Carnivorous plants do not need feeding, as they should catch their own. Leaf symptoms such as yellowing, browning or dropping are the most common signs of trouble, but the same symptoms can be caused by different problems. Stick a fingertip into the compost to check moisture levels or use the probe of a moisture meter available to determine if watering is the problem. Then either soak or drain the plant accordingly. Allow the compost surface to dry out before watering pelargoniums Lack of light may be to blame if growth is pale and spindly, flowering plants do not flower or the foliage on variegated plants reverts to plain green.
Pests Use a magnifying glass or reading glasses to track pests down.
Look in leaf axils for mealybug, which looks like tufts of white fluff. Check on stems for scale insect, which are like tiny limpets, and around young shoots and buds for greenfly. Red spider mites are so tiny they are almost invisible. Jumping fleas in the compost are springtails. Cacti and succulents are prone to attack by sap-sucking mealy bug.