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Carnivorous Plants

Watering Pitcher plants and a question

16 years ago

How often should you water a pitcher plant? I have mine in hanging baskets with half sphagnum moss and half perlite. I'm thinking of getting a probe that reads the soils humidity, is there a number I should look for?

Also I have distilled water in the pitchers and I saw a carpenter bee in one of the pitchers but, it's been about 3 days now and doesn't seem to have decomposed at all. Is the plant going to produce the enzymes to eventually dissolve the insect or?

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Comments (3)

taz6122
16 years ago
There's more than one type of pitcher plant. It would help to know which type you have??
jay733
Original Author
16 years ago
It's a Nepenthes
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taz6122
16 years ago
You just want to keep the medium damp not wet. Nepenthes don't like wet feet. Water maybe every 2-3 days in your zone. The pot and medium should drain well.
You shouldn't have to add water to the pitchers. I only add water to pitchers after a transplant and not for long. A week at most. Eventually the ensigns will increase if the pitchers don't die off first.

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