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JennB

You are getting sleeeepy...very, very sleeeeepy...
This 'Florida Giant' came to me healthy and I was thrilled that it quickly put on dew and was catching bugs. Now it's lost it's dew and the ends are starting to "crisp" just like my capensis! :cry: It's in 50/50 peat/sand sitting in distilled water, top watered a smidge daily, full sun. The sarracenias and vft I got from the same person at the same time are growing nicely in the same soil mixture and water so I think those are good. Maybe something to do with light and/or humidity?
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The cp that got me looking into and wanting to grow these guys, 'Dana's Delight', has pitchers forming!
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And non-cp but just too cute, I caught a pic of this handsome lil guy sitting in the house I put in my herb garden
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maybe to strong sun
 
If the plants were grown indoors / under lights they will have needed to be acclimated to full sunlight. I always give such warnings when sending plants. If the D. filiformis wasn't dormant most likely they were grown indoors.

They will probably recover but put back somewhat. Don't expect flowers this year.
 
I tell you what. I'm not an experienced grower by any means. But, I've been able to grow Sarracenia from seed with very high germination rate and very low mortality. I've had 100% success on rooting Nepenthes cuttings. I managed not to kill a H. heterodoxa x minor division when I put it in 75-85 degree temps with a miniscule temperature drop and inconsistent watering; in fact, the division set down roots and began growing vigorously (though, admittedly, sans nectar spoons). Pinguicula and Dionaea divide faster for me than any other plant, and seem to thrive in my conditions.

But Drosera... OMG, I've killed more D. capensis and D. spatulata than any other plant. I can't seem to keep them alive for more than six months; I rely on cuttings & seeds to keep their numbers up in my collection. I'm right there with you. Dews just hate me.

That being said, my limited experience does tell me that going from artificial light into full sun too quickly is pretty offensive for dews. I killed my very first CP (D. spatulata) by taking it out of the cheap plastic fish bowl terrarium I had and putting it in a bright window. Looked like I had run it through the microwave!
 
Jenn, I've been struggling with sundews these past 2 years as well. It happens to all of us. Sarracenias and VFT's are more forgiving. Mexican butterworts, if you try them, are also very forgiving.
 
Temperate Drosera will croak if the pots bake in the sun. South African and pygmy dews don't seem to mind at all. On the window sill I will shade the pots with a piece of paper or cardboard, especially on my western facing window. The afternoon sun can be quite brutal.

Where do you get your white pots?
 
The filiformis was grown outdoors in the same zone as I'm in but zone 8 up north and zone 8 in Texas doesn't necessarily mean exactly the same. I'm wondering if we aren't too windy and dry here but when I tried uppin the humidity on the capensis it seemed to go downhill faster. I'll see if I can't rig some partial shade or give it less time in the sun to see if that doesn't help some.

jimscott, I have a P. gracilis x moctezumae which I darn near killed but I do believe the teeny tiny little rosette that was left is starting to grow for me so I'm keepin my fingers crossed!

NaN, being in a small, rural town we only have one nursery and they're good folks. They gave me the white pots. I'll see if I can find out where they got them or if I can get them to order me some or something.
 
If your ping is outside, i would suggest that it be under something. When i put my plants outside for the growing season, I have the Sarracenias, VFT's and sundews fully exposed to the sun, after having them being put out during a spell of cloudy, rainy days. My pings go under the afore-mentioned.
 
Hi JennB

Sounds like being outside without acclimatising them may be your problem, particularly if they were indoors in zone 8 and are now outdoors in zone 8. The roots and foliage arent used to the effect of he wind removing moisture from the leaves and cannot keep pace with its removal, so they dry out, until such time as the roots/foliage/wind absorption rate come into balance. It copul be the sun also.. if you are lucky enough to have had some.

Cheers
steve
 
  • #10
These plants were grown from seed outside in a bog in full sun with temps reaching high 90s at times in summer to freezing temps in winter, flooded at times to barely moist conditions at times, basically neglected all their lives as they grow like weeds out there, and are 1 to 2 years old, never been inside and perfectly acclimated to outside conditions in my area. I also have some in small 3" pots on my deck in these same conditions that come back every year. I just cannot kill them outside. The only time I have killed a filiformis is when I have tried to grow them indoors.

Having said all that, what mine do not experience is hot dry winds and that may very well be what we are seeing judging by the picture. I do not think water is a factor at all. You received them while still in a dormant state, so acclimation is not the problem. The crowns look fine and I do see new growth at the bases, so all is not lost. The Florida Giant is a very resilient form of filiformis in my experience.

I agree that zone 8 here could be different than zone 8 in Texas, you do get dry winds and perhaps the sun is more intense where you are, but you do have them in a large enough pot in my opinion as far as soil overheating. With the shallow root system, you could try putting moss, pea gravel, or silica sand as a top dressing and protect them from dry winds and see how the new growth fares.
 
  • #11
As for the ping (and my utric) they're indoors as I figured our outdoor conditions would be too harsh for them. Now that they look like they're starting to grow a tiny bit I may try putting a small light on them to see if that gets em growing a little better.

I didn't want to drop DJ's name without asking but that's where the plants came from and they were just PERFECT when they got here! Lots of wind and maybe a little bit more intense sunlight, yes, that's pretty much what I was thinking too. I rigged up a shield around half of it so that it can get sun but not so much wind (sticks and foil, gotta love it :-))). I'll keep watching it closely!

The others you sent me are doing wonderfully so far!! Dana's Delight is quickly growing several pitchers and the vft is busy growing all kinds of new traps. The Yellow Trumpet is growing more slowly but steadily and the Scarlet Belle seems determined to put out a flower. I snipped one off when it arrived and already had to snip another one! lol
 
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