My sundew is croaking.

[Fygee]

My sundew adeale (or however you spell it) had a bit of a rough time after I transplanted it from its super tiny pot to my terrarium. A few leaves died, but after a few days it seemed to perk up a bit, and was producing 4 new visible leaves in the center. Everything was looking peachy.

However, yesterday, all that center growth is now brown and dead, and I haven't the foggiest idea why. Its got light, its got humidty, its watered, and its got ample dirt space. The other plants inside it (a Green dragon VFT, and a Judith Finn Neph) are doing just peachy as well, so its all the more confusing.

The leaves in the middle are still alive as is the stem. Is there any way I can still save it?

 

[homer]

What kind of substrate are you using, and how much water?

-Homer

 

[Bugweed]

Best advice I have is to leave it alone. The plant may have shocked from the transplanting. It may recover, it might not, but if you touch it any further, it will die for certain. Since the stress caused die back, leave the plant to mend on its own. A touch of Superthrive (2 drops to 1 gallon H2O) will help alleviate the shock somewhat, and feed the root to help nurse it back to health. DO NOT move it or touch it any further. It has to have time to recover.

 

[Jason Wong]

minerals?

 

[Jason Wong]

If its minerals then it won't recover. Try checking the minerals content with a TDS meter or just avoiding the mix if it looks dodgy...

 

[Fygee]

At the risk of looking stupid, I've no idea what a substrate is. :\

As for water, I'm using distilled and enough to keep the soil wet, but not so much as its soaked all the time.

I thought about it being shock, but it was transplanted about two weeks ago and the new growth had started coming only four days ago. I figured that would be a sign that it had gotten over the shock it incurred (it definetely had some as most the leaves curled up and stopped producing dew of any kind. I'm not familiar enough with plants to know if shock lasts that long, but if that's the case then I'll be sure not to touch it.

I don't have a TDS meter so I can't check for mineral content. The soil I used is the stuff that comes from this site, but it was originally planted in a sphagum moss mixture that's common in the kind of plants you find at Home Depot and Lowe's (the company that produced it is called Gubler's).

 

[firewired]

Substrate means what it's planted in.

It seems like sundews are pretty tough. Sometimes they die down completely, and then start from scratch. Good luck.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

You have done what you can, and I agree, now the best course is to just let it be. If the center growth is good, the plant will probably revover when it builds up some energy. If it does die back, this species is notorious for returning from the roots. Good luck with your plant!

 

[Fygee]

The center growth appears to be getting progressively worse, and things are looking pretty grim. If it has the potential to pull a Lazarus and come back from the roots completely though, then I'll just let it be.

Is there a rough time frame from when you can tell if the plant is completely dead after the growth croaks? I don't if the roots end up dying as well, I'll have no way of knowing without digging around, and I don't want to risk killing them in case they're not. On the same token, I also don't want to have rotting plant roots in there if its truely gone towards the light.

 

[Clint]

adelae's just do that sometimes. when mine did that, i tore apart three large plants, used every leaf that has some green still on it for cutting, i used the roots for cuttings, then i cut off the crows and used the stem for a cutting. now i have hundreds of buds.

ime, roots produce plants faster than leaves

 

[Finch]

do they come back?

 

[PlantAKiss]

D. adelae comes back fairly easily from the roots. If your plant dies, continue treating it the same as if it were still alive, keeping it wet. Give it some time and in a few weeks you should see some new growth coming up. People throw out dead plants too quickly and don't realize many regenerate from the roots.

Good luck!

 

[jimscott]

I can vouch for that! Even though I thought I was being patient with it, I tossed it. I can kick myself for that!

 

[Fygee]

Alrighty, I'll the advice in mind guys.

Looks like its going to die all the way to the soil. :\

Should I chop off the bits that I know are 100% dead, or leave it be?

 

[Kirkscoastalcarnivores]

Hope it survives