Battered Drosera regia

[Tanukimo]

To make a long story short, I was idiotically running around today with a Drosera regia in my backpack, and it tipped over multiple times and was pretty beat up. When I stopped I scooped what soil I could back into the pot and left it in my sealed backpack for five hours so it wouldn't dry out.

As soon as I got home, I took a close look at it and basically all of the leaves were severely damaged. The roots seem to be intact to me and they are still white, so I repotted it on the off chance that it could somehow survive.

This is what it looks like now:

It is lopsided in the pot because I found out that its roots are leaning towards one side and I didn't want to further stress it out by squishing its roots. Originally it was already growing a little crooked in the pot. Is there anything I can do to increase its chances of survival?

I learned a painful lesson today: never put time over plants (at least not in the way I did)! :-( And I can only imagine what plants go through when improperly packaged for shipping.

 

[ErrorEN]

When it comes to recovering dews I usually just raise the water level to just below the soil line. Granted that usually just works for me in the summer or when it's hot. Good luck.

 

[Dave S.]

I would take this opportunity to try some root cuttings as the plant is already stressed out a bit. You could carefully rinse the potting media from the leaves to help it out some more. Do you normally have it under lights? I think good light would help make it come back faster.

 

[mato]

I think it will be fine. Consider what a plant in the wild might look like after a heavy storm.

Just give it enough light and keep the conditions mild, and it will work itself out. It's a good idea to take Dave's advice and do some cuttings, too.

 

[bluemax]

I agree with what has been said and would add that raised humidity often helps plants that are damaged get their footing again.

 

[Tanukimo]

Thank you for the advice everyone! I have washed what dirt I could on the leaves and put a plastic bag with holes over the plant. I don't really have live LFS for the root cuttings and I'm also afraid of disturbing it more, so I didn't take any. If it survives, I'll take a few in a month when I repot it into a much larger pot.

I'll post in this thread whether it survives or not. I think a small developing leaf was undamaged, but I'll have to wait and see if it grows or not. I have my fingers crossed!

 

[bluemax]

Just for future reference - I take regia root cuttings, and from other Drosera species, and put them on top of previously dried lfs in a small, undrained plastic cup. I lightly and partially cover them with the sphagnum and keep the water level just over the top of them. When they have sprouted out and have several fully-developed leaves I clip the roots between them. Awhile later I begin to lower the water level to encourage rooting of the new plantlets.

 

[Tanukimo]

Just for future reference - I take regia root cuttings, and from other Drosera species, and put them on top of previously dried lfs in a small, undrained plastic cup. I lightly and partially cover them with the sphagnum and keep the water level just over the top of them. When they have sprouted out and have several fully-developed leaves I clip the roots between them. Awhile later I begin to lower the water level to encourage rooting of the new plantlets.

Thanks for the info! It sounds simpler than I thought it would be, and I definitely have dead LFS so I will try it when I get a chance.

 

[Dexenthes]

On a related note:

What kind of lighting do you guys use? Why can I not get this species to grow with any sort of vigor or strength? No matter what the plant just doesn't increase in leaf size or rate of growth.

 

[mass]

D. regia in my experience won't grow unless regularly fed.
The roots of this species grow rather deep, so taller pots are best.
I never found it to be particularly fussy, unless over fertilized. Seems to grow best under bright light. Since it is a sundew afterall..
Root cuttings are best for propagation. Just be sure to leave the largest root behind for the mother plant. As re-rooting a severed head can be more difficult with regia than most drosera.
I agree completely with Mark's root prop technique. Dead LFS works best for this method. I took root cuttings of my last plant the day it arrived, and one month later:

 

[Rob]

Is humidity a key component to starting Drosera root cuttings or just a high water level?

 

[mass]

Is humidity a key component to starting Drosera root cuttings or just a high water level?

yes to both..

 

[bluemax]

On a related note:

What kind of lighting do you guys use? Why can I not get this species to grow with any sort of vigor or strength? No matter what the plant just doesn't increase in leaf size or rate of growth.

I use 4 48" T5 florescents at about a foot above the plants for lighting. I've also had some luck growing them out of doors in one of my bog pots but the low-20's temps this winter have probably put an end to that. I don't know why they have often seemed delicate to me but I agree that feeding is important.