Repotting Carnivorous Plants: Video Instructions & Care Tips

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Carnivores as ornamental plants are all the rage. We show you how to properly repot carnivorous plants and what to consider when caring for them.

Video instructions for repotting carnivorous plants

More and more people are interested in carnivorous plants. No wonder, after all, the exotic houseplants are absolutely fascinating and often an extraordinary eye-catcher. It should be noted, however, that the carnivores are quite demanding in their care, especially the right location and the right soil are essential for their successful cultivation. In addition, the carnivorous plants have to be repotted regularly – we will tell you how to do this and what you have to pay particular attention to in this article.

Although most carnivores are not particularly vigorous houseplants, it is worth repotting them once a year. The reason for this is the earth for the carnivorous plants: the peat it contains decomposes over time and thus loses its ability to store water – so that the carnivores have optimal conditions for growing, the substrate must therefore be changed regularly.

When should you repot carnivorous plants?

Basically, it can be assumed that carnivores should be repotted once a year to thrive optimally. Early spring is best for this: The vegetation period for carnivorous indoor plants begins between the end of February and the beginning of March, which creates ideal conditions for good growth in the new pot. However, repotting is always associated with stress for the plant. For this reason, plants that have already been weakened (for example after being infected with pests) should rather be moved at a later point in time after a sufficient recovery period.

Repotting carnivorous plants: instructions

For carnivorous plants to be exotic eye-catchers in the room even after years, you should not do without regular repotting. Fortunately, this is no magic work but is child’s play with the right instructions.

That’s what you need

As with everything, the preparation is the alpha and omega when repotting. You should therefore have the following equipment at hand so that you can move the plant without any problems:

  • Flowerpot with inner pot and saucer
  • Planting clay
  • Substrate for carnivorous plants
  • shovel
  • water

Repotting Carnivorous Plants: Video Instructions & Care Tips

The following materials are required for repotting carnivores

The right soil for carnivorous plants

Anyone who uses simple potting soil when transplanting carnivores will quickly have to struggle with ailing houseplants. In fact, carnivorous plants have very special requirements for their plant substrate, so that they cannot cope with conventional potting soil. The nutrient content, in particular, plays an important role: Carnivores naturally occur mainly in barren areas with a low nutrient content in the soil.

They have therefore developed their typical prey-catching behavior to secure their nutrient supply. If you give the carnivorous plants a nutrient-rich substrate, it can lead to an oversupply and, in the worst case, to toxic reactions. In addition, many carnivorous plants prefer a more acidic pH value and a high water storage capacity in the soil.

Ideally, you should therefore use special soil for carnivorous plants when repotting carnivores, as this exactly meets the needs of the exciting exotic species. You can find these in every well-stocked gardening specialist. Advanced gardeners mix their own carnivore soil from peat, quartz sand, and gravel, but it is often difficult as a layperson to find a balanced ratio of the components.

Repotting Carnivorous Plants: Video Instructions & Care Tips

To meet the high demands of carnivores, a special soil for carnivorous plants should be used

The perfect container for carnivorous plants

In theory, any pot is suitable for planting carnivores. However, a combination of the pot, inner pot, and saucer is optimal – this trick can be used to extend the watering intervals of the carnivorous plants. Since most carnivores depend on evenly moist soil, they must be watered regularly. Unfortunately, the plants are sensitive to waterlogging, which is why the correct dosage of the irrigation water is like a real tightrope act.

If, on the other hand, you place a saucer under the plant and use an inner pot with drainage holes, you only need to ensure that the saucer is regularly filled with water. In addition to the type of container, the size is also of decisive importance when repotting carnivores. Of course, the new pot should be at least the size of the old one so that the plants have enough space to develop. However, you shouldn’t choose the new pot too big: Since carnivores are generally considered to be slow-growing plants, they find it difficult to fill the new pot. It is, therefore, best that the new pot is only slightly larger than the previous one.

Repotting Carnivorous Plants: Video Instructions & Care Tips

The saucer of the carnivore should be regularly filled with water

Procedure for repotting carnivorous plants

If you want to repot a carnivore plant, you should start with the preparation of the new planter. To do this, first, fill a few balls of the so-called plant clay into the inner pot. The coarse-grained plant granules serve as additional drainage and can also store water and release it back into the ground when required. Then you fill the pot with the special carnivore soil. Now the carnivorous plant can be carefully removed from the old pot.

Since the roots of the carnivores are particularly fine and vulnerable, one should proceed with care and exercise caution when removing the soil afterward. Larger remnants of the old earth can remain on the plant if they cannot be removed without damaging the roots. Then the plant is loosely placed in the new pot and this is filled with the carnivore soil. Finally, after you have pressed the plant lightly, you should fill the saucer with water and place the plant, including the pot and inner pot, in these places – so the plant can draw the water it needs itself.

Repotting Carnivorous Plants: Video Instructions & Care Tips

The roots of the carnivores are very sensitive, which is why care is required

Here is a summary:

1. Fill the inner pot with a little plant clay

2. Fill the carnivore soil into the inner pot

3. Carefully remove the carnivorous plant from the old plant pot, carefully removing the old soil

4. Place the plant loosely in the pot and fill it up with carnivore soil

5. Gently press down the carnivorous plant

6. Fill the saucer with water and place the pot in it

Repotting Carnivorous Plants: Video Instructions & Care Tips

Planting clay is used for additional drainage and can store water

The perfect location for carnivorous plants

Carnivores are real eye-catcher in the apartment and want to be displayed accordingly. However, you should note that the exotic houseplants have special requirements for their location. Most carnivorous plants need a lot of light, which is why a bright location is essential. A south-facing window is therefore the ideal parking space for many carnivores.

But not only light plays a role in the choice of location – many carnivorous plants also set conditions for the humidity in the room. Pitcher plants ( Nepenthes ) in particular need a high humidity of at least 60%, but the more robust Venus flytrap ( Dionaea ) is also happy about a humidity of at least 40%. To ensure this, you should treat your carnivores to a place with as little wind as possible, where they are protected from dry, heated air (especially in winter).

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