To interfere or not to interfere

[RamPuppy]

Ok... I have admittedly ignored Sundews far to long, and I am attempting to rectify this nepenthes addiction driven oversight.

So I have some D. Binata growing out on my patio, and they are happily gobbling up everything in site, flies, gnats, mosquitoes, you name it... it's it's around, it's toast.

So yesterday, we had some pretty short, but violent storms with lots of rain, and lots of wind. The rain eroded the dew, and they wind got the forks all tangled up and matted together.

Should I mess with it? or take take the 'no one cleans them up in nature approach.'

Also, I know that some dews will not regenerate their dew once it is eroded off, if that is the case with this mass of binata then i will be sad, it's a nice sized bundle of them. Do The Binata and Forked Sundew line have a propensity for regenerating?

When it comes to dews, I am almost a complete newb, so go easy on me!

 

[Pyro]

I say let them be, in my experience they straighten themselves out. And don't worry about them not regenerating their dew, they will

 

[lithopsman]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RamPuppy @ June 04 2003,8:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">But I am growing them outdoors! That is so cool, Texas has been most inhospitable, but I am finding the more I stick my neck out and grow these babies outside, the more I am rewarded...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Ouch, that really hurts! Texas has been most inhospitable!

What do you mean, it's been sunny and between 79*F and 100*F, so how is that inhospitable? Ohh, those storms down south, now I get it!

 

[RamPuppy]

well, actually, I am talking about the last few years in general, Texas has supplied me with enough sudden shifts in weather to shock the plants, either long dismal periods that produce a lot of 'soft' growth and then BAM a heat wave to char it to a cinder... I have lost more flytraps that way... going to be implementing a shade cloth section of my patio before that happens this year.

Texas heat is also to hot for VFT's in small pots, at least here, you have told me where you live before but my memory is terrible.. Austin right? Austin is a far cry different than San Antonio believe it or not... Totally different, your sheltered by the hillcountry, have a nice big lake nearby, and temps up there seem generally nicer in summer,.

We swelter, I have a huge 40 gallon pot with a passion vine in it that I already have to put 4 gallons of water into a day to keep the plant watered, I put 10 in this saturday, hoping to get the soil more charged with water, didn't make a difference come sunday, the plant sees it and sucks it up as fast as it loses it.

I suppose I have it better than many climates, worse than quite a few...

Over all, I have not had good luck the last few years... and this year, my garden out in the hill country is just... pathetic... don't know what happened, but everything but the corn seems stalled at about 8 weeks growth... nothing, and I mean NOTHING (except the corn) has made that 'spectacular' leap where all of a suddne they start acting like adult plants and growing like weeds... it's getting very annoying.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

I don't think Texas can be harsher than an Australian summer, lol. I am pleased that you are finding success with some Drosera outdoors, and I am willing to bet that you will have success with others as well. D. binata is one tough cookie, returning after a complete 19F freeze, and near total dryness.

It may be the tentacles won't recover their dew (older ones won't), but the plant itself is another matter, and it will quickly regrow new leaves!

The Sundews I grew in the bin outside last summer were underwater for days at a time, and they loved it! Incidently, I currently have a VFT that has been thriving underwater for the past 2 weeks.

 

[RamPuppy]

That is wild about the flytrap underwater Tamlin! Goes to show you that dunking to remove pests shouldn't hurt your plant! An easy way to end the life of the little buggers!

I am glad that your binata recovered, and I can tell you I am already witness to the spectacular growth abilities of Binata! I already have a new growth point coming up on one of the binatas, their rate of growth is astounding. In a few weeks I have gone from 2 growth points with about 10 moderate sized leaves, to 3 growth points with small to large leaves, numbering at least 40.

Anyone know how long it usualy takes for Marstons Dragon, Dichotoma, and Multifida root cuttings to form new growth points? I have had the cuttings in for about two weeks now, nothing yet, I know it may take a while, and I know that when it happesn.. boy howdy look out.

Oh, and tamlin, I had a binata in my terrarium a long time ago (one of the ones that is outside now) It was, I thought, killed off when that fungus ran rampant through my tank in a day flat, and I never saw it again, then, one day this winter, it just popped up and went for broke. Amazing. it was gone without a trace for at least a year.

 

[lithopsman]

RamPuppy, I am closer to Dallas, about two hours away, so unfortunately, no hillcountry or Sarracenia alata two hours away, but at least it stays mild. (except for the frequent tornadoes and 118*F summers, but that's a Texas thing to all you other folks out there, so you get used to it.