- Sat Dec 31, 2016 6:07 pm
#282787
Basic Care of African Sub-Tropical Sundews
This guide applies to common beginner level species of Sundews which are commonly from South Africa and nearby countries. This group includes Drosera capensis, D. aliciae, D. madagascariensis, D. spatulata, D. natalensis, D. dielsiana, D. venusta, and others. It does NOT include Sub-Tropical Winter Growing Sundews, South American Sub-Tropical Sundews, and Australian Sundews that grow in Sub-Tropical latitudes.
Growing media: I use a mix of 1 part Sand (or Perlite) to 1 part Sphagnum Peat Moss.
I use Swimming Pool Filter Sand. I use Sphagnum Peat Moss that DOES NOT have any fertilizer or extra additives thrown in. Fertilizers will Kill CP.
Water: Use only Rainwater or Distilled Water.
City tap water and many bottled drinking waters almost always have a high level of TDS. (Total Dissolved Solids) These will slowly build up in the soil and kill your plant. Put a plastic tray under the pot your plant is in. Keep 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of water in the pot.
Light: They should get as much light as you can give them.
Grow them outside if you can or in the sunniest window you have access to.
Sub-Tropical Sundews thrive under full direct sunlight. They will survive in less light but won't develop their full colors. Under inadequate artificial light, indoors, the leaves and tentacles won't even develop properly. Artificial light such as T-8 or T-5 fluorescents should be within 6 inches of the plant. I use MarsHydro 300W LED lights and they are within 12 - 18 inches of the plants. One Mars Hydro 300W illuminates a 24 x 24 inch area at an adequate level of light to color up CPs nicely. But these lights are about $70 each. I'm an old fart and I can afford to buy a few nice things for my plants.
Temperature: These Sundews grow year round (no dormancy needed ) under normal household temperatures.
They can survive down to 32 degrees for brief periods. They can survive past 90 degrees in Summer.
Pot: I use plastic pots, 3 or 4 inches wide and as tall as I can find.
Many Sub-Tropical Sundews have long roots. They grow nicely in those 20 ounce Red Solo drinking cups, just poke a few small holes in the bottom.
Planting Seeds: Sprinkle the seeds on top of your growing mix. Do not bury them.
I usually put the whole pot in a large, clear, one gallon sized Ziploc bag. Put the pot in a bright (but not direct sun) warm (70 - 80 degree) spot. Your seeds should germinate in 4 - 6 weeks. I open the bag for an hour a day, gradually increasing the time. This acclimates the baby plants to your real world conditions. Put them in the best light you can find and in a year or so, they should be mature, flowering, and producing seeds of their own.
Feeding and fertilizing: Short answer, DON'T.
Move them outside in Spring, Summer, and Fall. They will catch their own food and plenty of it.
This is just a quick overview to get you started. I highly recommend Peter D'Amato's book, "The Savage Garden". This is an excellent book and goes into much more detail than I can cover in a quick post.
Hope I didn't put you to sleep.
Good growing,
Mike
This guide applies to common beginner level species of Sundews which are commonly from South Africa and nearby countries. This group includes Drosera capensis, D. aliciae, D. madagascariensis, D. spatulata, D. natalensis, D. dielsiana, D. venusta, and others. It does NOT include Sub-Tropical Winter Growing Sundews, South American Sub-Tropical Sundews, and Australian Sundews that grow in Sub-Tropical latitudes.
Growing media: I use a mix of 1 part Sand (or Perlite) to 1 part Sphagnum Peat Moss.
I use Swimming Pool Filter Sand. I use Sphagnum Peat Moss that DOES NOT have any fertilizer or extra additives thrown in. Fertilizers will Kill CP.
Water: Use only Rainwater or Distilled Water.
City tap water and many bottled drinking waters almost always have a high level of TDS. (Total Dissolved Solids) These will slowly build up in the soil and kill your plant. Put a plastic tray under the pot your plant is in. Keep 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of water in the pot.
Light: They should get as much light as you can give them.
Grow them outside if you can or in the sunniest window you have access to.
Sub-Tropical Sundews thrive under full direct sunlight. They will survive in less light but won't develop their full colors. Under inadequate artificial light, indoors, the leaves and tentacles won't even develop properly. Artificial light such as T-8 or T-5 fluorescents should be within 6 inches of the plant. I use MarsHydro 300W LED lights and they are within 12 - 18 inches of the plants. One Mars Hydro 300W illuminates a 24 x 24 inch area at an adequate level of light to color up CPs nicely. But these lights are about $70 each. I'm an old fart and I can afford to buy a few nice things for my plants.
Temperature: These Sundews grow year round (no dormancy needed ) under normal household temperatures.
They can survive down to 32 degrees for brief periods. They can survive past 90 degrees in Summer.
Pot: I use plastic pots, 3 or 4 inches wide and as tall as I can find.
Many Sub-Tropical Sundews have long roots. They grow nicely in those 20 ounce Red Solo drinking cups, just poke a few small holes in the bottom.
Planting Seeds: Sprinkle the seeds on top of your growing mix. Do not bury them.
I usually put the whole pot in a large, clear, one gallon sized Ziploc bag. Put the pot in a bright (but not direct sun) warm (70 - 80 degree) spot. Your seeds should germinate in 4 - 6 weeks. I open the bag for an hour a day, gradually increasing the time. This acclimates the baby plants to your real world conditions. Put them in the best light you can find and in a year or so, they should be mature, flowering, and producing seeds of their own.
Feeding and fertilizing: Short answer, DON'T.
Move them outside in Spring, Summer, and Fall. They will catch their own food and plenty of it.
This is just a quick overview to get you started. I highly recommend Peter D'Amato's book, "The Savage Garden". This is an excellent book and goes into much more detail than I can cover in a quick post.
Hope I didn't put you to sleep.
Good growing,
Mike