How to cultivate the insectivorous plant pitcher plant

Pitcher plants are perennial herbs. Hanging from the top of the long oval green leaves are small gourd-shaped insect sacs. The hollow shape of the capsule is cylindrical, the inner wall is smooth, and there is a rust-red movable cover at the top of the capsule, which opens and no longer closes when it grows. The capsule is mainly green, with brown or red spots and stripes; the capsule secretes mucus, digestive juice and unique smell, which attracts insects and other small animals into the capsule.

Sex likes high temperature, humidity and slightly shaded environment. The suitable temperature for growth is 25-30 degrees Celsius, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 18 degrees Celsius. Potted plants should be cultivated with a mixture of peat soil, moss, charcoal dust, coarse sand and so on. Pay attention to proper sunshade in summer when you put it outside for maintenance. During the growth period, it is necessary to spray frequently to improve the air humidity, and it is appropriate to keep the basin soil moist.

Apply thin pancake fertilizer and water or compound fertilizer once or twice a month. Spring, autumn and winter should be cultivated in places with sufficient sunshine, and attention should be paid to avoid large temperature changes and excessive dryness, otherwise it will affect the formation of insect cysts. When the new roots have not germinated in early spring, the pots are changed every year. When changing the basin, add new culture soil and add a small amount of bone powder as base fertilizer. After such maintenance and management, we can enjoy it all year round. Cuttings are commonly used for propagation.

The leaves of pitcher plants are complex in structure, with petioles, leaf bodies and tendrils. The tail of the tendril is enlarged and rolled back to form a bottle, which can prey on insects. The pitcher plant has racemes with small green or purple flowers and the vase at the top of the leaf is a tool for preying on insects. The cover of the bottle can separate the fragrance and attract insects. The mouth of the bottle is smooth, and the insects will be slipped into the bottle, drown by the liquid secreted from the bottom of the bottle, and decompose the nutrients and gradually digest and absorb them.

There are about 170 wild species of pitcher plants in the world, but there is only one species in Guangdong, China, and there are more than 1000 horticultural species. Although pitcher plants are widely distributed in Sanling Mountain and Leizhou in Guangdong Province, they are rarely used. It was not until the 1990s that the fine varieties of pitcher plants introduced from China were mainly used in flower shows. Pitcher plant is a kind of peculiar and interesting insectivorous flower, which belongs to perennial evergreen herb or semi-lignified vine of pitcher plant family. Leaves alternate, long oval, green, entire, midrib tough and extended, apex saccate, margin everted, thickened, with a tongue-shaped lid to prevent Rain Water from falling into the sac. The cysts are greenish red or all red, and some varieties also have red or brown spots or halos. The inner wall of the capsule is smooth, the bottom can secrete mucus and digestive juice, and has a special smell to attract insects. Once an insect falls into the bag, it is difficult to escape and will eventually be digested and absorbed. Pitcher plants are dioecious, racemes, with 3 to 4 sepals, but no petals. Pigcage steppe is a tropical region of Asia, which likes warm, moist and well-ventilated environment, grows well in semi-shade or sunny environment, is not resistant to cold, and avoids scorching sun exposure and too shade. When the growth temperature is above 18 ℃, the soil should be kept moist without stagnant water, and water should often be sprayed to the plants to maintain high air humidity. Pay attention to the absence of limestone in the water. In the north, a few drops of edible vinegar can be dropped because the water quality is too alkaline. Apply mature thin liquid fertilizer every 20 to 30 days, and often pour out the water in the bag to avoid spoilage and stink. Pay attention to good ventilation in summer, you can hang the plant in the shade or under the eaves. In winter, the light should be sufficient, watering should be controlled properly, and more than 10 ℃ can survive the winter safely. The basin soil is required to be loose and fertile and rich in humus, which can be planted after mixing with peat moss, rotten leaf soil, dried cow dung, a small amount of charcoal shavings, vermiculite or perlite. Change the pot every 2 to 3 years, because the root is brittle and easy to break, so you should pay attention to protection when planting. The cultivation of pitcher plants can be cut or striped in the growing season, or by sowing or ramets. How to raise the insectivorous plant pitcher plant

The pitcher plant was the first insectivorous plant I raised, and it was because of my curiosity about the insectivorous plants that I wanted to buy one to see if it could really eat insects. Of course, it is true that I can eat insects, but I did not maintain it properly at that time, which led to the withering of the pitcher plant cage. Later, the main stem was crushed by a friend who came to my dormitory to see the flowers. At this time, it was still strong and alive, but after I took it home, Fujian was hit by a typhoon and was crushed to death by a plank. My wretched flower, now it's my turn to save your little friend. The key points of this article

Pitcher plant flower pot soil

Pitcher plants are perennial lianas of the genus pitcher plants of the pitcher plant family. There is a unique organ that absorbs nutrients-insect traps. The principle of catching insects is that the bottle cap secretes fragrance and attracts insects. The wall of the bottle is smooth. Insects will slide to the bottom of the bottle, then secrete liquid, kill insects, and finally digest and absorb.

Plants like loose soil, but remember, if the soil you match can make it take root, it won't wobble. The potted plants bought from the florist will have this phenomenon, because most of them are bought from the greenhouse, which is suitable for this kind of soil when the plants are young, but they will not change the soil for the plants when they grow up. So you'd better rematch it when you buy it back.

Light is an important factor to make the pitcher plant's pitcher cage show bright color. You will find that the cages of pitcher plants raised indoors are dark red or turquoise. But where there is plenty of light outside, they will be bright red.

Watering too much will cause the main stem to be fragile, like my pitcher plant will break as soon as it is touched, so in line with the principle of "better dry than wet". It can be watered a little more when it grows new leaves.

Pitcher plants will "eat insects", their own nutrition will not be so bad, fertilizing and so on can be avoided. If you think it's nutritious, just grab one or two bugs and throw them in the cage.

Do you know? The pitcher plant can grow big, but a small flowerpot binds it. If you want to grow large pitcher plants, find a vacant lot and build a climbing rack.

Matters needing attention

Cut off the bottle in time when it is dry, including the leaves.

Landmark: Fujian