RE: NOVEL WAY TO FEED DRO

Michael Livingston (mikel@pcnet1.pcnet.com)
Tue, 28 Feb 95 08:12:58 PST

>> Like I mentioned I only have two Drosera which
>> for the time being are quite small. However, the D. spathulata
had
>> suddenly taken ill. It looked wonderful up to a few days ago,
>> practically dripping dew. Then one morning I came in and all
the
>> dew was gone and the filaments on the leaves are kind of curled
>> down. I have been keeping loosely placed plastic bags over the
>> pots to help keep the humidity up, so I wonder if it has been
>> starving for CO2. Incidentally, the D. capensis which has been
>> kept similarly is doing great.
>
>This sort of collapse in any plant implies that it isn't
>taking up water, which usually implies that the roots have rotted
or
>been eaten by something. I'm assuming that the plant wan't fried
>under its plastic bag, given that the other plant is OK.
>Drosera shouldn't need plastic bags, unless in a very low humidity
>environment.

I ended up removing the hurting plant from it's soil and voila, you
are right, the roots have rotted. What I don't know is how to save
the plant now. It has one rather sad looking root and two fibrous
growths (growing down into the soil) that look healthy. Can anyone
suggest what I should change? I had it planted in a mixture of
peat and sand with the pot standing in a dish of distilled water.
I also have moved the plants into a small terrarium. I did pick up
Lecoufle's _Carnivorous Plants_ (cool book) and got the impression
that standing the pot in water would be too much (it now is not
standing in water). I readily admit to being a total newbie at
growing plants of any kind so any suggestions would be greatly
appreciated.

Michael Livingston
NetCraft Software Development, Inc.