Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Pygmy Sundew (Drosera scorpioides)— schedule & NPK
Also called pygmy sundew, scorpion sundew.
More about pygmy sundew
About Pygmy Sundew
Drosera scorpioides · also called pygmy sundew, scorpion sundew · houseplant
Drosera scorpioides is a tiny Western Australian pygmy sundew forming a stalked rosette of dew-tipped tentacled leaves that glisten and catch small insects. It thrives in bright light, pure water, and lean acidic soil, and is famous for propagating from gemmae, tiny clonal buds it produces in cooler months. Compact and rewarding, it is pet-safe.
Growth habit: A small, stalked rosette-forming perennial pygmy sundew. Unlike flat rosette types, D. scorpioides builds a short upright stem topped by a rosette of tentacled, dew-covered leaves, giving a miniature shrub-like look. In cooler months it produces gemmae (clonal buds) at the rosette centre for reproduction.
Watch for — Mineral-water decline: Tap or mineral water salts kill these salt-sensitive plants. Use only rainwater, distilled, or RO water in the tray.
What fertiliser pygmy sundew actually wants — and why
Pygmy Sundew is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.
An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves.
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 pygmy 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 pygmy 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 pygmy sundew:
Never add soil fertiliser; it feeds by trapping small insects on its sticky tentacles. Indoors with few insects, occasionally let it catch tiny flies or offer a very small piece of rehydrated bloodworm to a leaf. The plant is tiny, so feed minimally if at all. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when pygmy 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 pygmy sundew
Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for pygmy sundew. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water pygmy sundew first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the pygmy sundew watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding pygmy sundew
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for pygmy sundew:
- Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose.
- White salt crust on the soil surface.
- Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly.
Signs you are under-feeding pygmy sundew
- Yellowing leaves with green veins (iron chlorosis from high pH).
- Weak growth, poor cropping and an overall pale, stressed look.
- Stunted new shoots in spring despite adequate water and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full pygmy sundew care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush pygmy sundew with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for pygmy sundew
Organic options
Composted pine bark, pine-needle mulch, used coffee grounds and an organic ericaceous feed gently maintain acidity. UK: Vitax or Westland Ericaceous; US: Espoma Holly-tone or Dr. Earth Acid Lovers. Slow, soil-improving, hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A liquid or granular ericaceous feed — UK: Miracle-Gro Ericaceous, Vitax or Westland; US: Miracle-Gro Acid-Loving Plant Food or Espoma Holly-tone. Pair with rainwater and an acidic mulch for it to work.
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 pygmy sundew — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does pygmy sundew need?
An ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser, formulated to keep the soil pH low and supply iron and trace elements in a form acid-loving roots can absorb. Ordinary feeds and any lime lock out iron and yellow the leaves. Pygmy Sundew is an acid-loving plant — it can only take up nutrients in acidic soil, so the feed itself matters less than using an ericaceous formula and never liming.
How often should I feed pygmy sundew?
Never add soil fertiliser; it feeds by trapping small insects on its sticky tentacles. Indoors with few insects, occasionally let it catch tiny flies or offer a very small piece of rehydrated bloodworm to a leaf. The plant is tiny, so feed minimally if at all. Never add soil fertiliser; it feeds by trapping small insects on its sticky tentacles. Indoors with few insects, occasionally let it catch tiny flies or offer a very small piece of rehydrated bloodworm to a leaf. The plant is tiny, so feed minimally if at all. In practice: an ericaceous feed in spring as growth resumes, repeated through the main growing months; never apply lime, bonemeal or wood ash, which raise pH.
What strength of feed for pygmy sundew?
Follow the ericaceous product's own rate — these are formulated for the plant, so the dilution on the label is right for pygmy sundew. The variable that actually matters is pH, not concentration.
What does over-feeding pygmy sundew look like?
Brown, scorched leaf margins from too strong or too frequent a dose. White salt crust on the soil surface. Soft, lush growth that fruits or flowers poorly. Feeding pygmy sundew an ordinary fertiliser, or growing it in hard tap water / limey soil, is the defining mistake — it triggers lime-induced chlorosis (yellow leaves, green veins) no amount of feeding fixes until the pH comes down.
Should I flush the soil of pygmy sundew?
Flush pygmy sundew with rainwater (not hard tap water, which raises pH) if salts build up; better still, mulch with pine needles or composted bark and water with rainwater to hold the acidity.
Keep reading
- Pygmy Sundew care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water pygmy 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 2464 fertilising guides in the Growli library