Soil: Carnivorous plants grow best in acidic soil. We pot our plants in a mixture of Canadian Sphagnum Peat and Perlite. The peat provides an extremely high acid content, allowing the plant to remain strong and healthy; while Perlite provides for good soil drainage. If peat is used without a means of drainage, the roots of the plant may begin to rot. Replacement soil mix can be purchased on the web.

Tampering: Carnivorous plants are very delicate. You should refrain from tampering with them, as you may affect the plant's ability to feed and it may ultimately die. The leaves of a Venus Flytrap are designed to open and close a limited number of times (approximately 7-10). Inserting foreign objects, such as your finger or a pencil eraser, will cause the trap to prematurely close; while this will not kill the plant, it will weaken the traps and possibly make them useless when a bug actually finds its way to the flytrap's beckoning “mouth.” Sundews and Butterworts produce a “dew” on their surface that attracts bugs; touching the leaves will cause the “dew” to stick to you and not on the plant, and may actually damage the leaves' ability to produce more.

Humidity & Air Circulation: Some varieties of carnivorous plants prefer high humidity environments. Humidity supports the growth of pitchers on Nepenthes, as well as, “dew” on Sundews and Butterworts. In addition to the humidity level, lower air circulation over the plant will aid in the production and maintenance of dew on the leaves. This climate is often acheived by placing the plant under a plastic or glass dome. If a dome or cover is not available, frequent misting may assist in dew production. Recognize that direct sunlight while under any cover or container may result in the plant's death, due to high temperatures. While Sarracenia and flytraps do not require high humidity, it does encourage healthy leaf growth.

Food: Carnivorous plants obtain little nutrients from the soil. Bugs are a dietary supplement that help the plant to grow faster, but are not required for the health and survival of the plant. Contrary to myth, do not feed your plant hamburger or any other people/pet food; it will kill the plant. Never use fertilizer on your carnivorous plants' soil.

Light: Almost all carnivorous plants enjoy bright filtered light, either from a nearby window or from a soft white fluorescent terrarium or desk lamp. The amount of light will determine plant coloration. As the light increases, color intensifies in pitcher plants and various species of flytraps. While carnivorous plants like sunlight, flytraps, sundews, and butterworts should avoid full sun in the southern U.S.; the intensity of the light can increase the soil temperature to unacceptable levels and kill new plant growth. Sarracenia are native southern U.S. plants, and take full sun in the wild; this makes them excellent plants for an outdoor container garden. Nepenthes are the most light sensitive of the carnivorous plants; while they can take the bright light it’s best to start in a low light environment and slowly increase the amount or intensity of the light gradually to allow the plant to adjust to the environment. as with other carnivorous plants, the color of the pitchers will be affected by the light levels.

Important Notes: 1) It is not uncommon to receive a plant with a dead or dying pitcher or flytrap; simply trim off the dead plant matter. The plants grow new leaves out from the center. 2) Remove all coverings and water plant immediately upon receiving it. 3) Due to the humidity requirements, butterworts are not recommended for large terrariums. 4) Pitcher plants / Nepenthes pitchers missing fluid should be filled ½ way with distilled water.