit tricky anyway, but you must be careful not to kill your plant by feeding it regardless of your good intentions.

How NOT to feed your plant

We've already discussed that plant fertilizers and fertilizers are not necessary or recommended for a properly cared for carnivorous plant. However, there is more to it than that. Another important consideration is that you should never feed a carnivorous plant raw meat or cheese.

Feeding too much will kill the plant at first, but beyond that you should only feed your plant insects. This is not necessary and is not recommendedfeed your carnivorous plantmore than just flies and other small insects.

In fact, it is recommended that you follow the food recommendations provided by your plants and ask the seller what they would recommend before you start feeding them raw meat.

How to feed your plant

The next recommendation is that you should only feed your plant one or two flies a month. Indoor carnivorous plants cannot thrive without help as most homes do not have enough flies or bugs inside to allow them adequate hunting.

Some experts recommend keeping your carnivorous plant outside on a patio or balcony where it can hunt alone and have full sunlight, as recommended for the species of plant.

Otherwise, if the plant is indoors, consider feeding it freeze-dried insects from a pet store and a culture of wingless fruit flies. Both are available at pet stores, or if there is a specialty store in your area that sells these insects for plants, you can go there.

It's okay to show off your plant's ability to eat and hunt flies and other insects, but don't overdo it. They can overfeed plants and cause them to not thrive nearly as well.

overfeedingA carnivorous plant is another reason some experts suggest that you grow and feed the plant where there is natural access to prey, such as flies and other insects, to avoid damaging the plant completely.

You should only "feed" your plant if you are concerned that there may not be enough prey to sustain itself naturally.

If there are flies in your home, they should be able to catch them themselves, but if you notice that they don't seem to be getting enough nutrients, consider gently "feeding" them yourself with tweezers.

Do not tease carnivorous plants.

You should never try to get your flytrap or carnivorous plant to close you or "bite" you. Most plants have a limit on how many times they can close up and catch their prey, and if you tease your plant with your fingers you will make it difficult for your plant to feed itself properly.

Therefore, these types of plants should not be placed near an area where curious children or inconsiderate guests could poke and poke the poor plant. Otherwise, if you keep letting people tease the plant, they will start struggling to give themselves the right nutrients, potentially leading to the death of the plant.

aphids

There are some types of insects and infestations that carnivorous plants cannot deal with. Aphid and red spider mite are among the types of bugs that will start damaging your plant that they cannot deal with on their own. Hence, you must take careful precautions to avoid being infested with these types of errors.

Final thoughts on caring for carnivorous plants indoors

I've only been tending my plants for a short time, but I'm finding success by continuing to read and learn more about these fascinating plants.

I love having them around as they cut off the flies that get in and draws the attention of visitors who are totally mesmerized by the plants as they are so unusual in almost all homes!