How to plant pitcher plants
An introduction to the cultivation of pitcher plants for netizens, including explanations of how to plant pitcher plants and detailed methods for growing green plants and flowers, the following is introduced by the editor.
To grow potted pitcher plants well, it is necessary to start with aspects such as lighting, watering, humidity, and the use of substrates. The prerequisite for maintenance is to have a perennial humid environment at home, as they do not like overly dry or cold environments.
There are many varieties of pitcher plants, and the differences in maintenance between varieties are significant, which should be noted.
1. Choose a suitable variety
You can learn about the variety of pitcher plants you are raising, including their original growing environment (altitude), such as whether they grow in lowlands, midlands, highlands (altitude), or are hybrid cultivated.
Most hobbyists are more suitable for raising low-altitude (lowland) pitcher plant varieties. As altitude increases, the required environmental temperature for pitcher plants decreases, and the temperature difference needs to be larger. Beginners are more suitable for raising some hybrid varieties, which have better tolerance for the environment.
Variedades suitable for beginners include Red Bottle, Black Elf, Lowii Pitcher Plant, Green Elf, Miranda, Black Diamond, and Gaia, among others.
2. The substrate for planting
Beginners should choose the right substrate for planting pitcher plants, generally recommended is imported sphagnum moss (such as Chilean sphagnum), which can be mixed with some perlite and desalinated coconut shell (or a combination of植金石 and red jade soil can also be used for cultivation). This type of planting substrate is also relative to the common varieties of pitcher plants on the market, which we usually refer to as common goods.
Usually, you can buy some imported sphagnum moss directly for potted pitcher plants, or it's fine if you can find good-quality domestic sphagnum moss.
3. Container
The container for planting can be a small plastic pot, but the bottom and sides of the pot should have many holes to increase breathability. This can reduce the difficulty of maintenance and make it easier for beginners to manage pitcher plants, reducing rot and allowing the roots to grow more vigorously.
How to plant pitcher plants
4. Environment and watering
The third point is the environment for maintaining pitcher plants, which should be kept humid, with the temperature not exceeding 35 degrees and not lower than 15 degrees below.
Also, it is important to maintain a higher level of air humidity, which refers to environmental humidity, not the humidity of the planting substrate.
Some hobbyists use the waist-water method to care for potted pitcher plants, which means allowing the bottom of the pot to soak in clean water. This method of caring for pitcher plants requires good environmental ventilation. It is best to use soft water, such as rainwater, to care for pitcher plants and avoid using hard water, such as tap water. Compared to other carnivorous plants, it is not as demanding on water quality.
5. Humidity
If the air humidity in your area is often below 40%, you must find ways to increase humidity, such as placing a large pot of water nearby or placing it next to a pond or aquarium, or you can use a small humidifier nearby. The relative humidity for maintaining potted pitcher plants is best kept above 60%, and if the ventilation is good, it can be maintained above 80%.
6. Acclimatization
Beginners who purchase potted pitcher plants need time to adapt to the home environment, which is known as acclimatization. This is to ensure that we can raise pitcher plants better later on, and we must be willing to sacrifice some. experienced gardeners understand this and know that pruning is necessary.
When purchasing potted pitcher plants online, you can cut off some of the old leaves at the bottom, and the pitchers should be cut off, leaving half of the petiole. What we commonly refer to as pitchers are its变态 leaves, so we only need to cut off half of the petiole to reduce water loss and allow it to grow new roots quickly to adapt to the new environment. If the air humidity is too low, in cool seasons, you can also cover it with a bag, but be sure the edges of the bag do not touch the leaves directly and use some sticks to prop it open.
7. Light
Maintaining potted pitcher plants must avoid direct sunlight and only need more than 3-5 hours of scattered light daily. Soft lighting should be provided, which can be sunlight filtered through glass or gauze or scattered light from tree branches.
If the light is too strong, it can sunburn the leaves of the pitcher plant. Some hobbyists also use grow lights, which is fine.
8. Temperature
Maintaining pitcher plants requires a suitable temperature, with the lowest temperature in winter kept above 10 degrees for safety. Of course, do not let the temperature stay below 15 degrees for a long time. If the temperature is often below 10 degrees, severe frostbite can occur, and measures should be taken to keep it warm, such as using plastic film to create a small greenhouse.
If you find the above points too troublesome and unable to provide such an environment, it may not be suitable to raise pitcher plants, as they are sensitive to the cold. If it's just for fun, occasionally buying a few common plants is fine.
Some hobbyists' pitcher plants may not produce new pitchers, which could be due to insufficient humidity and light.
The above shares the full content of how to plant pitcher plants and detailed planting methods, hoping it can help you. Also, we hope everyone will visit the Green Plant Enthusiast website for more green plant and flower experience and knowledge!