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D lusitanicum new start

  • #41
Well it's been almost a month since the last plant pics. The smaller plant in the small pot still doesn't look great although it is hanging on and the base is getting broader and the leaves a bit longer and wider. Clearly way behind the other plant though. SO I am still not entirely sure what is up. I gave it another fungicide drench yesterday to see if that makes any impact. Some of the issue I think has been the light. The 26w is not quite strong enough and very warm (yellow color) so not that great for plant growth. The larger plant which was under the 42w because I felt I might have been cooking the small plant with it lost alot of color when the bulb blew and I had to run 2 26w spotlights for a week.

So here are some pics.. You can see the size difference between the two plants.
new light with reflector. Nice and bright! I have a second reflector but one bulb was bad so they are sending a replacement. For now they will have to share the one new fixture. I also have one of the 26w on still to suppliment until I can get the second fixture running.
The new fixture is positioned so that the bottom of the reflector is a few inches above the tallest leaves. That puts the bulb about 5 or 6 inches above the plant. It is a bit warmer than the 42w but doesn't feel overly hot. Will see how it goes. The new bulb is also alot whiter and clearly bluer and not so yellow. I think that will help alot!
DlAB010712a.jpg


Just a bit closer up showing both plants.
DlAB010712a.jpg


I haven't done any measurements before so figured I would do that so you can get an idea of the leaf length here. Longest leaf about 6" on the larger plant.
DlA010712a.jpg


Just a close up shot of the middle of the larger plant. You can see how the glands are much paler than they used to be. It has been under the new light for all of one day. Will be interesting to see how it looks in a week or two from now.
DlA010712b.jpg


Some other observations.. The smaller plant is still losing leaves at about the same rate they are being produced and they don't have the best looking color overall. Although they are getting longer and wider slowly so I still have hopes that it will turn around with the new light and start putting out better growth. I water the large plant about twice a week.. Sometimes I fill the tray to bottom water it and sometimes I give the top a flood and let it drain. The small plant gets water about every other day or so. Usually I just put water in the bottom tray and let it soak up until I see the top getting moist. I decided to flush the pot today though after giving it a fungicide drench the day before. So I ran alot of water through it.. hence alot of the peat came to the surface. They are still on the long day length with 18 hours of light. I am considering cutting that back to 9 and increasing it slowly to see if I can get the larger plant to flower this Summer..

edit: Just for future reference, the leaves on the small plant measure 4"
 
  • #42
Great going Tony, that big one is basically a young plant now, isn't it ?
Could the small one be suffering from lack of root space ? One of my seedlings had 2 inches of root before she sprouted leaves (i think it was searching for sufficient moisture) so I'm thinking each individual's root system is different in size.

Inspired by your thread, I've fixed a small bulb above 3 of my girls and over a week in, there's a quite obvious increase in their vigour and size. However, I am wondering how things go in nature...Perhaps they are meant to stay small and save energy until spring arrives after which they speedily grow with the changing photoperiod and temps. That is how most wild plants manage as well, it's only natural to assume drosophyllum is the same. Could this approach prove more healthy in the long run ? Cool temps, low light and wetness are all winter elements of mediterrenean climate.

I am deducing all this from the fact that 2 of my seedlings outside (1 germinated at 5-10c outside) are still alive. They surely are not growing, but they are dewy and erect. It looks to me as if they're waiting. The question is how long they can wait before the temps increase and some sunlight appears.
We will know in time.
But for now, I have 12 seedlings and 3 of them are situated under lights just in case.
 
  • #43
There are the three sisters :) Far left just germinated a week ago and others are over a month old...Here's to hoping they will grow up together without problems as I won't attempt to seperate them.

I have older seedlings but they just a little over this size. I am not using lights for them.


drosn.jpg
 
  • #44
Your plants are looking great Tony, especially the larger of the two...it's off to the races now!

Maxima, it's great to see your seedlings!

Your media looks quite wet and your plants look very dewy and happy.

I think i kept my media too dry with my seedlings and recently, i even found my largest seedling drooping a couple of it's largest leaves, looking like a couple of fishing poles whose rod tips harbored lunkers on the other end...

I was a bit concerned when i saw that and quickly watered the plant and it it wasn't long before my plant started to righten up its droopy leaves.

It's doing great now, and it's reassuring to know that these plants have at least some resilience for drier conditions periodically.

Best of luck with your plants, and thanks for sharing!

dvg
 
  • #45
Hey dvg, thanks much for your well wishes. I really want this plant. If at least 1 doesn't make it out of the 12, I am so throwing myself out of the window!

I have this idea that cool temps + wet medium will not cause problems but it's early to tell of course, I'm just a droso newbie. Just need some time now...
 
  • #46
Quick update on my 3 sisters who have welcomed 2 more into the ranks...which I find a little worrying in terms of space. I have 17 seedlings now, must have had a sowing frenzy that day.


5sis.jpg
 
  • #47
Here's pics of my "new start"

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/68248217@N04/6874459985/" title="002 by richjam1986, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6874459985_50b34ac3d3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="002"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/68248217@N04/6874459695/" title="003 by richjam1986, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6874459695_59602b0977.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="003"></a>
 
  • #48
Looking awesome richjam!

How old is your seedling approximately ? Looking at you guys' plants; yours seem to be taller while mine are getting into a stubby claw shape. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong or if it has something to do with the potting mix...

droso18subat.jpg
 
  • #49
Looking awesome richjam!
How old is your seedling approximately ? Looking at you guys' plants; yours seem to be taller while mine are getting into a stubby claw shape. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong or if it has something to do with the potting mix...

Thanks :)
I think mine germinated in late November, 2011. Right now mine only gets artificial light, which might be making it grow longer leaves (?). Don't know what to tell you. How moist do you keep your soill? Mine is really on the dry side. It looks like your soil also has a lot of peat in it for Drosophyllum. I don't know if that is the problem or not.

I'm impressed by the number of seed you were able to get to germinate though. Maybe mine aren't the best seed, or they are older seed.

Do you plan on repoting yours though? From what it looks like they are in a really small pot (for a Drosophyllum) and probably won't do the best in the long term. They turn into a really large plant and need a bigger pot.

For this problem I plant one seed per pot, and use small peat pots that can then be dirrectly transplanted into the larger pot once the plant has some decent size. This allows you to transplant without root disturbance, and allows you to save space as well while germinating the seed. Just a suggestion for the future.

I think your plants look good though so far
 
  • #50
Thanks, that's really helpful to know. My earliest seedlings are from early December, I have 15+ in total divided in different pots. The mix is peat, perlite and vermiculite, all I could get over here. I tried to keep peat in lesser amount but may have failed :) Hoping they won't mind as it's too late now.
I've repotted them a few weeks ago to 14" pots. Obviously I was a little late as the oldest had a single root which had already started circling around inside.
Peat pots are definitely handy. I mostly use bigger thin pots nowadays, just cut the bottom half and move as a whole. Using plastic for this bunch but others will go into clay pots, hoping everyone will make it...So many experiments, it's a wonder they are still alive :)

drosogen.jpg
 
  • #51
Hmm I wonder if they'd do 70-75 degrees daytime temps, 67 or so degrees at night with tons of sun and 75% humidity.
 
  • #52
Thanks, that's really helpful to know. My earliest seedlings are from early December, I have 15+ in total divided in different pots. The mix is peat, perlite and vermiculite, all I could get over here. I tried to keep peat in lesser amount but may have failed :) Hoping they won't mind as it's too late now.
I've repotted them a few weeks ago to 14" pots. Obviously I was a little late as the oldest had a single root which had already started circling around inside.
Peat pots are definitely handy. I mostly use bigger thin pots nowadays, just cut the bottom half and move as a whole. Using plastic for this bunch but others will go into clay pots, hoping everyone will make it...So many experiments, it's a wonder they are still alive :)

Now THOSE are good sized pots! I was previously refering to to picture you posted on Jan 30th with them in a small pot, but it looks like you have that figured out. Keep it up:) Again, I think they look good overall, but I see what you're saying about them being a little on the small side. How much sun do they get each day? Maybe they could use more light? I don't know, just throwing ideas out since you asked.

Truthfully, mine is in a fairly small pot for Drosophyllum. It is the smallest size that experienced growers said could work (6 inch clay pot, i believe). I've just got limmited space and soil, so I hope it will be big enough at least to carry it to flowering size. We'll see.

---------- Post added at 08:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:20 PM ----------

...Inspired by your thread, I've fixed a small bulb above 3 of my girls and over a week in, there's a quite obvious increase in their vigour and size.
...for now, I have 12 seedlings and 3 of them are situated under lights just in case.

Looks like you've already considered light. Sometimes I'm just too lazy to read through the whole thread ;)
 
  • #53
Hey guys, any updates on your plants?
 
  • #55
Mine as well. Still on the short side but growing pretty fast. I am wondering if I should cull a few because I have about 20...Really hurting for space, wish I had a greenhouse or something.
 
  • #56
Hey guys, any updates on your plants?

Took some photos today. The little guy that has been struggling is still struggling but hasn't kicked the bucket.. yet. Both plants have been outside most days now for the past month or so. I have pulled them inside on some nights if it was going to get chilly and wet. Or if we were having a string of rainy days and they would be better off not getting torrentially soaked day after day with no sun.
I did just repot the small one into a large pot as it looked sad and decided to take action to either help it turn around or uh.. finish it off. Despite the current size there were roots wrapping around the bottom of the 3" deep pot. SO maybe that is an indication that it needs root room. Time will tell if it survives long enough settle into the new pot.

The larger plant that has been in the same pot from the start. Sadly no buds despite my trying to give it a winter light period for a while. You can see the pot in the photo that now houses the small struggling one.
Dl053012a1.jpg


Measurement of the leaves. (note the stem is about an inch long now so deduct that from the measurement, roughly)
Dl053012a2.jpg


Interesting to note that nearly every leaf axil has little sprouts that send out small leaves. Some seem to appear to send out larger and larger leaves so guess it's on it's way to becoming a shrubbery!
Dl053012a3.jpg


The small struggling guy..
Dl053012b.jpg
 
  • #57
Nice droso! Mine are doing the same thing, bushing out and starting new plants from the base. The flower stalks also are putting out leaves, debating wether to cut them because I am afraid they will topple the flower stalks before the seed pods are ripe. Good luck on the little guy.
 
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  • #58
Mighty fine droso, Tony! Looks so good. Mine are behind yours agewise but I doubt they'll look as robust in the future. Dunno if it's the media mix factor or the watering regime, but there's definitely a difference.
 
  • #59
Mighty fine droso, Tony! Looks so good. Mine are behind yours agewise but I doubt they'll look as robust in the future. Dunno if it's the media mix factor or the watering regime, but there's definitely a difference.

We have had a very early and much warmer than usual Spring, so I took advantage of that when I could and get them into the sun. The upgrade on the lights (page 4) to the 105w CFL also made a noticeable difference. It is soooo much better than those CLF spotlights I was struggling with at the start.

My mix is chunky perlite, sand, a little peat, a touch of vermiculite (I think that was everything). I use RO water a couple times a week right now. Sometimes I just fill the tray at the bottom and other times I give it a good soak from the top, either way I let the tray stay dry a few days before watering again. We also have plenty of insects here so the plant is always catching lots to eat.
 
  • #60
These are the biggest of my bunch. I am so hoping in the next few months they'll look as good as Tony's, though I have serious doubts about that!

droso02.jpg


droso01.jpg


ps. I have a few single ones in different pots, those are relatively bigger though they are much younger. Maybe this means it was a bad idea to sow more than one seed per pot...
 
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