What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Question about sundews

i want a sundew for the house. something i can keep outside of a terrarium, to hopefully catch misc insects flying around. i have an east, west, and south windows that i can use for light. humidity varies anywhere from 80% to about 50%. i don't care if it needs a dormancy, as i don't really have many insects flying around in the winter... i'm hoping that i won't have to provide a supplimental light source, but i could if needed...

any thoughts on what i should get?

thanks,
technoracer
 
With your specified conditions, you should be able to grow almost any of the tropical sundews for most of the year in your South facing window without a supplemental light source, provided you can give the plants 4-5 hrs. of hard sunlight per day. The greatest problem facing the indoor grower is how to provide sufficient light for the plants to maintain good color and compact growth. Humidity should not be an issue for you, unless you use forced air heat in the winter months, when some "shelter" is advisable. This might only be a plastic film draped over the plant shelf. Available sunight also drops off in the winter months, and some supplemental light might be advisable during the dark months of fall and winter, depending on available sunlight.

One of the best all round sundews in my opinion is Drosera capensis, which is forgiving of lower humidity, and gets to be a good size. There are several varieties going around. Mine do well with capturing insects, but there is a fly in the ointment (heh heh): the plants also *attract* prey, so I dont know if you will come out ahead by getting plants in hopes of removing insects from your home.

Almost any tropical variety will serve though. I think you should try growing one each of the 130 or so species....this solves the problem of having to pick and choose, lol.

Seriously, only the Austalian tuberous and pygmy species, the South African winter growing species, and the temperate forms are really unsuitable for indoor culture, and there are ways around even these difficulties. You might have to play around a little to perfect your growing set up: add a shoplight fixture, a sheet of plastic or run a humidifier in winter, but it should be possible to grow almost any Drosera in the humidity you state. The key to good growth will be the light levels.
 
cool. thanks Tamlin. hopefully, one day i will have all 130 some odd species of sundews!

i have a couple dews right now. i might try one of those for now too see what happens...

thanks again!,
technoracer
 
Back
Top