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Help. New to sundews...

Although I've had some pitcher plants for a couple years, I'm new to the cp scene. I just joined this forum last week and since then, I've learned more about cp's than I have the entire time I've had my pitchers. Now I'm just glad that I didn't kill them in my ignorance...

I have basically been a water gardener, but one of my fellow ponders offered some staghorn sundew in a trade for some waterlilies. Well, a light bulb went off in my head that I should get into collecting cp's. I was interested in them before anyway, but just hadn't got around to it.

Well, some little staghorn sundew arrived in today's mail from my friend in Maryland. I've been too busy to prepare for their arrival. I rushed out to go buy some peat moss and distilled water. I already have sand. I am going to plant them in a 50/50 mix of peat and sand and water with DI. I am going to have them outside in the yard. Eventually, I would like to have a bog garden, but I'm not quite ready yet.

My question (assuming all the above is OK): is it a good idea to have the potted plant sitting outside with water in the tray? I'm thinking that I could have pots in a tub with a little water at the bottom. This way, the sundew could have their toes wet all the time. I've also read that they like to have the humidity.

thanks,
Warren
 
Forked sundews like it very moist and soggy, i usually have the water level at the soil level, then once the water evaporates i leave it for 2 days, then re-fill
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A 50/50 mix of dry peat and sand is a bit much, i would go with 2 parts peat and one part sand. works MUCH better.
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good luck!!
 
Thanks Spectabilis. I'll go with 65/35 peat/sand.

But when you say you usually have the water at soil level and then let it evaporate, does this mean your pots have no drainage and you flood the plant up to soil level? Do you have your plants outdoors and about how often do you water?

For my solution, I was thinking of a pot with drain holes stuck in a tray with a bit of water at the bottom. These are little plants, so they'd probably be little 4in pots. Either that or 1gallon...

Warren
 
Hey Warren,

I grow them in pots about 6 inches deep, and keep the water about an inch or so deep, so well below what Spec does. I'm sure it would work either way, but as long as you don't let it dry out, a shallower water tray will work fine.

Capslock
 
OK. Thanks Capslock. That makes me feel better about my idea. I was afraid there might be some potential harm to the plants from sitting in standing water, but I guess not. This will save me a little bit of worries from having the plants dry out because I missed a watering.

Warren
 
Hi Warren

Welcome to the forums.
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Glad you discovered our CP community. I'm also glad you're giving the sundews (drosera) a go. They are my personal favorites.

A lot of CPers do water gardening....bogs and ponds. You might be interested then in trying utricularia (bladderworts). They have beautiful flowers.

I grow my D. binatas in a mix of long-fiber sphagnum moss and peat. Its an airier mix than peat and sand. People tend to develop their own taste in soil mixes. Mine are also kept pretty wet.

They are real bug catchers.
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Good luck and I hope you stick around. You'll get addicted no doubt...just like the rest of us.
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Suzanne/PAK
 
Thanks for the welcome Suzanne.

I'm afraid for my sundew though. It looks like its dew (what are they called are drying out). I've had them outside in an area sheltered by the house for now so they are in shade. They are rather small (1in-4in tall), but looked like they had made it OK thru the mail. I think once I got them outside though they started drying out. If I had a mister I'd use that. Havn't had time to go out and get one...

It did drizzle a little this morning. I'm hoping that will help somewhat.

Any suggestions?

thanks,
Warren
 
Actually, water will wash the dew from the leaves. Don't worry too much about your plant; they usually have a short adjustment period to new conditions. The dew will return, but not by spraying! I never mist mine, and they do great and are full of dew.

Make sure that you get some light onto them. My forked 'dews grow in full sun for about half the day. They need sun!

Capslock
 
Thanks again Capslock.

I'll put them out where they'll get sun.
I was just afraid that they might need an adjustment period after being shipped and repotted, before I put them in full sunlight. Thought that being out in sun would dry them out even more.

Warren
 
  • #10
It probably is a good idea to gradually adjust them, but I usually just throw 'em out there, and haven't lost one yet!

Capslock
 
  • #11
Hi and welcome (again)! I agree with Capslock...binatas tend to be sturdy little buggers. One thing you'll learn with this hobby....patience! (nooooooooo!!!
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) Give them a little time to adjust, and you'll be amazed what they'll do for you.
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  • #12
While its true you don't want to fry a small plantlet in strong sun, most of the time if a plant is moved into new conditions, the dew dries up for a while and you might even lose some leaves. However, give it time to put up some new growth and it will regain its dew.

Also...if it does appear to die on you...don't give up hope. They will often regenerate from the roots. So don't throw your pot out if it appears dead. Keep it wet and give it some time and you'll probably see new growth appear. But I hope it doesn't come to that.
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Suzanne
 
  • #13
usually in my experience when drosera come with no dew, it quickly grows new leaves and the dewless ones die back. The new leaves have tons of dew.
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  • #14
Hi Warren,

I haven't been so brave yet. I have all mine indoors still, even though it is more than warm enough outside for them.

I decided to try my hand at propagating from them first and have been met with very good success.

Drosera binata was the first one I purchased last month. There were two plants in the same pot and one of them had a kink in the stem so I cut it off when I got home and placed it in a Dixie cup full of rain water. Within two weeks I noticed nodes forming along the filament side of the leaf and a week later distinguishable new growth could be seen. I left them in water for one more week but noticed some of the new growth was dying so I pulled out the whole thing and cut between the growth points on the old leaf and potted up ten new plants. I have these in a 50/50 mix of peat/sand inside a Dixie cup and just covered it with a piece of Saran Wrap. This pot of new plants is sitting on the ledge of my large Tropical waterlily propagating tank. Each day I look in on the new plants and each day noticeable growth is seen. These ten new plants will be the ones I place outside this summer.

The D. binata has been the most successful so far as a leaf propagator. I have also tried this with D. filliformis 'tracyi', D. adelae and D. binata multifida extrema. D. adelae has not produced anything from leaf yet, filliformis has a few nodes apparent and multifida extrema has two plantlets evident.

I have also tried root cuttings. The ones that have responded so far are D. adelae, multiple plantlets produced from a small section of root and D. binata multifida extrema, two plants produced out of three root cuttings.
The root cuttings are divided into 1/2 inch sections and layed upon moist Long Fiber Sphagnum. I also place a piece of Saran Wrap on the top of the cup these are in to keep the humidity very high.

I say give this a try, you will be impressed at how easily some of these plants propagate.

Cheers,
Sean
 
  • #15
Thanks all. It's encouraging to know that these plants are hardier than they appear. I've placed them in a much sunnier spot (still under a small tree for a little shade) by the pond. Once they start looking better, I'll bring them into full sun.

Sean,
You and your dixie cups! I guess you have these under growlights?

Folks, if you havn't visited Sean's webpage, I'd encourage that. He has done some amazing things on the watergardenig side, growing tropical waterlilies in dixie cups.

Warren
 
  • #16
Hi Warren,

Thanks for the plug.. lol
Yes I do have all of these propagating in Dixie Cups under the Metal Halide and they are growing great gangbusters.

Once you have at least five or six leaves on your Sundew try a leaf cutting submerged in water.

The Leaf cutting from the Drosera binata multifida Extrema had two small growth points under water yesterday afternoon so I clipped them off and placed them on moist Long Fiber Sphagnum and there has already been significant growth in only one day.

Cheers,
Sean
 
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