Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Drosera anglica (Drosera anglica)— schedule & NPK
Also called English Sundew, Great Sundew.
More about drosera anglica
About Drosera anglica
Drosera anglica · also called English Sundew, Great Sundew · flowering
Drosera anglica, the English or great sundew, is a cold-temperate, circumboreal carnivore with long, upright, spoon-tipped leaves studded in dewy tentacles. A true bog plant of the Northern Hemisphere, it demands a cold winter dormancy, permanently saturated acidic media, pure water, and bright light. It is more demanding than tropical sundews.
Growth habit: Cold-temperate herbaceous perennial rosette with erect linear-spathulate leaves; forms a tight overwintering hibernaculum bud in autumn.
Watch for — Mineral burn: Tap or mineral water rapidly kills the fine roots. Water only with rain, distilled, or RO.
What fertiliser drosera anglica actually wants — and why
Drosera anglica is a heavy-blooming flower with a big appetite — a regular high-potash feed through the season is what drives a long, dense display.
A high-potassium ("high-potash") flowering feed — tomato-style or a dedicated bloom/rose feed. Potassium powers flowering; a high-nitrogen feed gives you a leafy plant with disappointing bloom.
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 drosera anglica: 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 drosera anglica, 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 drosera anglica:
No soil feeding. It captures small flying insects on its dew; indoors, offer occasional tiny insects to the leaves — it needs no other fertiliser and dislikes warmth-loving feeding regimes. For a hungry bloomer that means feeding regularly — sparingly through the growing season — right through flowering across the main season (spring through early autumn), tapering as blooming ends.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when drosera anglica 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 drosera anglica
Follow the flowering-feed label rate for drosera anglica, or half strength if feeding very frequently. These plants genuinely use the nutrients — under-feeding shows up fast as a thin display.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water drosera anglica first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the drosera anglica watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding drosera anglica
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for drosera anglica:
- Lots of lush leaves but few flowers (too much nitrogen).
- Scorched leaf edges and salt crust from too-strong or too-frequent feeds.
- Soft, sappy growth prone to aphids and mildew.
Signs you are under-feeding drosera anglica
- Sparse, small, short-lived flowers and pale foliage.
- A tired plant that stops blooming early in the season.
- Weak growth and poor repeat-flowering after the first flush.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full drosera anglica care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Container-grown drosera anglica accumulates feed salts fast with frequent feeding — water until it drains each time and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent scorch.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for drosera anglica
Organic options
A liquid comfrey or seaweed feed (naturally potassium-rich) plus compost or well-rotted manure as a mulch. UK: comfrey feed, organic Tomorite, or rose feed; US: Espoma Rose-tone or Neptune's Harvest. Feeds and improves soil.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A high-potash flowering feed on a regular cadence — UK: Tomorite (Levington), Phostrogen or a specialist rose feed; US: Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster or a rose food. Fast, reliable bloom response.
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 drosera anglica — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does drosera anglica need?
A high-potassium ("high-potash") flowering feed — tomato-style or a dedicated bloom/rose feed. Potassium powers flowering; a high-nitrogen feed gives you a leafy plant with disappointing bloom. Drosera anglica is a heavy-blooming flower with a big appetite — a regular high-potash feed through the season is what drives a long, dense display.
How often should I feed drosera anglica?
No soil feeding. It captures small flying insects on its dew; indoors, offer occasional tiny insects to the leaves — it needs no other fertiliser and dislikes warmth-loving feeding regimes. No soil feeding. It captures small flying insects on its dew; indoors, offer occasional tiny insects to the leaves — it needs no other fertiliser and dislikes warmth-loving feeding regimes. For a hungry bloomer that means feeding regularly — sparingly through the growing season — right through flowering across the main season (spring through early autumn), tapering as blooming ends.
What strength of feed for drosera anglica?
Follow the flowering-feed label rate for drosera anglica, or half strength if feeding very frequently. These plants genuinely use the nutrients — under-feeding shows up fast as a thin display.
What does over-feeding drosera anglica look like?
Lots of lush leaves but few flowers (too much nitrogen). Scorched leaf edges and salt crust from too-strong or too-frequent feeds. Soft, sappy growth prone to aphids and mildew. Using a high-nitrogen general feed on drosera anglica is the headline mistake — you grow a big leafy plant with few flowers. The second is simply under-feeding a genuinely hungry bloomer and getting a sparse, short display.
Should I flush the soil of drosera anglica?
Container-grown drosera anglica accumulates feed salts fast with frequent feeding — water until it drains each time and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent scorch.
Keep reading
- Drosera anglica care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water drosera anglica — 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 peace lily
- How to fertilise bird of paradise
- How to fertilise hoya
- All 3899 fertilising guides in the Growli library