THREE 'GOLDEN RULES' OF CARNIVOROUS PLANTS
Thank you for giving one of my little carnivores a new home! Keeping your new plant happy is a little different than traditional houseplants, but if you follow the three golden rules, they are just as easy to care for. Please note these ‘golden rules’ are rules of thumb that apply to carnivorous plants in general and may differ depending on species; for detailed instructions on individual species care please refer to their respective care sheets.
The three ‘golden rules’ of carnivorous plant care are:
1) Bright, direct sunlight
Carnivorous plants require lots of sunlight (at least 4 hours a day of direct sunlight). If your plant has arrived directly from shipping, please acclimate it by keeping it under bright indirect light for 3-5 days first or its leaves may burn. If you do not have access to direct sunlight, a grow light or other artificial light source can be used (I personally provide my sundews 25 - 28k lux of artificial light on a 12 hour photoperiod in the winter).
2) Nutrient-free media
Most carnivores are adapted to living in nutrient-poor soil, such as swamps, bogs, or even on trees! As such, most standard potting soils will burn their roots. I recommend a 1:1 peat:perlite blend (not nutrient-enriched like Miracle-Gro, etc). If you have no peat or perlite handy, you can also use chopped sphagnum moss and an aggregate like coarse sand or pea gravel in a 1:1 ratio.
3) Pure, mineral-free water
As per rule 2, these plants naturally live in nutrient-poor areas. Mineralized water, like tap water, mineral water, etc., will eventually damage the roots. As such, please use distilled water, RO water, or rainwater on your new carnivore. I also recommend bottom watering your plant (i.e putting in a tray and filling the tray with water), as this is how they receive water in nature. They generally prefer to be kept moist at all times.
Outside of these three ‘golden rules’, carnivores will be happiest if they are given what they get in the wild. For example, temperate plants may require winter dormancy vs Australian plants, which may need a summer dormancy. Again, please refer to the individual care included in the store listings for more detailed care instructions.