Feeding carnivorous plants is vital for their well-being and growth. Choosing the perfect food guarantees that your carnivorous plants are not just surviving but thriving. Although these plants can survive without being fed, they greatly benefit from the additional nutrients provided by their prey. Let’s explore some excellent options for nourishing your carnivorous plants.
Live Insects: Nature’s Snacks
One way to feed your carnivorous plants is by letting them capture their own prey outdoors. When grown outside, carnivorous plants have access to a wide variety of insects to sustain themselves. You can also capture or purchase live bugs from a pet store. The options are endless: flies, crickets, mealworms, and more. Just ensure that the insects you choose are of the appropriate size for your plants. For example, Venus flytraps prefer bugs that are no larger than one-third the size of their traps. Small sundews and butterworts do well with tiny insects like gnats and ants, while pitcher plants can handle larger prey that fits inside their pitchers.
Dead or Freeze-dried Insects: Waste Not, Want Not
Why let a deceased bug go to waste? You can use dead insects to feed your carnivorous plants. Simply drop the whole insect or a piece of it into the plant’s pitcher or stick it to a leaf. Alternatively, you can purchase freeze-dried insects from pet stores or grocery stores. These dehydrated bugs can be rehydrated by adding a few drops of distilled water and allowing them to absorb it for a few minutes. Just make sure to pat them dry before offering them to your plants.
Diluted Maxsea Fertilizer: A Nutrient Solution
Some plant enthusiasts prefer to feed their carnivorous plants with diluted fertilizer. Maxsea 16-16-16 plant food fertilizer is a popular choice for these plants. Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of Maxsea fertilizer in a gallon of distilled water, making sure to mix well for proper dilution. Drop 2-3 drops of the solution inside each pitcher or a couple of leaves for sundews, butterworts, and Venus flytraps. Remember to never introduce fertilizer into the soil, as it can harm the plants’ roots.
Fish Food: A Tasty Paste
Fish food provides a rich source of nutrients for carnivorous plants. You can grind or smash the food and add drops of distilled water to create a paste. Place the paste or small pieces of fish food in a couple of leaves, or drop them inside pitchers or Venus flytraps. To stimulate digestion in a Venus flytrap, gently press the sides of the trap after it closes. This mimics the movement of live prey and encourages the plant to start digesting.
What to Avoid: The No-Nos
While there are plenty of suitable food options for carnivorous plants, it’s essential to know what not to feed them. Never give human food or any animals that are not insects or spiders to these plants. Foods like hamburger, chicken, fruit, and cheese are inappropriate for their diet. Such complex proteins are difficult for carnivorous plants to digest and can lead to decay, odor, and even health risks.
How to Feed Different Carnivorous Plants
Each type of carnivorous plant has its own feeding requirements. Here’s a quick guide on how to feed some popular carnivorous plants:
Venus Flytraps: Tricky Traps
To feed a Venus flytrap, place food inside its traps and ensure the plant starts digesting the prey. The traps have trigger hairs that make them close. For digestion to begin, the plant must sense movement inside the trap. You can achieve this by feeding a live insect to your plant or by pressing the sides of the trap after placing dead bugs or fish food inside. Remember to provide these stimuli a few times in a tapping motion to trick the plant into thinking it has captured live prey.
Sundews and Butterworts: Sticky Surfaces
Feeding sundews and butterworts is quite simple. Drop tiny insects, fish pellets, or diluted Maxsea fertilizer drops onto their sticky leaves. Feeding 2-3 pieces of food in a single leaf every 2-4 weeks is sufficient to provide them with the necessary nutrients and promote growth.
Pitcher Plants: Hungry Traps
Pitcher plants, such as Nepenthes and Sarracenia, have impressive pitchers that can consume large insects. You can feed them live or dead insects, dehydrated bugs, diluted Maxsea fertilizer, or fish food. Drop the chosen food into a pitcher and repeat the feeding process every two to four weeks.
Feeding carnivorous plants is an exciting and rewarding experience. By selecting the right food and following the appropriate feeding methods, you can ensure that your plants thrive and continue to fascinate you with their unique feeding habits. So go ahead and provide your carnivorous plants with a meal fit for their specialized diets!