How to Feed Carnivorous plants Plants with MaxSea Plant Food
MaxSea is a mix of different minerals and organic nutrients.
If you grow your pitcher plants or butterworts indoors, they will need to be fed to sustain healthy, rapid growth. MaxSea plant food is a water soluble, kelp based food that is gentle and effective for carnivorous plants. It is great for all types of Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Heliamphora, Darlingtonia, Cephalotus), Butterworts (Pinguicula), Bladderworts (Utricularia), Corkscrew Plants (Genlisea), and more.
Dilute 1/4 teaspoon of MaxSea granules into 1 gallon of distilled water. Shake to mix.
Pitcher Plants: Use a small pipette to put 1-10 drops of food into the pitcher, depending on species and size.
Use a fine misting bottle (not a large sprayer) to lightly mist leaves of Pinguicula, Utricularia, and Genlisea.
General Info:
Feed every 2-4 weeks for maximum growth and health.
Use less food for smaller plants, more food for larger plants.
Only feed pitchers that have been fully developed for several days to avoid leaf burn. If the pitcher is dry, add some water in the lower third.
Overfeeding can cause leaf burn, but the plant will be fine and should still absorb the nutrients.
It’s best to use distilled or reverse osmosis water because tap water contains salts and disinfectants that can eventually harm your carnivorous plants. I will usually mix up one gallon at a time to ensure a consistent ratio of the different granules in MaxSea.
How much to use?
These are starting recommendations that can be increased over time if you want to maximize feeding (the only risk is some leaf burn which is not a big deal).
Pitcher Plants: 2-10+ drops per pitcher (depending on pitcher size). I also lightly spray the leaves of Nepenthes.
Butterworts (Pinguicula): Mist the whole plant lightly, don’t soak it in spray.
Bladderworts/Corkscrew Plants (Utricularia/Genlisea): Lightly mist the leaves while minimizing the amount that soaks into soil.
Notes:
MaxSea can be used with other species of carnivorous plants, but I prefer the fish food for flytraps (Dionaea), sundews (Drosera), or dewy pines (Drosophyllum).
Try to avoid getting too much in the soil. Moss on the surface can help absorb excess, and you can top water to rinse out excess fertilizer as well.