Q&A for How to Grow Pitcher Plants

Pitcher plants are highly effective insect repellents, especially for dealing with gnat issues. These plants, along with pinguiculas or butterworts, have the ability to attract gnats as a natural food source. As the gnats are drawn to the plants, they become trapped and consumed, effectively eradicating the pesky flying bugs from your surroundings while also using them as a food source.

Generally most Pitcher bulbs generate and secrete their own enzymes depending on the available moisture in the air and water drawn from the soil. A good habit and helpful way to keep moisture in your pitcher bulbs is to use a spray bottle containing only rainwater or Reverse osmosis filtered water to spray the whole plant foliage lightly, Just enough to moisten the plant. You don't have to inject or pour any water deliberately.

Your pitcher plant seems to like the spot you picked for it. The pitchers turning brown is a sign of dormancy and should be just fine if the temperatures don't reach freezing levels. You can provide extra protection to your plant by inserting the pot inside a bigger pot to insulate and prevent drastic temperature change that can damage the roots. Also, adding some mulch or dead leaves around the plant and covering with a clear plastic over the plant can help it through winter. Once growing season starts you can divide new growths into separate pots and trim some of the long leggy leaves to promote rapid new growth.

If you use a terrarium, it should be vented to provide fresh air and to allow the occasional insect to get in at all times. Keeping an airtight terrarium is not advised for pitcher-plants because it would trap excessive heat in and allow mold and fungus to grow. The plant would also deplete the CO2 it needs to effectively grow.

Rooting Pitcher plants from cuttings is difficult but not impossible. You can try putting it in a jar with reverse osmosis filtered water and provide extra oxygen on the water with an aquarium air pump. You can also use sand, Rock-wool, or Peat-moss. Just make sure the medium is always moist, not drenched, and that the water you use is chlorine free. It is important also that you Check the water PH & temperature levels. For a Pitcher plant the Ideal water is PH: 5.5 - 5.8 and temperature 66 - 72 deg Fahrenheit.

Open expanses are best for any carnivorous plant if the growing conditions mimic those in its natural habitat, but growing them in pots provides the advantage of taking them inside if the temperatures reach 40 degrees or below.

The pitchers turning brown could be a sign of the plant going dormant. If your plant is kept outdoors during the dormant/winter season, leave the long vines until growing season to protect the tender growing leaves during cold periods.

Pitcher plants aren't aquatic, but I'm sure that they would do fine near the pond (depending on where you live).

Use bottled, distilled, or rain water. Tap water has added minerals that can kill your pitcher plant.

I cut mine where the pitcher meets the leaf. This way the leaf continues to carry out photosynthesis.

You must be talking Sarricinia. If it's in a temperate region, just put the plant in water in a tray. If you are in zones 6 or colder, try mulch.

No. That can result in a buildup of minerals that could kill your plant. You should only use rainwater or distilled water.

You don't necessarily have to. Your plant might just be going dormant.

Try keeping your plant inside, but near a window. If pitchers get damaged, try growing in a terrarium or inside your house.

Never feed anything that has been poisoned, or even from an area where poison was used.

You shouldn't use bottled water unless it says one of these words: "Distilled by reverse osmosis," "Distilled by steam," or just any water that has a ppm rating of bellow 10.

Place them in a cold garage if it stays above freezing. They need to be under 50 degrees for a few months. Cut dying old pitchers back at least to where they are still healthy.

Yes, that is normal. Usually they do that when they have an insect but they may also close if something falls in or touches them and triggers the closing response.

Yes, you can. Hydrate the bloodworms with distilled or rain water. You can get bloodworms at Petco for about five dollars. They are listed as ''betta treats bloodworms.''

Sarracenia can grow three feet tall but depends on species. Nepenthes grow tall scrambling stalks. Cephalotus has flower stalks two feet tall.