FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello, I am wondering if my pitcher plant needs emptying. Undigested bits of bugs can build up, I hear, and cause the individual pitcher to fall off and die. Can this be avoided by simply using water to empty the bug bits out the bottom so the plant dosen't have to waste energy regrowing it's limb?

I wouldn’t do that. I thought the fluids inside the pitcher are specially for digesting insects. Flushing it with water will constantly dilute the fluids or completely wash them out and I don’t think that’s really good for the plant.

It’s natural that the pitchers will die eventually. If the plant is healthy it will grow anyways, despite the flushing, so it will keep using "energy". What’s more, I don’t know how long the prey takes to completely digest. Maybe it takes three months before all nutrients are "consumed" and before you can flush them out, but in the meantime it will have caught more insects, so you will constantly have to wait if you want the insects to be completely digested.

I wouldn’t do it. I think you’ll do more harm than good.

If you want to prevent pitcher burn from excess prey, shove a cotton wool ball down the pitcher to prevent it catching more than it can digest.
Cheers
Steve

steve booth wrote:If you want to prevent pitcher burn from excess prey, shove a cotton wool ball down the pitcher to prevent it catching more than it can digest.
Cheers
Steve

Good idea. This happened to my Sarracenia last summer. Overrate and fell over. I'll remember this idea just in case I need it this summer. Thanks.

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