How to Feed Pitcher Plants: A Complete Guide for Every Size
“How To Feed Pitcher Plants?” I see this question constantly, and there’s a lot of misinformation floating around about it, so let’s clear it up. How to feed pitcher plants properly depends a lot on the size of your plant, and getting it wrong, even with good intentions, can do more harm than good. This guide covers everything, from the largest Nepenthes in your collection down to brand new seedlings, plus a few things you should never put in a pitcher no matter how tempting it seems.
Watch How To Feed Pitcher Plants Here:
Why feeding Nepenthes requires some care
One size does not fit all when it comes to how to feed pitcher plants, and there are a lot of options to choose from. But you do need to be careful. There’s a reason you’ll see warning signs everywhere about fertilizing Nepenthes. These plants are very sensitive to the minerals and nutrients in their growing media. They actually prefer nutrient deficient, or inert, soil, because they’ve evolved to get their nutrients through their pitchers instead of through their roots.
You have a few paths here. The most natural is just letting bugs find their way into the pitchers on their own, though if your plant is in a closed environment like a grow tent, that can get a bit smelly over time. You can also do foliar feeding with heavily diluted Maxsea sprayed on the leaves, though personally I tend to stay away from that method. Plenty of growers do it successfully, it’s just a personal preference of mine since it carries more risk if not done carefully. There are even more unconventional approaches out there, like using leftover coffee ground water, poured in and rinsed out a few minutes later. I’d say be cautious with that one too.
What I actually use, and what I’m going to show you, is Osmocote pellets for my larger plants. Smaller plants need a completely different approach, which we’ll get to as well.
How to feed pitcher plants that are large and established
If you follow the channel you already know this plant, my Nepenthes truncata JB by Pacman. It’s one of my largest truncatas and produces incredible pitchers. Truncatas in particular, along with a lot of larger Nepenthes, can handle Osmocote pellets well because their pitchers are sturdy and tough.
I typically feed this plant about once every two months. You can be more aggressive than that if you want, but I tend to keep it conservative. When I feed, I drop one Osmocote pellet into each pitcher I choose. Some of the truly massive plants can sometimes handle two pellets, but I usually stick to one per pitcher.
Choosing which pitcher to feed matters too. I avoid using my best, most beautiful pitchers since I want to actually enjoy looking at those. Instead I’ll pick one that’s already starting to fade and use that one for feeding.
One important detail: make sure the pitcher actually has some fluid in it before adding a pellet. If there’s no fluid, the pellet will just sit there and burn the inside wall of the pitcher instead of breaking down properly. At the same time, don’t add extra water to compensate, since that dilutes the digestive fluid and reduces how effectively the plant can process whatever you feed it. If you use more than one pellet per pitcher, you risk burning it, which won’t seriously harm the overall plant unless you really overdo it, but it will damage that individual pitcher and reduce how much benefit the plant actually gets.
More natural feeding options for larger plants
If synthetic fertilizer like Osmocote isn’t your preference, there are more natural routes too.
Love bugs are a genuinely good option, even though the name makes some people squeamish. You can buy them in bags of 1,500 to 3,000 on Amazon. They’re great because they also help control pests like thrips and mites while providing nutrition as they end up in the pitchers. The downside is you can’t control distribution, so one pitcher might end up with thirty or forty love bugs while another gets none. It’s a little messier and less predictable, but it creates a more natural ecosystem, and if it establishes well, you get an ongoing self-sustaining food source.
You can also use crickets or other small live insects, or go with dried bugs sold at most pet stores. Look for ones that are all natural without added nutrient injections. I use dried crickets a lot for plants kept outside, since it subsidizes their diet without introducing anything synthetic. I generally reserve Osmocote pellets for plants inside my grow tent specifically because of the smell.
How to feed pitcher plants that are small
Smaller plants need an entirely different approach. Don’t give small or extra small Nepenthes large crickets or Osmocote pellets. It will kill the pitcher before the plant has a chance to extract any benefit from it.
The answer here is betta fish pellets or fish flakes. I prefer betta pellets specifically because they’re cleaner and less messy than flakes. Just drop a couple pellets into a larger pitcher the same way you would an Osmocote pellet, and the plant takes it from there.
One more detail worth repeating here too: if the pitcher doesn’t have enough fluid, add a small amount of water. But if it already has fluid present, don’t add more. Every time you add water you dilute the digestive enzymes the plant relies on to break things down, which over time reduces the pitcher’s ability to actually process whatever you’ve fed it.
What you should never feed pitcher plants
Now that we’ve covered how to feed pitcher plants correctly, let’s cover what to avoid entirely.
Never put live beetles in a pitcher. They’ll chew straight through the side and escape, and in an enclosed grow tent or greenhouse, that can quickly turn into a real pest problem, especially if they reproduce.
Avoid slugs for the same reason. A live slug will chew through the pitcher wall and end up loose in your growing space, causing the same kind of chaos.
Never feed your plants human food. These plants get called meat eaters, but they’re really insectivores at heart. Even the larger species capable of digesting something like a rat aren’t designed around that as their primary food source, insects and small bugs are what they actually want. Human food contains byproducts these plants have no way to break down, and it can cause real damage, not just to the individual pitcher but to the plant as a whole.
What to feed Nepenthes seedlings
Here’s a bonus that might surprise you. For tiny seedling pitchers, the correct answer is to feed them absolutely nothing. Once they start producing their first pitchers, even ones barely visible to the eye, they’re already capable of catching tiny insects and larvae on their own and will do completely fine without any help from you.
Once the pitchers reach roughly the size of a quarter, or are large enough to physically hold a betta fish pellet, you can start feeding them if you want to. It’s not necessary at that stage either, but it’s an option. Until then, just let them do their thing.
A bonus note on butterworts
If you also grow Pinguicula, or butterworts, it’s worth knowing they don’t just eat insects. They’ll also absorb nutrients from other plant matter like fallen leaves that land on their sticky surface. A fun extra fact while we’re on the topic of feeding carnivorous plants in general.
Quick reference
| Plant size | What to feed | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Large, established Nepenthes | One Osmocote pellet per pitcher | About every 2 months |
| Large, natural option | Love bugs, crickets, or dried insects | As available |
| Small to medium Nepenthes | Betta fish pellets or fish flakes | About every 2 months |
| Seedlings (tiny pitchers) | Nothing | Not needed |
| Seedlings (quarter-sized pitchers) | Betta fish pellets, optional | Optional |
| Never feed | Live beetles, slugs, human food | Never |
What I Use for Feeding Pitcher Plants
For Larger Plants
- Osmocote Pellets — my go-to for established, larger Nepenthes
- Dried Crickets — what I use for plants kept outside
For Smaller Plants and Seedlings
- Betta Fish Pellets — clean and easy for smaller pitchers
- Fish Flakes — an alternative to betta pellets
Natural Options
- Lady Bugs (bulk bag) — doubles as pest control and feeding
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Watch the full video
I walk through the actual feeding process on my truncata in the video above, including exactly how I choose which pitcher to use and how to tell when a pitcher has enough fluid for a pellet. Seeing it done in real time makes the whole process much clearer than reading about it alone.
If you have questions, drop them in the comments or reach out on Instagram. I’m always happy to help.
Let’s grow together
Thanks for reading and being part of the Carnivorous Plant Help community. If this guide helped you out I’d love to hear about it, drop a comment on the YouTube video or come say hi on any of the platforms below. This whole thing started because I wanted a judgment free place for growers of all levels to get real answers, and that’s exactly what we’re building together.
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Keep learning
- Why Won’t My Nepenthes Pitcher? Common Causes and How to Fix Them
- How to Trim Nepenthes: Dead Pitchers, Leaves & Flower Stalks
- Ultimate Feeding Guide For Carnivorous Plants!
- Are Your Nepenthes Pitchers Healthy?
Table of Contents
What’s up everybody, CHM Carnivores here.
I hope you’re having a wonderful day and a wonderful week. Today I’m excited about this one because I see this question asked constantly, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there about how to feed and fertilize Nepenthes. Before we get into it, if you’re already a subscriber, thank you so much for the support. If you’re not, please consider subscribing and sharing this video. My goal with this channel is to reach as many people as possible and show everyone how easy and fun it is to grow these plants, and to help spread the word about how remarkable they really are.
So let’s get into how to feed pitcher plants properly.
When it comes to how to feed pitcher plants, one size does not fit all, and there are a lot of options to choose from. But you do need to be careful. You’ll see a lot of warning signs out there about fertilizing Nepenthes, and there’s good reason for that. These plants are very sensitive when it comes to the minerals and nutrients in their environment. They actually prefer nutrient deficient, or inert, soil, because they’re designed to gather their nutrients through their pitchers instead.
There are a few ways to approach this. The first is the natural way, just letting bugs find their way into the pitchers on their own. The downside is if your plant is in a closed environment like my grow tent here, that can start to smell a little over time. The second option is using heavily diluted Maxsea sprayed onto the leaves, called foliar feeding. I tend to stay away from this method personally, that’s just my own preference. Plenty of growers do it successfully, it’s just riskier to the plant if it’s not done carefully.
There are even some unconventional methods out there, like using leftover coffee ground water to fertilize the plant. If you do try that, be very careful and make sure to rinse the plant out afterward. Essentially you take the water from the grounds, pour it into the plant, let it sit a few minutes, then rinse it out. Honestly, you don’t need to go through all that trouble.
What I actually use, and what I’m going to show you, are Osmocote pellets, right here.
I use these for my larger plants specifically. You do not want to use these on smaller plants, and I’ll explain why in a minute. I’m going to show you how to feed your larger plants with these, how to choose the right pitcher, and then we’ll talk about what to feed your smaller plants instead.
If you follow this channel, you already know this plant, this is my Nepenthes truncata JB by Pacman, one of my largest truncatas, and it produces absolutely amazing pitchers. Truncatas can handle Osmocote pellets well, along with a lot of larger Nepenthes, because they have very stiff, sturdy pitchers. You can see how tough this one is.
I usually feed this truncata about once every two months. You can be more aggressive with feeding than that if you want, but I tend not to be. When I feed, I drop about one Osmocote pellet into each pitcher. Some of the really large plants like Chunafiata might be able to handle two, but I tend to stick with just one. You can feed more than one pitcher on the plant if you’d like.
When choosing which pitcher to feed, I’ve got this big beautiful one here that I don’t want to use, because I want to be able to enjoy it without risking damage. Instead I’ll use one over here that’s already starting to fade. I’ll take one Osmocote pellet from this jar and simply drop it into that fading pitcher.
One thing to keep in mind with how to feed a pitcher plant is, if a pitcher doesn’t have enough fluid in it, you want to avoid adding too much extra water, since that dilutes the digestive fluid.
But you do want to make sure there’s at least some fluid present, because if there isn’t, the pellet will just sit there and burn the side of the pitcher instead of breaking down properly. If you use more than one pellet, you risk burning the pitcher. It won’t seriously set back the whole plant unless you really overdo it, but it will burn that individual pitcher pretty quickly and reduce how much the plant actually gets out of it.
Before we move into smaller plants, let’s talk about some more natural feeding options if you’d rather not use a synthetic fertilizer like Osmocote. If you want a living option, love bugs are genuinely a great choice, even though the name throws people off a little. You can buy them in bags of 1,500 to 3,000 on Amazon. What’s cool about love bugs is they also help control pests like thrips and mites while they’re at it. They’ll find their way into the pitchers and do a great job of fertilizing the plant while keeping it safer from pests at the same time.
Other options include crickets or other small live insects, or if you’d rather not deal with live bugs, dried bugs work well too.
A lot of pet stores sell these, and you can find ones that are all natural without added nutrient injections. I use dried crickets a lot for plants kept outside, which helps subsidize their diet without introducing anything synthetic. I tend to reserve Osmocote pellets specifically for my grow tent because of the smell. Love bugs work very well too, I’ve used them before and they’ve helped kill off pests like thrips and mites while providing solid nutrition. The downside with love bugs is you can’t really control where they end up, so one pitcher might get thirty or forty of them while another gets none. That makes things a little less predictable, but it does create a more natural feel, and if you can establish an ecosystem, they’ll keep reproducing and provide an ongoing source of food and pest protection for your plants.
Now that we’ve covered larger plants, let’s talk about smaller ones. You don’t want to give small plants, especially extra small ones, large crickets or Osmocote pellets. It will kill off the pitcher before the plant has a chance to actually benefit from it.
The option here is betta fish pellets or fish flakes. I prefer betta fish pellets because they’re cleaner and less messy than flakes. You just drop a couple pellets into a larger pitcher the same way you would an Osmocote pellet, and that does the job perfectly. I highly recommend this option, it’s what I personally use when working with my smaller plants. I’ll just drop a few betta pellets in and move on.
Same rule applies here too,
if the pitcher doesn’t have fluid, add a small amount of water. If it already has fluid, don’t add more, let the plant’s natural enzymes do their job. Every time you add water you’re diluting those enzymes, and over time that reduces the pitcher’s ability to break down whatever you’ve fed it.
Now let’s talk about what you should not feed your pitcher plants. I see people make this mistake a lot, and while it’s usually not life threatening to the plant, it does cost them in terms of the plant’s overall beauty and health. Don’t put live beetles in your pitcher plants. They’ll chew right through the side and get loose, especially in an enclosed setting like a grow tent, and that can cause real problems, especially if they reproduce.
You also don’t want to feed slugs to your pitcher plants.
A live slug does the exact same thing, chewing straight through and getting loose throughout your grow tent or greenhouse, causing similar chaos.
The other thing you don’t want to do is feed your plant any human food. People often call these plants meat eaters, but really they’re insectivores. Some of the larger species are capable of digesting things like rats, but that’s not their preferred food source, insects and bugs are what they actually want. Human food contains byproducts these plants have no way to properly break down, and that can cause serious damage, not just to an individual pitcher but to the plant as a whole.
I want to show you a bonus before we wrap up. Let’s talk about seedlings, and how you should feed and fertilize them. The answer might surprise you. Here are some of my seedlings, you can barely see the tiny pitchers on them. What should you feed these? The answer is absolutely nothing. Once they start producing their first pitchers, even at this tiny stage, they’re already capable of catching small insects and larvae on their own and will do completely fine without any help.
Once the pitchers get to roughly the size of a quarter, or large enough to fit a betta fish pellet, you can choose to start feeding them if you want to. It’s not necessary by any stretch, but it’s an option at that point. Until then, just sit back and let them do their thing, they’ll be just fine.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this shorter video, but I hope it’s been packed with useful information. There’s a lot of confusion out there about what to feed, what not to feed, and when to feed your pitcher plants. I personally feed about every two months, you can be more aggressive than that, but you don’t have to be.
Here’s an extra bonus for you.
If you grow Pinguicula, or butterworts, they don’t just eat insects, they’ll also absorb nutrients from other plant matter like leaves that land on their sticky surface. Pretty cool extra fact to leave you with.
I hope you’ve gotten a lot out of this video. If you could please like, subscribe, and share this content so we can reach as many people as possible, I’d really appreciate it. As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via comment or on Instagram. I’m always here to help. I hope you have a wonderful day and a wonderful week. See you soon.
