This doesn't sound right for these plants. They should be growing
much larger. D.filiformis grows from seed in the spring and by the
fall about half of mine are flowering. While they don't get as large
as the full grown plants they all have leaves over 4 inches. What cond-
itions are these plants in? If they are growing with the same light
strength as the D.capensis this will account for their slow growth.
D.filiformis, D.intermedia and D.rotundifolia all should get more
light than D.capensis. D.filiformis should get full sun all day and
D.rotundifolia could use over-head shading from noon time sun.
> Would all of the plants grow much quicker like D.capensis if they were
> brought into gentle heat for the winter? Other lager plants of D.aliceae
> and D.binata died down but grew again. I am reluctant to try many others
> as many seem to require at least a cool house but if anyone has any
> suggestions I would be willing to try them particularly from seed.
No. I think warming hardy Drosera(s) in the winter may leave you with
rotted Drosera. D.capensis isn't really 'hardy' and it might get
light frost at worst where it occurs in the wild. These Drosera don't
really see a winter as much as they get a dry season. So they are
adapt at storing food in their fleshy roots for when the rains return.
I guess this helps them to survive our N.American winters as their
growing tips get killed by freezing temps.
With luck, some do survive freezing winters though. I wonder what sort
of storage organ their roots would develop into if a population of them
could be established in the temperate N. hemisphere. A carrot size root?
Dave Evans