A 1/4 strength orchid fertilizer mix sprayed lightly on the leaves to induce pitchering. IF not to induce pitchers, none is needed.

First of all nepenthes have roots like all other plants and absorb nutrients through it. I would recommend an organic fertilizer such as GrowMore Liquid Seaweed Extract used at full strength. Make a stock solution equivalent to a gallon or five gallon bucket and apply by cup, ladle or can into the ROOT ZONE of the potting media. DO NOT ADD FERTILIZER TO PITCHERS!
Fertilize about twice a month for seedlings/starters, and less frequently for matured plants. Be sure your media is soil-less and with excellent drainage. It is very important to flush out excess fertilizers after a day or so to prevent salt build up. Do not sue Miracle Grow/Miracid as these are too salty and break down the media and because of its high trace will encourage an explosion of weeds to dominate media.

Image shows bench of even slow growing N. truncata growing rapidly with regular fertilizing treatments IN THE SOIL.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:550184}}

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A group of N. truncata seedlings. This species is easy but slow, but when fertilizing, they grow much faster, develop more readily than with no fertilizer.

Matured plants should not however be fertilized as often or that much. This over development of a wall of N. copelandii is an example of fertilizing overdose.
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wow that's amazing!!!

Insect food DO NOT MAKE BIG PITCHERS!
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Big well developed pitchers is a production solely from root nutrients. The prey that a big pitcher captures turn around and supply needed nitrogen that the plant is not able to absorb themselves by roots alone. You need both. But to only supplement a plant by pitcher feedings is only a quarter of the food absorption. Remember that the fluids inside the pitcher comes from the plant which comes from the root absorption 100%. Nutrients are absorbed this same manner.

For a plant to make a flower spike AND continue to grow unabated, the plants need soil nutrients to do so.
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You never see a plant in the wild make tiny pitchers nor stop pitcher production because of a flowering sequence. These two processes continue independently from one another and help each to prgress into its next phase.

will compost tea work, as long as i use distilled water?

does this stuff work for other CPs too?
and if so, then how.

Interesting info....

As long as I have had a nep in the greenhouse - and following the advise on this board - it has been 'fed' and misted only with rainwater. It ate really well last summer and has been growing like a proverbial weed ever since - just no pitchering.

So, after reading this thread, I sprayed it with a weak orchid bloom booster solution. Just a week or so later, some of the leaf tips are already showing signs of pitcher development. Yay!

Cheers

Try fertilizing this liquid stuff at regular strength (recommended for orchids) into the soil.
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I hunted everywhere for the seaweed extract, but no one has it, where can I find it?

Do you have a garden store in your neighborhood? Try the orchid societies too!

You can also use Peter's orchid soluble fertilizer. This works well too!

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Fertilizing produces numerous pitchers to develop and allows a longer staying power so multiple pitchers can be had on a single plant for a while longer than plants fed just bugs and water.
Even upper pitchers get huge and have long staying power for multiple pitchers simultaneously.
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Be sure to wash off/out the excess fertilizers from lingering. Keeping plants well watered will produce the best results.
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Your matured plants should always have huge pitchers either as large uppers or even newly sprouted lowers such as this one.
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Before I switched to Seaweed Extract, I used to use Peter's Soluble Fertilizer with similar results. Just avoid Miracle Grow/Miracid. These are too high in insoluble salts that they actually cause long term damage to plants and the media.
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Nepenthes do like a regular feeding and growth is very consistent and especially in favorable weather the added nutrients really adds up to rapid growth and larger pitchers.
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A happy plant usually expresses itself with vibrant color.
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Weak plants are more green because they need to use their plant parts for the making of photosynthesis through green tissue.
Strong plants gets their nutrients through different sources.

would bonsai tree fetilizer work,
its water soluable and its in gredients are:

nitrogen 10%,
phosphorous pentoxide 30%,
citrate and water 30%,
potassium oxide 30%

and in small quantities: magnesium, boron, copper, iron, maganese, molybdenum and zinc

oops got that wrong its actally 60% phosphorous pentoxide, i've got confused with the "what its soluable in text"

and there is no citrate and water

I would say it should be fine so long as it dissolves near 100%. Also try to dissolve and allow the contents to dry and then rewet and see if it becomes soluble again. If it does then its very good.

also i read somewhere on another forum that copper and zinc are toxic is this true?