Light
A wide range works, from full sun down to fairly bright shade. They flower noticeably more in brighter conditions. A bright windowsill or a grow light on a 12 to 14 hour photoperiod both work well.
Soil
2 to 3 parts peat moss to 1 part perlite. More perlite improves aeration and keeps the soil from compacting over time, meaning less frequent repotting and a bit more watering and monitoring of soil moisture. More peat holds water longer, meaning less frequent watering, and peat is typically the cheaper of the two ingredients.
Bladderworts do best at the peatier end of that range, and sand works just as well as perlite here. Use pure peat with no fertilizer or other additives. Use plastic or glazed pots rather than unglazed terracotta, which dries out fast and can slowly leach minerals into the mix. They are often grown in an undrained pot so the media stays constantly wet.
Prefer it ready-made? Get the potting mix we use.
Water
Keep soil damp using rainwater, distilled water, or reverse osmosis water. Stand the pot in a tray of water, filled a couple of centimetres deep or up to about 1/4 of the way up the pot, and top it up as it evaporates.
Want to know exactly what makes water safe for these plants? Read our full Carnivorous Plant Water Guide for TDS testing, filtration, and RO systems.Humidity
Not a major factor. Normal room humidity is fine. We've noticed no difference in flowering with higher humidity in the species we sell.
Temperature
Comfortable at normal household temperatures. The bladderworts we offer have no frost tolerance, so keep them indoors or bring them in well before the first frost.
Dormancy
None needed. Bladderworts grow year round indoors.
Feeding & Fertilizer
A light mist of diluted liquid fertilizer on the leaves is fine for bladderworts, and a little overflow into the media won't do any harm. If they're grown in an undrained pot or tray, flush it out occasionally to prevent mineral buildup.
No feeding is needed, since bladderworts catch microscopic prey on their own using tiny bladders buried in the wet media. A monthly misting of diluted liquid fertilizer is an easy way to promote growth and flowering.
Pruning & Repotting
Nothing to prune.
Repotting & propagating
Repot every couple of years into fresh media, when the mat gets congested or flowering drops off. To propagate, tear a mat of bladderworts apart and place a piece in the middle of a new pot with fresh media, giving it room to spread out again.
