If you have a pitcher plant, you might be wondering what the best food is for it. Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants using pitcher-shaped leaves to trap and digest insects. As such, they require a diet high in protein to thrive.
There are a variety of commercially-available pitcher plant foods on the market, but many gardeners also swear by homemade recipes.
A simple recipe for homemade pitcher plant food could include chopped-up chicken or beef liver, pureed insects, or fish emulsion fertilizer. When creating your pitcher of plant food, use fresh ingredients and avoid adding chemicals or pesticides.
Best Pitcher Plant Food: Our Top 6 Picks
1. Best for Delicate Digestion: Jessi Mae Carnivorous Plant Supplement
If your pitcher plant has a delicate digestive system and you want a change, the Jessi Mae supplement will be a good choice. The liquid supplement has all the nutrients your pitcher needs.
The supplement is easy to feed. It’s designed without fish food or fertilizer, flies, worms, crickets, or bloodworms. You can feed the supplement with other food or side feeding.
The 30ml supplement package is large enough to last for months, even with large pitchers. The liquid nutrient-rich chemical-free supplement is good as it doesn’t damage your pitcher plant.
2. Best for solid Gel: Orchid Gene Pitcher Plant Food
Do you know that bugs, flies, and other insects are difficult to find for pitcher plant food? The Orchid Gene solid gel cubes provide a high source of nutrients and protein to your pitcher plant.
You can feed your pitcher plant the solid gel food supplement as a regular meal or a snack. The food is easy to administer and contains nutrients for a balanced diet. You feed the supplement once per week for the best results.
The packaging is well designed to prevent food spoilage. Apply a gel cube to the pitcher’s feeding area to feed.
3. Best for All Purpose: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food
Miracle-Grow plant food is an all-purpose water-soluble supplement that you can use on all your houseplants, trees, shrubs, and vegetables. It contains 16% potash, 8% phosphate and 24% nitrogen.
The formula contains essential nutrients your pitcher plant needs to grow bigger and more beautiful. It’s easy to feed as you only need a watering can or the Miracle-Gro garden feeder to apply.
Your pitcher plant absorbs the food instantly, and the results are visible. You can feed the supplement every 1-2 weeks. The 24-8-16 fertilizer is available in 8 ounces.
You can sprinkle water on your pitcher after applying the plant food.
4. Best for Fast Uptake: Joyful Dirt Concentrated Plant Food
Do you need plant food that absorbs fast? Joyful Dirt concentrated plant food contains mycorrhizae nutrients that allow your plant to absorb water and nutrients from the soil 100 times faster than normal.
Joyful Dirt plant food helps to increase your plant’s growth by boosting soil quality. It’s designed for use in flower gardens, houseplants, vegetable gardens, lawns, and herb gardens. It’s easy to apply by adding to the soil and applying water.
The liquid plant food boosts foliage growth with little use of water. It’s safe to use around children and pets.
5. Best for Slow-Release: Osmocote Plant Food
Osmocote plant food contains a nutrient granule with a semi-permeable resin coating to allow slow release. The coating allows water into the granule to dissolve the nutrients and make them available to your pitcher plant.
The plant food formulation consists of 19% nitrogen, 6% phosphate, and 12% soluble potash and is fortified with eleven essential nutrients. The slow release takes six months for your plant to absorb all nutrients and empty the shell.
The two-liter plant food is large enough to last you long. The nutrient release varies with temperature. The formulation suits all plant varieties, indoor and outdoor.
6. Best for Hydroponic: Marphyl Liquid Plant Food
If you have grown your pitcher plant hydroponically, Marphyl plant food is your choice of fertilizer. The plant food is full of nutrients suitable to improve soil quality and boost flower and foliage growth of your pitcher plant.
The liquid plant fertilizer contains minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, EPA, DHA, chlorophyll, amino acids, and phytochemicals. It’s high in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
The water-soluble fertilizer is easy to use. It’s organic, non-GMO, and non-toxic. It’s sustainably made without preservatives. The water-soluble fertilizer is easy to use.
You can apply it to your pitcher plant every two weeks.
Conclusion
While pitcher plants trap and digest small insects on their own, you can supplement their diet with chopped pieces of meat or fish. You can also purchase commercially available pitcher plant food, typically a blend of animal protein and nutrients.
Whatever food you choose to feed your pitcher plant, ensure that it is finely chopped or ground up so the plant can easily digest it.
