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Saddest D. aliciae ever...help!

I've had this D. aliciae for about 18 months, and it has died and reincarnated several times. It's been in 50/50 peat perlite the whole time, morning sun, on the tray system. I recently moved it into a covered seed tray with some seeds I started, thinking the humidity and light I have on top might help it. I included some pics of this pathetic plant. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/Sd-Qk16k_dI/AAAAAAAABJg/ZJRCeXGPyYA/s400/DSC02570.JPG" />
<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_n1f-Ms7lEw8/Sd-QlkYrLYI/AAAAAAAABJo/Qg4adOSqRbE/s400/DSC02571.JPG" />
 
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well, it's been growing on a windowsill alongside other plants that are doing fine - now it's just under a daylight cfl, so if light was the problem, it should perk back up. I was thinking about taking some leaves to try to start anew, and see if that might help.
 
I would remove the dead material and give it new media, preferably LFS. And I would water from overhead.
 
Did it do this after you put it under the seed tray lights? If so, then it could have died back from an increase in light. Now it's coming back as it adjusts.

-Ben
 
Wow, that is strange.
I put D. aliciae right up there with D. capensis, even invading other pots. But I like this sundew better the D. capensis, so that's ok.

Mine grows on a south facing windowsill and thrives.
Sometime dews start looking bad or stall, and a re-potting springs them back to life usually. Have you tried that?

Here are a few pics of mine. Show it to yours and give it a goal to strive for. LOL
Daliciae1.jpg


Daliciae2.jpg


Daliciae3.jpg
 
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Also wanted to mention.
Make sure your soil is not the kind that Miracle Grow contaminated with fertilizer. You know the one that says Miracle Grow on the front of the bag. Fertilizer burns CP's roots.
Also make sure you are watering with rain water, reverse osmosis or distilled. Build up of minerals from tap water over time will kill a plant also.
 
I certainly am not using that &@^$# miracle gro stuff. I'm upset because Lowe's and Home Depot nearby have stopped carrying any perlite except hte MG stuff. It's been looking pathetic for a long time, growing right next to my D. capensis (??) and D. binata which grow like weeds. It's in 50/50 peat perlite, so maybe I'll try replanting in LFS and see what happens.

Thanks for all the help.
 
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Actually, D. aliciae is one of the few sundews (besides D. capensis) which grows well for me in perlite. Everything else seems to get root rot...
 
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  • #10
I was just looking at the pics you posted again.

Are you sure you are not watering it too much?
I've had D. capensis that where kept too wet, not grow well.

The bottom dead leaves of the plant look like they might have fungus on them from being too wet.
 
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  • #11
Thanks for all the help. I'll try repotting and removing dead material. when I repot, should I put soil line at the old soil line, or all the way up to the living leaves?
 
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