Pitcher Plant Care Sheet
Thanks for your purchase! How to care for your Sarracenia pitcher plants.
The essentials
- Keep plants wet at all times, sitting them in at least 2" of water.
- Use rainwater, distilled, or carbon-filtered water. No chlorinated water!
- Plant in a peat moss mix, and never fertilize.
- Full sun, or a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun.
- They go dormant in fall/winter, so keep 2" of water in the container year-round.
This sheet covers the Sarracenia genus, including Purpurea, Alata, Rosea, Oreophila, Psittacina, Flava, Leucophylla, Rubra, and Minor.
Basics for bog plants
- Keep plants wet at all times in a tub or bowl with at least 2" of water: rainwater, distilled water, or carbon-filtered tap water.
- No chlorinated water!
- Medium: peat moss plus perlite (4:1 ratio), or peat moss plus pool filter sand (4:1.5 ratio).
- No fertilizer!
- Pots: only plastic or well-sealed ceramic.
- Sunlight: full sun, or a minimum of 6 hours.
Pests
Plants can be attacked by common pests such as aphids, mealy bugs, mites, and fungi.
Fungicides:
- Physan
- Serenade (organic)
- Avoid copper-based
- Sulfur-based are okay
Pesticides:
- Bayer 3-in-1 disease & mite control
- Orthene
- Pyrethrins
- Slug/snail bait: use on the area around the plants, not on the medium or in the water container.
- Mosquito bits: sprinkle in the water container (prevents egg hatching) and on the medium (prevents fungus gnats).
- No insecticidal soap!
Flowering
Flowers form in early spring and last all summer. The petals will fall, but the stem and seed pod remain.
Dormancy
Dormancy occurs during fall and winter, when the main pitcher leaves die back. Plants can tolerate well below 32°F if protected with pine needle mulch or a frost blanket. Always keep 2" of water in the container.
Grooming
In spring, plants need to be cleared of decaying plant material on the rhizome. Long-handled tweezers and small snips are handy for this. Periodically remove the carpet moss that forms on the surface of the medium; it tends to smother the plant if it gets too thick.
Repotting
When plants outgrow their pot, they need to be repotted or divided. Prepare the pot with pine needles in the bottom to keep medium from escaping through the drainage holes. Fill the pot halfway with medium, position the plant, and fill medium around the roots, leaving the rhizome partially exposed on the surface. Pack the medium firmly, then lightly water the surface to settle the medium around the plant.
Staking
Plants with tall leaves may need support, especially during windy times. Use only plastic, fiberglass, or bamboo rods for stakes. Loosely secure the leaves to the stakes with hemp or foam-covered garden wire.