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Need some advice

I purchased a (Edit: D. scorpioides) from CC a couple months ago. At first I had it sitting by by my tank so it would benifit from the light while staying cool. the first few traps did fine, then it started to grow more slowly, while any new traps turn brown and die without opening. I thought humidity might be the problem so I put it in my tank. The growth sped up but it still would produce brown traps. I can't seem to find an environment it likes. I think my tank may get to hot for it, it averages 80 during the day and 66 at night the humidity stays between 78%, and 95%. My outside humidity is generaly above 50% all year around, but summers reach 100*. Its still in the soil it was sent to me in, and since it's from CC I tend to trust the soil mix. Any suggestions, ideas, and crude remarks are welcome.
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I think that the combination of heat, humidity, and possibly insufficient light are likely to account for the plant not prospering. Pygmy species in general prefer outdoor conditions, and those on the cool side. I have not found humid conditions to be needed, or even optimal. As for light, these plants are Australian winter growers, and want much of it. They are also very much daylength oriented, requiring a natural photoperiod for their cyclic seasonal growth patterns.
I grow these plants outside whenever the temps are above 40F, and indoors very close to the light tubes in the frozen months, under a natural daylength setting.
 
Thanks, Tamlin it's great to read your posts again you've been missed. Any thoughts on what the high temp. end of the spectrum is?
 
Really? Just over 40? Well..... Out they go, then! Will it shock them to get moved from about 85 to about 50 without any "hardenning off?"
 
Right now myphotoperiod is at 16hr. so I'm guessing thats my problem. Time for a new light. I think with my being in Houston I won't be able to put it outside as I figure it will try to go dormant.
 
From what I have gleaned from others, they have very long tap roots and enjoy being in sand. I think, but am not positive, they slow down or go dormant in summer.
 
Thanks for the welcome Godsgarden. I have been sort of down with a sore hip leaving me with nothing much to do, and it is nice to be back.

As far as your culture goes, it is probably a matter of too many things not close to ideal. You mentioned getting a new light which is always in order: lights age within 8-9 months, and their output decreases over time. As far as the high end temp. for these species, they are geared to survive Aussiehell where you can just about cook a platypus steak on the laterite, but as noted may likely revert to a dormant state to survive. I believe their cyclic growth patterns depend on a combination of daylength and temperature. Here, they like it outdoors in the unfrozen months, but I can't say how they would do in hotter, drier and sunnier climes.



Schloaty,
The problem with putting them out directly wont be the cold. 50F's are about ideal, although they can survive much lower than that, they will not prosper. The real issue will be the dramatic increase in light, leading to sunburn and unhappy plants. I use white plastic garbage cans to creatively screen them for a couple of weeks while they beef up their protective coloration. I lay a terrarium on its side, put the plastic on top, and leave the opening uncovered so there is good air circulation. I tray wa ter until flowering begins to drop off some, and gradually reduce the wetness over the summer. Too much wet is the death of many of the more rare species (partly accounting for their rarity).
 
Firstly, these plants need lots of light. I grow mine in full sun through the winter and under 50% shadecloth in Summer.

Temps ranges from 0 deg C- 20 deg C (sorry guys I have no idea how to convert to F) in Winter and 15 deg C- 45 deg C in Summer.

Daylengths are 10 hrs full sun in Winter and 15 hours full sun in Summer, which is typical of a pygmy Droseras natural daylength here in Australia.

They sit in an inch of water constantly.

I find this one of the easier species to grow. For me, the plant does not go dormant and looks the same throughout the year. Many other species growing with it do go dormant such as D. echinoblastus, eneabba, citrina and others. My scorpioides plants do not miss a beat.

Humidity is low in the greenhouse in Summer. I do not wet the floor which is basically dirt. I don't believe that a high humidity is necessary to grow these plants well. In fact I think they enjoy a lower humidity.

I have seen this species growing in a range of habitats in WA. The oldest plants I saw with the longest 'stems' were found in laterite soil on top of a granite mountain directly adjacent to the ocean. The plants were up to 6 inches tall with multiple growth points. The soil here was rock hard, bone dry and this was only the end of Spring! Temps during the middle of Summer would be extreme and the ground temps would easily get over 50 deg C (well over 120 F(i think))- enough to burn the soles off your feet!

I've also seen plants growing in almost pure sand in very open areas (full sun all day) where the soils are quite damp in Winter but dry and dusty in Summer. Once again, the ground is intensely hot in Summer.

These are tough little plants that like plenty of light, lowish humidity, a seasonal change in daylength and seasonal temperature fluctuations. If you can get all these conditions right they grow incredibly well.

Sean.
 
I have only grown mine for a year. I have them in a 6" and an 8" pot with a 1:1 peat:perlite soil mix. During last summer they stayed on the east side of my house and got full sun from around 8:OOam to 1:30pm. From then till sunset they were shaded by the house. Keep in mind that I live at more than 7900 feet altitude so the light is a little more intense than down at sea level. I don't use trays during the summer, but water them about every other day until the water runs out the bottom of the pot. Mine have survived temps down to 32°F (not intentionally) on two occasions. The warmest it got here last summer was the low 90s and they seemed to like it. I didn't but they did
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BCK
 
  • #10
Lol. You should try the 110 degrees and 80% humidity of houston Mo. Lol. my N.rafesiana will be happy this summer!
 
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