How I Feed My Carnivorous Plant Collection

How to feed carnivorous plants! In this video I will show you how to feed sundews, how to feed pitcher plants and fly traps too. Using Maxsea works best for me and doesn't cause mold. Plus you buy it once and it will last a lifetime!
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[@andreesouder2466]

Omg i used to have a pitcher plant and it was the best thing ever. I would run around the house and kill flies and save them to feed it 😂 my parents thought I was crazy lmao. We had a house sitter and she killed it :( but I desperately want another one it was so fun!

[@TechplantChannel]

yeah they are so cool

[@mr.randomly2799]

Your babysitter is a wimp

[@gooeydewys5151]

they better have paid for that thing

[@colin3ds1]

@@mr.randomly2799 theres a good chance it didnt die and just went into hibernation

[@muichiro4124]

@@colin3ds1 nepenthes are tropical, so they do not go dormant.

[@illestgyal]

Thanks! Very helpful. I just started getting into the hobby. It'll stick depending on how well I can take care of my newly acquired roundleaf sundew, pitcher (same as yours), and butterwort. I'll definitely come back to your channel as you are a very informative resource and easy to understand! Cheers!!

[@HandyMan657]

Thanks man, I was looking for this and here it is. Spot on!

[@olf2951]

loved the vid as always^^ very intresting, i have never thought about feeding them by hand but now i will give it a try! Keep up the good work!

[@TechplantChannel]

good luck and thanks for watching!

[@mypingtopia]

Great vid. Watched a couple and already learning more and more. Pings are my current go to, though only started a month ago with carnivorous plants. I see Sundews in my future. Thanks again.

[@monetaryvalue2303]

Awesome video man I loved it!

[@TechplantChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Mr69hammertime]

Man your technique and plants are top notch. Thanks for the tips and my next addiction. That big ass Sundew you showed

[@TechplantChannel]

Thanks! I hope your collection is doing well

[@lucifersguts]

You get a drop! You get a drop! Look under your chair, yes, a drop! Everyone gets a drop! 💧

[@TechplantChannel]

lol pretty much, it can take quite a bit of time!

[@lucifersguts]

Techplant I can’t imagine, my fingers would probably cramp. (,:

[@Sunlight-zx2ur]

Ha

[@jhh243]

Hahahaha!

[@artificialecosystems5874]

Awesome! Thanks for the vid!

[@TechplantChannel]

Thanks for watching

[@fishingtacklechannel]

This video was very helpful. How often do you feed the fertilizer?

[@night6573]

I had a very large regia and it died cause I missed 1 watering day!! All my other sundews still survived. Regia is NOT drought tolerant (or mine wasn’t anyways)

[@TechplantChannel]

damn!!! those are expensive!

[@ClausCarnivores]

ah, thats sad,i have mine in very large pots so its hard to get them dry. But good to know.

[@shawnkiesel5349]

That is a sweet carnivorous plant collection..!

[@TechplantChannel]

Thanks!

[@erickorozco35]

Such a great video 😎

[@Stettafire]

I've seen some for sale but didn't buy cus didn't want to kill them. I shall watch this intently and take notes

[@puppy172]

I had one until I tried taking him out of his pot full of soaking water, so many regrets in plants😖🌿😂

[@TechplantChannel]

always another attempt

[@Emma-zi9kf]

this is one of the first videos i saw for sundews, thank you so much! I currently have VFTs and then got into succulents, then decided to get into sundews lol

[@TechplantChannel]

you'll love them, they are so hassle free!

[@juuunkmails]

How often do you feed the carnivorous plants with the Maxsea mixture? Secondly, how long can the mixture be kept? Thank you

[@TechplantChannel]

mine sits in a gallon jug for months. I feed em weekly to make them flower and give me seeds!

[@carmenferrer6496]

Nice vid! Thanks much🌱

[@TechplantChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@ClausCarnivores]

Nice video, good hints. Just some remarks. I feeded a lot of sundews with fish food but never ever got molds. Dont know why everybody keeps saying that. The only problem I had are aphids but that is not uncommon. D.regia needs fertilizer? That's the first time I heard this, never ever fertilized mine, also only problems were aphids. Now in winter its outside and retracting, I hope it recovers when it gets warmer. Putting fertilizer in Nepenthes is a good thing, another Yter tested it and it gave good results.

[@TechplantChannel]

I forgot where i read about the regia needing a but of fertlizer in the substrate but they said its such a heavy feeder and its pretty tolerant to minerals. maybe i ll rinse it out just to refresh it!

[@hansjuergen28]

How often do you have to feed the plants and how do you know when it's time to?

[@user-gm5eo9zj9b]

Wow 2 years and no answer I feed mine once a week

[@frankuriegas1888]

Thanks man

[@mr.piranhoee]

I use mist bottles I am trying to take care of my sundew I bought it was the best I can find so I should add some carnivorous plant fertilizer

[@maximilliantarmidi6323]

I just put small fish food on my drosera sp.

[@TechplantChannel]

Nice

[@SuperPokefan15]

Loved the video I had a very nice collection of flytraps last summer but my area have an unforeseen Frost and they all died 😭😭 hoping to get another couple come spring

[@TechplantChannel]

i think they can survive some kind of frosts, i know some people who leave them out side during their winters and they come back in the spring! but i think a really sudden one can straight up kill them. sorry yours died! good luck with your new ones!

[@SuperPokefan15]

@@TechplantChannel thank you for reaching out and I'll definitely keep trying

[@pershop4950]

It depends on your freezing levels and for how long. For example, I live in an area where we might dip under 32-F during the nights, but then then days go back up to above 32. We rarely get hail or snow. If we do, it may be just a short round of hail, or a night of snow, and then the rest of the week is just the accumulated snow melting off, because we didn't stay at 32 or lower for the rest of the week. Ultimately, the way I tested things was, the first year when I didn't know what the VFTs could handle, I would take them inside during winter. As my collection grew more, and I could spare to lose a few, I tested growing them in various conditions in winter and summer (eg I left some out during winter). This is how I learned what the VFTs can handle in my growing area.

[@dbag96]

i didn't know carnivorous plant food existed. very interesting. and so many varieties, i haven't seen or heard of any other than venus flytrap. i've seen the plant at 2:23 at home depot actually!

[@TechplantChannel]

while its technically not made specifically for carnivorous plants it works really great!

[@pershop4950]

They don't exist in commercial form. CP enthusiasts are just taking food/fertilizer made for other purposes and using it for the CPs.

[@aaron6841]

Hey techplant how much does the maxsea coat in the USA? I've seen it on eBay for £60.00 English money seems very expensive? Thanks love your channel ❤️

[@MiMiLEEkS]

So how often should the syringe be replaced when doing this? Can you even reuse syringes or do they rust easily? Trying to figure out if I need to buy 1 syringe or a box of them.

[@TechplantChannel]

they should have a stainless steel medical grade tip so you can use it forever or maybe like 1000 times before the rubber seal fails

[@Puddlesyahomie]

Awesome video! How often do you feed your plants this?

[@TechplantChannel]

The more you feed the more they grow and flower! Sometimes1-2 times a week but ive been lazy these past few months and not its like 2 times a month

[@ngochuynh6998]

Do you have a link to purchase the same syringe

[@pollywu1956]

I don't need a feeding session, I have a fly infestation so they can feed all they want, all day long and buffet everyday!

[@TechplantChannel]

awesome lol

[@Cathgjv]

Can I use fish emulsion diluted in water?

[@Kyddoemiko13]

Max Sea is an Awesome product 🍃😚🍃 I've not use it on my VFTS as of yet.

[@TechplantChannel]

I like it too!

[@Gene1nABottle]

Where did you get the syringe? I like the control of the placement and the amount

[@TechplantChannel]

my brother was a paramedic and gave me one, you might be able to get them at a pharmacy tho

[@jlcanizales]

Nice video! How many day can the galon be with the maxsea mixed before its danger for the plants or doesn't work the same?

[@TechplantChannel]

salon?

[@jlcanizales]

Techplant xD spanish corrector, the galon of water mixed

[@BlaisZeroni]

How do you store the jug of maxsea mixed with water? How long does it keep without going bad? When I mix up orchid fertilizer in a bottle it goes bas so fast and a gallon of distilled water is too expensive to throw away

[@TechplantChannel]

hmm, i never even considered the idea of it going bad so i dont really know. I know if you store it under lights algae will start growing on like the rim of the water on the inside

[@BlaisZeroni]

@@TechplantChannel thanks

[@buttercup3030]

Would Sunday news get rid of flies and gnats because I really need that for my plants

[@TechplantChannel]

They will catch some but not all

[@Vanda-sv5vr]

Hej! In a previous video you mentioned (goldfish) fish food as a food for you plants... can you use any other fish food or only this specific?

[@TechplantChannel]

make sure it has some kind of protein in it and it isn't like a vegetarian fish food. you can use many diff types. but like an algae wafer wouldnt work

[@Vanda-sv5vr]

@@TechplantChannel ah amazing, thank you for the reply! There is always so much to learn with these babies.

[@kevinstevanus2137]

do you have list of fertilizer that can be used other than maxsea? im struggling to find the alternatives

[@TechplantChannel]

Look for kelp based ones or just try any fertilizer but dilute it a lot

[@monke1919]

I got some ocmocote and I am gonna feed my pitcher plants that

[@TechplantChannel]

nice!

[@DDryTaste]

How often do you feed them and what signs do i need to look out for? I recently got a sundew, i always thought they almost never need nutrients?

[@TechplantChannel]

the more you feed the more they grow, they will flower a lot and give you seeds too. I feed mine at least once a week!

[@DDryTaste]

@@TechplantChannel Thank you for your reply. This is really interesting, i would've never expected it to work that way considering over-fertilizing normal plants is quite eazy. Thanks for the info, i'll try to find the product you recommended around here and see if i get any good results!

[@pershop4950]

all carnivorous plants can benefit from nutrients, even if they don't get them on a regular basis. that's why they are carnivorous, to make up for not getting nutrients from the soil.

[@DavidGonzalez-is8ns]

1 spoon or teaspoon?

[@OwOUwUOnO]

Oof D: was hoping to try out the Maxsea brand for my carnivores, but the shipping is ranging between estimates of $78-$115 just for economy rates. I did find a brand Marphyl in small containers

[@TechplantChannel]

I think any fertilizer should work I've just had luck with maxsea just dilute other stuff a lot before trying

[@donaldmaley4539]

Techplant most of my plants are pine Barrens plants do you have any bladderwort plants

[@TechplantChannel]

I had one but i couldnt take care of it well

[@user-sr3xg6wg5w]

Hello nice video but i have aquestion why my sundew don't produce too much of that sticky liquid. Humidity are in nice levels. In the bottom of the pot I don't have put water . I have put my plants in bright place not direct sunlight !!! Something i do wrong ????

[@TechplantChannel]

hmm, mine just needed a lot of light to do it

[@donaldmaley4539]

Water in the pan all the time don't panic

[@gardennurse935]

can I use any fertilizer? like complete triple 15 fertilizer?

[@TechplantChannel]

i would really dilute it and test it out, I like maxsea because everyone I know who grows these plants swears by it. if you try the other stuff test it on one plant for a few weeks and monitor progress

[@mandysyoutubething]

I always wanted carnivore plants but i never find them in my area. And im weird about trying to buy plants online lol

[@seizedcarcass8440]

Is a few drops of maxsea dripping into the soil bad for my drosera binata? Also is it bad that I really want fungus gnats???

[@TechplantChannel]

i dont think so, i went full chaos mode over the last 6 months and just indiscriminately spray my whole "bog" with a pump sprayer with water and maxsea. Fungus gnats are life, fungus gnats are love

[@seizedcarcass8440]

@@TechplantChannel how often do you feed your carnivorous plants maxsea?

[@plantguy9]

How about a product called jessi mae? They make food for carnivorous plants and you apply it like what was shown.

[@TechplantChannel]

Ill look it up thanks!

[@garcias2039]

Hey, is the fish food the food for the plant or just the fertilizer? If so, how do i feed my utrics?

[@TechplantChannel]

i have 0 experience with utrics sorry. the fish food is food for the plants to be "eaten" by them

[@garcias2039]

@@TechplantChannel oh okay thanks bro :)

[@nadinebehr5814]

How often do you feed them during dormancy period?

[@TechplantChannel]

i dont, usually they look dead and cant really accept food

[@SwampGas703]

Is the syringe necessary or would it be possible to mist a foliar spray?

[@TechplantChannel]

ive heard of people foliar feeding like that, just makes sure you flush them every once and a while, because over time minerals will build up in the substrate and start affecting them. you could use an eye dropper too

[@SwampGas703]

@@TechplantChannel Awesome... I will try those out. Thanks for the reply man.

[@foleydave26]

How long have you been feeding them that way? Is it still a success? Thanks for the info. Nice video

[@TechplantChannel]

at least like 2 years and it works very well

[@foleydave26]

@@TechplantChannel awesome thanks. I am new to keeping them.

[@luoboeguy]

How potent do you mix the maxsea?

[@TechplantChannel]

A tablespoon in a gallon jug

[@debsamuelsstuck4507]

I've only had my 3 plants... 2 days ago... hope I'm OK with it. Xxxx

[@TechplantChannel]

Good luck with them!

[@lenoraw8985]

❤❤❤

[@TechplantChannel]

[@danielosgorgie2290]

Can i put the fish food in my nepenthes because thats the only thing i have

[@TechplantChannel]

yeah but dont put a crap ton where it starts to mold

[@jessl1631]

I thought since they don't require many nutrients and are carnivorous you would t fertilise them?

[@thombaz]

Can they be fed with springtails?

[@TechplantChannel]

maybe, never tried it though

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Using max sea to me is like feeding soylent to plants. Sure might work but to me having a carnivorous plant is not only about the beauty of the plant but seeing them digest animal tissue. Also if i remember correctly some plants are unable to assimilate ammoniacal nitrogen, like some pygmy sundews.

[@TechplantChannel]

interesting ive never heard of that about pygmy sundews, Ive had these going for like 3 years now seems like maxsea works

[@lifeisapartyandimthepinata3301]

Now I need carnivorous plants, thank you. I want so many different plants but I don't have money AND IT HURTS

[@TechplantChannel]

look for plants on carnivorous facebook groups, some go for like 3-5 bucks plus 5-7 for shipping!

[@lifeisapartyandimthepinata3301]

@@TechplantChannel Thank you! I will do it for sure ❤

[@donaldmaley4539]

Where do you live

[@donaldmaley4539]

Where do your live

[@NarayananBG]

Will Nepentese ventrata bloom

[@TechplantChannel]

I dont have much experience with them sorry

[@deborahcaillau3300]

Where do u get your plants

[@TechplantChannel]

People on facebook. Always check their post history tho in the groups to see if they are a real member or a scammer

[@gijoe2531]

Can I use other fertiliser! I saw you using 16-16-16.

[@TechplantChannel]

I dont see why not, im using a seaweed based fertilizer so maybe look for alternatives like that

[@gijoe2531]

Thanks 😊

[@madinsterthemortal7143]

I've been interested in carnivorous plants, where do you believe are the best places to accumulate one?

[@TechplantChannel]

facebook groups, there are a lot of good people on there who are hobbiests that sell them!

[@pershop4950]

If you are in USA, Lowe's pretty much always has venus fly traps year-round. IMO that is one of the gateway plants into the CP world. Many other local nurseries or even retail stores with garden centers may carry VFTs but only as seasonal plants, so if you're looking for VFTs, you can get them from Lowes almost any time that the fancy strikes you to get into this. Once you get into it, you'll be looking for other local nurseries that carry some of them in the growing season, or else if you're lucky enough to live near an actual dedicated CP nursery, then you're set for getting more of them. Otherwise, your mail-order options are still a very good choice to get more varieties than the local non-CP nurseries will offer.

[@michigal502]

@Alexander Supertramp I agree. I have always had great success with VFT's in the past and this spring I was at Lowes and bought 3 that were $7.99/each. They all were in very sad shape, obviously watered with tap water. I found the three best and struggled to keep them alive all summer. They "existed" but never really were healthy, even flies or small crickets wouldn't trigger the traps. They all slowly just died. Also, remember when buying VFT's they require a winter dormancy so while a lot of retail shops sell them during the fall (Halloween) season, they will be ready for their yearly dormancy and you will need to wait until next spring to enjoy them for any amount of time.

[@ejk872]

how often do you do this?

[@TechplantChannel]

i got lazy and its been once a month. but once a week and youll get really good growth

[@jamesstricklin1343]

Can you get maxsea at Lowe's or Walmart

[@TechplantChannel]

i have not seen it available. However its really expensive on amazon right now. so maybe look for an alternative seaweed based fertilizer

[@alejandrozamudio4038]

Hi to to all I have a problem of aphids on my Carnivorous plants got any tip to stop this.

[@TechplantChannel]

Ive seen people use neem oil but it kinda jacks the plants up. Aphids are actually not to difficult to kill by hand. you can also wash them off. I would take a bowl of deep distilled water and submerge your plant completely. the aphids will float up!

[@alejandrozamudio4038]

@@TechplantChannel ok yea I try that but the grow and multiply so fast that cant do that oppsion also have alot of plants.

[@alejandrozamudio4038]

@@TechplantChannel Ummm ok I will try the neen oil and hopefuly I dont have any problem Thanks for the tip.

[@kenaultman7499]

I just toss in an osmocote pellet here and there. Works great for me.

[@TechplantChannel]

Nice!

[@robertfly5991]

I find it weird imo that live insects would stress a plant that eats them in the wild and is built to do that but I'm new to Venus flytraps so if you could fill me in on that it would be very much appreciated. Thanks!!

[@brynadoodle]

The bugs are complex food items, so they are like ‘healthy’ all natural foods, that wont make extra fat or energy. So, it’s like he’s ‘carb-loading’ the plants with food meant to be easy to digest for the plant, to give him flowers and seeds like he said. A lot of carnivorous plants don’t always get an amount of food and energy by bugs alone to flower. So it’s like a quick cheat to not disturb his plants and so they are super lush and healthy.

[@robertfly5991]

@@brynadoodle thanks, this was quite helpful and it cleared things up a bit might feed my vft fertilizer

[@genderdystopia019]

@@robertfly5991 the traps also die off after closing about 3-5 times, he wants seeds and flowers, not entertainment. Less stress meaning: less dead traps, less cleaning up (removal of dead traps), more energy to grow *bigger* traps instead of new traps, and less overall maintenance. If you wanna feed them live bugs, go for it! It's satisfying to watch the digestive process happen before your eyes. It will eventually cause the traps to die, but more will grow, that's just how it works!

[@babyruthie65love79]

Do they smell??

[@TechplantChannel]

i cant smell them. but i wonder what the syrup tastes like

[@jamesstricklin1343]

How do you feed venus flytrap

[@TechplantChannel]

same way, i put some drops in the trap

[@peepeepoopoo2160]

Wait. I Pressed on this because I read it as coronavirus plants. I-

[@TechplantChannel]

lol believe it or not but a lot of people thought the same thing, i bet half my views are from that lol

[@okeydokeygivemeyourgnocchi1481]

Lol me too

[@Entety303]

coronamedusae do exist , just so everyone knows

[@letsplaygames9806]

Can they eat candy??? I am kind of curious about that.

[@TechplantChannel]

maybe

[@night6573]

The reason you aren’t succeeding with freezdried blood worms or fish food is cause (for the venusflytrap) you have to put food in the mouth make sure it closes and then gently squeeze the trap closed 30-40 times rapidly and that should induce digestion :) also having a high quality fish food makes my Drosera curl rapidly

[@TechplantChannel]

interesting ill have to try some diff stuff!

[@ClausCarnivores]

Hey NIGHT I read also your Insta comment, I will try it with my Dionaeas... however i had sometimes good success without squeezing,I should upload that video. But mostly you are right, often the trap just opens without digesting the meat.

[@night6573]

Claus' Carnivores hi claus! I made a new Channel where It will only be dedicated to plants, this channel is just for personal and everyday use :) I will put a link in my Instagram bio. So sad that I lost my collection but I will try to rebuild it.

[@pershop4950]

@@ClausCarnivores Gently squeezing or massaging the leaf after giving it a dead insect or the inanimate food like dried blood worms, will simulate that the bug is struggling inside the leaf, and that is what the leaf needs to give it a go on starting digesting. The food or food ball should be around 1/3 - 1/2 the length of the leaf for better results.

[@im_a_ukie8951]

I read somewhere that you can give hamburger to your flytraps to feed them if you have nothing else,, anyone?

[@LostCause187]

No.. I am not a plant expert but I can confidently answer that question with a resounding no...

[@jakobj55]

My dumbass read: How I feed my Coronavirus plant

[@patchu6425]

Caronavirus plant!

[@TechplantChannel]

lol

[@genderdystopia019]

So they don't close on the fertilizer? Like ever? :O 😂

[@TechplantChannel]

Not really I think sundews need to sense protein or something

[@stellahadley7859]

What i thought you fed them bugs and stuff? Aren't they carnivorous

[@TechplantChannel]

yeah they eat bugs, just harder to feed bugs to them indoors

[@Wattheheeelll]

I thought venus flytraps prefer live- Continues vid* Me: O H ok

[@TechplantChannel]

lol

[@loganemerson9351]

Don't put it in the pitchers put in spray bottle and spray leafs

[@TechplantChannel]

interesting, ill give it a try, didn't know you could foliage feed them

[@mr.randomly2799]

What if you accidentally *created* a carnivorous plant

[@TechplantChannel]

that would be pretty neat

[@Scitch-et4vk]

Bad idea

[@TechplantChannel]

really why?

[@daveyjones5702]

you don't need to feed carnivorous plants.

[@TechplantChannel]

How do you get them the nutrients they need?

[@daveyjones5702]

@@TechplantChannel same way all other plants do. these things evolved in extremely depleted swamps, not the peat and sphagnum we use. there may be a benefit but it's not a necessity for healthy plants.

[@HexZall]

@@daveyjones5702 Did you even watch the video? He has his plants inside and either are in a Grow Dome, (for humidity, to reduce watering so frequently), in those conditions, there are very, VERY, few bugs that any plant can catch, and it is not enough to keep the plants going well.

[@daveyjones5702]

@@HexZall yeah, it is. carnivorous plants do not need to eat bugs at all. they developed the ability in environments way more depleted then any water we might give them. in captivity there is no need and they may even be better off not spending the energy.

[@HexZall]

@@daveyjones5702 Watch. The. Video.