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How to Trim Pitcher Plants
How to Trim Pitcher Plants. Two types of carnivorous plants exist: those that are active trappers with movable parts and those that wait for their prey to come to them, or passive trappers. Pitcher plants are passive carnivores with tendril-shaped traps that contain a barrier rim, which prevents prey from exiting once it enters. Although pitcher...
Two types of carnivorous plants exist: those that are active trappers with movable parts and those that wait for their prey to come to them, or passive trappers. Pitcher plants are passive carnivores with tendril-shaped traps that contain a barrier rim, which prevents prey from exiting once it enters. Although pitcher plants require very little maintenance, it is necessary to perform a trimming every now and then to increase vigor.
Things You'll Need
Horticultural scissors
Remove spent blooms as they die off using a pair of horticultural scissors. Cut the bloom and its attached stalk off at the base.
Prune dead leaves from the pitcher plant by snipping them where foliage and stem meet. Dead foliage is either brown or yellow in appearance.
Trim foliage that is still alive yet has yellow or brown tips. Cut the foliage just below the line of yellow or brown, leaving only green remaining. The pitcher plant can still absorb sunlight through the remaining portion of green leaf.
Tidy up the pitcher plant by cutting back foliage that is growing out of control. Snip off the green vine to a manageable length using the horticultural shears. Removing some of the length of the pitcher plant will encourage basal shoots, giving the pitcher plant a fuller appearance.
Tips & Warnings
Turn the pitcher plant around, taking a good look at it from all sides when you are through trimming. A quick once-over can help to ensure that you do not miss any dead blooms or foliage.
Never cut more than 30 percent of a pitcher plant's foliage during a single grooming.
