Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Tina butterwort (Pinguicula 'Tina')— schedule & NPK
Also called Tina butterwort, Tina Mexican butterwort.
More about tina butterwort
About Tina butterwort
Pinguicula 'Tina' · also called Tina butterwort, Tina Mexican butterwort · houseplant
Pinguicula 'Tina' (P. agnata × P. zecheri) is one of the most beginner-friendly Mexican butterwort hybrids, forming a flat rosette of lime-green glistening leaves that trap fungus gnats year-round. It blooms prolifically with pale lavender flowers and undergoes a compact succulent winter phase rather than true dormancy.
Growth habit: Compact flat rosette, typically 6–12 cm across when fully mature, cycling between a broad carnivorous summer phase and a tight succulent winter phase without true dormancy.
Watch for — Stunted growth and yellowing from tap water: Dissolved minerals in tap water accumulate in the root zone and cause nutrient toxicity (paradoxically). Always use mineral-free water. If leaves yellow and growth stalls, flush the pot repeatedly with distilled water and repot into fresh mix.
What fertiliser tina butterwort actually wants — and why
Tina butterwort 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 tina butterwort: 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 tina butterwort, 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 tina butterwort:
No soil fertiliser — roots are sensitive to nutrients. Feed by placing 2–3 small live fungus gnats, fruit flies, or dried bloodworms on the sticky leaves every 2–3 weeks during active growth. A very dilute foliar spray of Maxsea (0.1%) monthly can supplement if few insects are available. Treat that as monthly 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 tina butterwort 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 tina butterwort
Half strength is the safe default for tina butterwort — 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 tina butterwort first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the tina butterwort watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding tina butterwort
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for tina butterwort:
- 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 tina butterwort
- 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 tina butterwort care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of tina butterwort 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 tina butterwort
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 tina butterwort — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does tina butterwort 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. Tina butterwort 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 tina butterwort?
No soil fertiliser — roots are sensitive to nutrients. Feed by placing 2–3 small live fungus gnats, fruit flies, or dried bloodworms on the sticky leaves every 2–3 weeks during active growth. A very dilute foliar spray of Maxsea (0.1%) monthly can supplement if few insects are available. No soil fertiliser — roots are sensitive to nutrients. Feed by placing 2–3 small live fungus gnats, fruit flies, or dried bloodworms on the sticky leaves every 2–3 weeks during active growth. A very dilute foliar spray of Maxsea (0.1%) monthly can supplement if few insects are available. Treat that as monthly 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 tina butterwort?
Half strength is the safe default for tina butterwort — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding tina butterwort 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 tina butterwort 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 tina butterwort?
Flush the pot of tina butterwort 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
- Tina butterwort care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water tina butterwort — 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 moses-in-the-cradle (oyster plant)
- How to fertilise satin pellionia (trailing watermelon begonia)
- How to fertilise golden mosaic ctenanthe
- All 6887 fertilising guides in the Growli library