Trim dead/dying leaves off?

[Ambellina]

Should I be cutting off leaves from my D. capensis that are obviously dead or dying (droopy and brown)? Also, when I got it there was a dead-looking stem shooting straight up.. couldn't have been a flower stem, could it? The plant is so tiny, wouldn't it be too young to flower? Anyways, should I clip that off too?

 

[joossa]

Hmmm...
I think this topic is better off in the Drosera Discussions. Someone there is most likely to help you.

 

[Clint]

You can if you want. It would help keep fungi away in a terrarium. I think outdoors it's just an asthetic thing. I don't do it unless I'm about to take a pic.

 

[Ambellina]

I was just wondering if it'd help the plant expend more energy growing newer and healthier leaves. Yeah, I'm plant-tarded, you'll have to excuse me. Thank you muchly though

 

[Finch]

I usualy do not and my plants seem fine, though as JLAP said, it can grow fungi that feeds on decaying plant matter, and in very weak plants, the fungi may then infect living tissue. In my experience, that only happens when the living tissue is closer to dead than alive

 

[PlantAKiss]

As long as a leaf is green, its making food for your plant.  Obviously dead leaves don't, so its fine to trim them off.  Some people like a clean, tidy plant and others don't care if there is dead material.  I periodically clean my plants but I'm not anal about it.  Trimming dead areas will not cause your plant to grow more or less.

I am going to heave this topic over to the Drosera forum though.

1....2....3....HIKE! *poof!*

 

[jimscott]

I would add that we all have artificial environments and we have more issues with mold and drying out and browning heart, etc... Nature allows more effective (for lack of a better word) homeostasis and stability. We have to watch our min-habitats more closely (but not TOO closely as to over-coddle). It's a lot like comparing the ecosystem of the Amazon River Basin with a 10 gallon tank. WE need to provide the food, pump, filter, lighting, etc..

In short, I would trim and remove anything obviously dead and leave anything green to photosynthesize.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Some of us could spend every day doing this and we'd never have any time to do anything else. Like JLAP, I usually do it for photography prep, and rarely for general cultivation unless it is my O.C.D. telling me to reorganize a tray or so..