When to replant seedlings?

[Not a Number]

For my birthday a I got a D. aliciae and a D. capillaris x rotundifolia "Pasco Giant" hybrid. The "Pasco Giant" is an "evergrow" hybrid that doesn't require dormancy. I've placed these in an old 5 gallon fish tank with 30 watts of fluorescent lighting over them. They appear to be thriving now, especially the D. aliciae since I moved that from about 6" below the lights to 3". The aliciae is actually a smal clump of 4 or 5 plants.

Both plants are from California Carnivores, 4 inch pots.

There's a lot of other stuff growing in the pots too, some fine moss of some sort and assorted other unidentified plants.

So Sunday evening I'm looking closely at the "Pasco Giant" and I notice that the tiny green shoots that are scattered all over the pot have changed shape and are now kind of star-shaped. Little tiny stars maybe 1/16 of an inch across at the most. Then I notice stalks and drops of dew on one of the bigger ones.

Yep, Drosera seedlings. Maybe two dozen or so of 'em. Species unknown but rotundifolia looking. Either the "Pasco Giant" had gone to seed earlier or an nearby plant.

Obviously I don't want any of these plants overcrowding. How big should they be before I start to transplant/repot the seedlings?

 

[mabudon]

if you're real worried, get 'em while they're small, just take a spoon and take a divot of media with as many of the little guys as you can, fill in the hole and then carefully tease the divot apart and replant the seedlings- I've done this when they've only got maybe 3-5 true leaves on them and it works okay as long as you're kind of careful

 

[FarmerDave]

I agree!

Just try to not break the roots.

 

[Not a Number]

I should probably move them to pots - 1 or 2 plant per pot - rather than a seed tray to save myself having to transplant them again later.

So I need to get couple dozen pots or so as well as enough sand/perlite/peat to plant them in.

 

[FarmerDave]

With smaller seedlings I would use sand instead of perlite because it seems to kind of create a pretty rough terrain for them to grow in.

 

[seedjar]

D. rotundifolia is a plant that tends to grow in big clumps, and if I'm not mistaken, D. capillaris is, too. I don't think you really need to worry much about overcrowding. But if you still wish to replant, the others are correct: sooner is better than later.
~Joe

 

[Not a Number]

Well I'm beginning to see why they call this plant "Pasco Giant"! Many of the new leaves are easily twice the length of the leaves that were on it when I got it. The rosette was about 1" across originally.

It's putting out new leaves like crazy.

Many of the seedlings are close to the side of the pot.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

If its growing leaves like you describe, I would be suspicious of etiolation from too little light. Possibly light much dimmer than it is used to.

 

[Not a Number]

The round portion of the leaves with the tentacles are twice as large too.

The tentacles and glands have a nice red hue and it's producing huge gobs of dew.

I raised it closer to the lights to see what happens.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

If it has reddish pigmentation, and it hasn't gotten much greener, then you're probably pretty much alright on the light intensity.

 

[Not a Number]

Some photos of the little buggers. Silver object is a common straight pin.

and a couple shots of the D. capillaris x rotundifolia

 

[Capslock]

One good thing about California Carnivores is that you usually get more than just he plant you buy since he apparently has seed blowing around that place.

I've had D. rotundifolia, D. capensis of all sorts, D. nidiformis, D. dichotoma, unidentified little rosetted sundews, and assorted pygmies popping up in pots I've bought from Mr. D'amato.

Capslock

 

[flytraplady5]

And once in awhile , you will find a little succelent,(Kalanchoe sp.) know as mother of thousands. growing in the pot also. we jest can't keep these things contained.
Lois

 

[Not a Number]

Yes, a pleasant surprise. I suppose I can always trade some of them, if I can identify the species. I just need to find a source that sells greenhouse pots in small quantities to repot them.