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!

3 days ago, i had replanted my 4 sundews (D. Spathulata) into a terrarium (3 Gallon Terrarium From Pet Fly Trap) and i soak the plant in a strong Solution of Superthrive (10 Drops a Gal) for 30 minutes prior to replanting. I placed the whole plant, into the mixture. i did the same for the 3 Pings (P. Primuliflora), and 2 Small Neps(N. Raff and N. Ventricosa). I then Planted them in the Terrarium. I Misted them with RO water and then Left them in the Tanks. They were kept under a 40 Watt cool white incandescent bulb about 4 inches above the tank from 6:00A.M. to 6:00P.M. The Pings already have a lot of dew on them and the Raff pitcher is opening and the Ventricosa is starting to pitcher. But the Sundewws only have a small, if not no amount of dew on them. What's wrong? Is it to hot for them or something? please tell Me.
Hellz
 
It is possible that the change in environment might have resulted in a bit of shock. I have experienced this with a D. capensis, a P. primuliflora, and a D. spatualata. All have responded, in time to a stable environment, temporary total enclosing, and patience. Hard to say wheter correlation = causality, though.
 
o, thanks alot jim, sry about that mets thing b4
tounge.gif

anyways, i think ur right. the humidity inside that tanks has to be 80%+ because theres alot of condensation on the side of the tanks, i can only see into it from the top.
Ill try to just be patient and see if they will bounce back.
i never knew S Dews were so sensitive
biggrin.gif
 
One caveat:  A headache has a common symptom - it also has multiple causes. Whatever I have done to screw up my plants I have had success in bringing them back - but I may have been more fortunate than skillful.
 
hmmm... so what do u suppose can have caused this other than shock?
the temp i believe is about 80 F in the tank
i dont think its to hot in there but i may be wrong, im a newb with droseras (more than other CP's -_-)
anything else u want to know about the conditions or anything, jus ask cuz i dunt want my first dews to die
i guess i jus cant "do the dew"
laugh.gif
wink.gif
 
Gotta love a bad pun! Seriously, You've reached my limit of useful experience. Must have Tamlin, P-man, etc... to help out.
 
o ya, how do u get dirt off the dew?
while i was soaking, i relly didnt wash the root that well and the sundews and some of the ping are dirty
do they just drop the dirt or do i really have to clean them?
i dunt wanna get rid of the scarce dew thats on them now so should i just leave them alone?
 
Just leave them be for awhile. It sounds like stress might be affecting them, and this is not unusual. Whenever a sundew makes a change from one home to another, a period of adjustment will be needed.

Generally, Drosera (other than the petiolaris species) really prefer cooler conditions generally, but a happy plant won't complain at 80F. 55-65F is paradise to them.

Here are some other considerations toward losing your newbie status, lol.

Use pure water such as rain or distilled. Some species are highly sensitive to mineral buildup in the substrate. If they sit in water trays, either let the trays dry out before refilling, or change the water every 2 weeks.

Provide ample light of good spectrum (I use 1 cool white to one balanced spectrum 40 watts in a 4 foot shoplight fixture). Drosera are real light hungry plants. Provide some sun when possible, but go very slowly with exposure, especially in a terrarium where heat and sunburn can damage the plants. It sounds like you are keeping the plants close to the light, and this is good. You might want to consider raising the lights though if they are sitting on top of your terrarium. The bulbs generate unwanted heat, but the plants should still stay within 4 inches of the tubes. The difference of an inch or two is very significant in terms of how much light is reaching your plants through the glass.

Most species will do well in a relative humidity 0f 40% and higher. !00% humidity is not always optimal. It may help your plant to recover from its stress, but a healthy and strongly growing plant can adjust to the lower humidity with no complaints. This is called growing your plants "hard" vs "soft" as in terrarium culture. A hard grown plant is healthier and more disease resistant, and more like how they grow in habitat.

Provide air circulation. Keep the terrarium cracked a little. The plants enjoy fresh air, cool nights, bright days.

Whenever possible grow the plants from seed. Seed grown plants are always better adjusted to your own conditions.

Feed your plants only when healthy and dewy. I recommend dried bloodworms ground into powder and sprinkeled on the leaves, or allow them to feed naturally in outdoor culture.

Good luck with your plants! Drosera are wonderful plants!
 
I agree with everything Tamlin has stated above. One other thing, however, is that a soaking with superthrive, though good for the plant, has a tendency to also dry out the dew for a while on the leaves. As stated, just leave'em alone, and let them adjust to the conditions, and get past the thriving. It is not harmful to your plant to endure these few days of being "dew challenged".
 
  • #10
i dont think i should do this but should i mist the sundews?
will it help their dew comeback or something?
Tamlin, i wish i could, but a newb is a newb  
wink.gif

u cant ever get rid of your newbness cuz we all screw up once in a while
tounge.gif

laugh.gif
 
  • #11
No,misting causes dew loss in Drosera so dont do it.
 
  • #12
The dew on Sundews is not really dew, but rather a muciledge type goo, and water will dissolve this. In habitat under good growing conditions the plants are barely disturbed by a long rain, and regain their dew in a matter of hours. In cultivation there are less ideal conditions - usually less energy to fuel the recovery.

Keep in mind , although these plants look delicate they can be very tough. They have evolved some very serious strategies for dealing with harsh conditions all over their range.

Its a balance of conditions that determine if the plants will benefit from any technique. Pinguiculan sprays his plants, but he has conditions of MUCH light. With less light, I think I would advise against spraying rinsing off the dew.

Drosera I grew outside were frequently submerged for days, and always regained their dew within half a day, and were some of the most vigorous plants I have ever grown.

Also, I never add anything to the mix if I can possibly avoid it, not superthrive, fungicide or chemical insecticides. I guess I am a little cautious with all of that.
 
  • #13
good, i didnt mist them
the biggest plant i have started regaining its dew ( little by little
biggrin.gif
)
the other ones are starting i think, but one hasnt started yet ( I hope it pulls Through
tounge.gif
)
 
Back
Top