Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Alice's Sundew (Drosera aliciae)— schedule & NPK
Also called Alice's sundew, Alice sundew, Alice's flytrap.
More about alice's sundew
About Alice's Sundew
Drosera aliciae · also called Alice's sundew, Alice sundew · houseplant
Alice's sundew is a compact, carnivorous rosette from South Africa's Cape, prized for spoon-shaped leaves studded with glistening, insect-trapping tentacles. It is one of the easiest sundews indoors: give it bright light, mineral-free water by the tray method, and lean peat-sand soil. ASPCA does not list it, so treat as mildly toxic and verify with your vet.
Growth habit: Low, ground-hugging evergreen rosette of spoon- to wedge-shaped leaves radiating from a central crown, each covered in red, dew-tipped glandular tentacles. Old leaves are retained beneath, slowly building a small mound, and mature plants throw up a slender stalk of pink to purple flowers.
Watch for — Browning leaves or sudden dieback: Most often mineral damage from tap or bottled mineral water, or fertiliser in the soil. Switch to rain/distilled water (under 50 ppm TDS) and repot into a nutrient-free peat-sand mix.
What fertiliser alice's sundew actually wants — and why
Alice's Sundew is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for alice's sundew: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed alice's sundew, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For alice's sundew:
Never add fertiliser to the soil — it will scorch the roots. The plant feeds itself by catching gnats and other small insects on its sticky tentacles. Indoors where prey is scarce, you can occasionally offer a tiny insect, rehydrated bloodworm, or fish-food flake to a few leaves, no more than two to four times a month; overfeeding rots the leaves. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when alice's sundew is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for alice's sundew
Half strength is the safe default for alice's sundew — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water alice's sundew first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the alice's sundew watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding alice's sundew
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for alice's sundew:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding alice's sundew
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full alice's sundew care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of alice's sundew with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for alice's sundew
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising alice's sundew — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does alice's sundew need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Alice's Sundew is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed alice's sundew?
Never add fertiliser to the soil — it will scorch the roots. The plant feeds itself by catching gnats and other small insects on its sticky tentacles. Indoors where prey is scarce, you can occasionally offer a tiny insect, rehydrated bloodworm, or fish-food flake to a few leaves, no more than two to four times a month; overfeeding rots the leaves. Never add fertiliser to the soil — it will scorch the roots. The plant feeds itself by catching gnats and other small insects on its sticky tentacles. Indoors where prey is scarce, you can occasionally offer a tiny insect, rehydrated bloodworm, or fish-food flake to a few leaves, no more than two to four times a month; overfeeding rots the leaves. Treat that as sparingly through the growing season between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for alice's sundew?
Half strength is the safe default for alice's sundew — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding alice's sundew look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding alice's sundew year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of alice's sundew?
Flush the pot of alice's sundew with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Alice's Sundew care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water alice's sundew — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise snake plant
- How to fertilise dracaena
- How to fertilise peperomia
- All 609 fertilising guides in the Growli library