Re: Novice, help needed

Ninja Squirrel Master (Robert.Allen@Eng.Sun.COM)
Mon, 20 Apr 92 15:19:14 PDT

>>An easy way to tell if your
>>droseras are doing well is by the amount of 'dew' on their leaves.

That's my primary metric.

>>this plant is from australia as mine has gone dormant in the summer.
>>Is this correct anyone?

This plant is from Southern Africa (i.e. The Cape Sundew).
>>
>>>* Drosera spp: 2-3 cm long, 1 cm wide leaves in a thight rosette
>>> close to the soil.
>>
>>At a guess, grow it like the D. capensis. Anything funky about this
>>one that would help in an ID?

Does it have big fat roots (spaghetti thickness), or threadlike roots?
Do you know if it goes dormant? During the growing season most sundews,
perhaps not including tuberous and pygmies, seem to be able to take a LOT
of water. I've got a few in my outdoor bog garden with Sarrs., and the
only thing I did for them was putting them on little elevated hummocks
which put them an inch or so above the level of the sarrs.
>>
>>> Pinguicula moranensis: Flowering large purple flowers.
>>
>>This is a nice Mexican Butterwort. If I remember correctly,it likes
>>air around its roots and high humidity. It will grow under low light
>>conditions. Mine always rotted though, so you might want to take
>>someone else's opinion on this one. :)

Others have said that most butterworts rot in terrariums. I have mine
outside and it seems to be doing fine.
>>
>>I'm also growing mine outside with conditions similar to Robs. These
>>tend to like lots of light (6 hours direct sun is good) and moisture
>>(mine have water right up to the top of the soil). Also, none of
>>these are tropical. Most are from southern North Amerca with one
>>species extending up into Canada. They will require a cold dormancy
>>of a few months every year.

Note that I don't think you need water to anywheres near the soil level,
although during a growing season it doesn't hurt to keep all the soil
wet/moist. I keep a top dressing of live spahgnum on top of the peat
sand as it keeps the soil from drying out quickly, as well as keeping
it from splashing around from top watering. When these plants are
really happy they will get good colour, and they will product very
noticeable droplets of nectar around the traps. It can be so thick
you'd mistake it for condensation.

r.