Loss of vigor in plants??

[Drosera36]

For some reason, after some amount of time, my plants tend to lose their vigor, and with my Pinguicula, often just get so sad looking that they die. Can anyone tell me why this is happening? I've been putting this off for a while, but decided to just swallow my pride and ask what's wrong.

D. venusta: Used to look like this (a little over a year ago)

Now it looks like this

Does it want a larger pot?? I'm kinda depressed about this, because I don't know what's wrong.

Also my hybrid that I made, D. capensis x (x tokaiensis) Used to look a lotttt better.

And my Pinguicula just seem to really get smaller.

P. moranensis "Huahuapan"

P. moranensis "D"

Both Pinguicula flowered recently I think, but I want to know what's wrong with them, if anything?? My other Pings made a bunch of smaller leaves until they withered away and died. I don't want this to happen to my plants.

Thanks a ton,
-Ben

 

[Not a Number]

Don't feel bad, my D. venusta looked worse than that. I let it dry out a little too much a couple times but it recovered in time. The old leaves just stack up like that.

It could be a couple things:

How often do you feed your plant? People parrrot that "you don't have to feed your plants" which is to some extent is true but if you want to maintain them and keep them healthy looking you have to feed them. Flightless fruitflies, bits of bloodworm, fish food flakes, freeze dried flies make the job easier. I've seen definite growth spurts with many of my Drosera and Pings after feeding.

It could be the peat moss is starting to break down. When you top water is the runoff somewhat clear or is there bits of peat moss coming out? If you tap the sides of the pot do you get sink holes or has the level of the medium dropped any? If yes, then your peat is breaking down. Time to repot.

Some of my Pings are slowing drifting into the succulent phase so that's what could be happening there.

 

[Drosera36]

I barely ever feed my plants anymore; I suppose that could be it. I just don't really know how to feed Pinguicula, though. I guess I could buy those fruit flies.

When I water my D. venusta, the run-off is relatively clear; it has a sort of tea color to it. And no, the level of the soil hasn't dropped. But, I popped it out of its pot, and a bunch of roots were coiled around the bottom. What do you mean when you say "sink holes"?

My Pings recently came out of the succulent phase, so I don't think they're going back into it. They're not growing very fast, either.

Thanks,
-Ben

 

[mark.ca]

i see your venust is feeding by itself anyway....did you change light type or intensity?

 

[Drosera36]

One of the bulbs burned out a while ago (there's 4), but I never bothered to replace it.

That's really the only difference; I suppose the intensity would have gone down since it's been several months, although that was a year ago so I think I had replaced them during that time.

But I use 2 high kelvin but low lumen bulbs and 2 vice versa. So when that one burned out, there's now 2 low kelvin and one high kelvin.

-Ben

 

[mark.ca]

i was asking you that because the venusta in the first pic seems to be grown outdoors in sun while the 2end under lights inside...not talking about the place where the photos was taken

 

[Drosera36]

Oh, no I just took it outside for pictures.

-Ben

 

[mark.ca]

ok....try more light, usualy dews become more vigurous in full sun ...if that is not working then just try what NaN said and repot the plant

 

[Not a Number]

Well the D. venusta looks ok to me really.

By sink holes I mean areas where the medium has collopsed down, leaving a sunken area or hole.

Here's my D. venusta 4 days after I got it (Dec 06) still adjusting to my conditions:

then about 8 months later (a little over 1 year ago).

I don't have any more recent photos but it looks pretty much the same as yours. It's probably twice as tall as the latest photos with 2/3rds of it old leaves where the tentacles have dried up. The pups in the pot are at least twice as large. I was going to repot it but it started to flower again a couple weeks ago.

 

[mark.ca]

that's a nice plant!

 

[jimscott]

I get the same thing and wonder how long a given rosetted sundew actually lives. How old is it when it was received? Maybe a little bit of moss removal or top watering into another container to rinse the media would help.

 

[Alien1099]

I get the same thing and wonder how long a given rosetted sundew actually lives. How old is it when it was received? Maybe a little bit of moss removal or top watering into another container to rinse the media would help.

I think I read many types can live for decades?