|
Post by sundewlex on Jan 25, 2009 14:19:55 GMT -5
Hi everyone! I’m new, and I want to start a sundew collection. But I don’t know what plants I should get, or where I should get them from. I’m a little worried about trying to start seeds, I tried once, with not much success, so this time I’m going to do a ton of research, and get everyone’s opinions, and do this right!
So I have two places in my house to grow these guys. One is on a shelf in front of a large East facing window. The other is on a table under a South facing sky light. I bought some containers to use as terrariums. So I’d like to show you pictures of the containers, and you guys can tell me if they will work, and what sundews you’d recommend for each place. I’m guessing most of the containers are too small to house more than one variety/species, but I’m hoping the two larger containers can, so I’ll need plants that can live together, with similar requirements, like dormancy or dry periods, etc. In general I like the pygmy Sundews, and some of the thread-leaf varieties, but I’m not sure which ones I won’t kill, or have space, and habitat requirements for.
I can get some larger containers, or taller containers if that will help. The larger containers will have to sit on the table under the sky light though. The shelf isn’t large enough for those ones.
Ok, here are the containers. (Don’t mind the cookies, that’s temporary.)
Canister: 58 cm circumference; 18 cm high; 14 cm mouth diameter Bowl: 74.5cm circumference; 11.5cm high; 22.5cm mouth diameter Jars: 13, 16.5 and 20 cm heights; 38cm circumference, 5.5cm mouth diameter Apothecary Jars: 37cm circumference; 7.5cm high, 10cm mouth diameter 31.5cm circumference; 11cm high; 10cm mouth diameter 33cm circumference; 12.3cm high; 10.5cm mouth diameter
I'm not sure how to add photos on here, but if you go to flickr.com, my user name is LexWells, and I have a set of photos called Sundews, which has photos of the containers.
Thanks in advance everyone
Lex
|
|
|
Post by tael on Jan 25, 2009 14:22:42 GMT -5
You could try capensis. I will have some young plants available in the spring if you're interested PM me. You won't need a container to keep them in, mine has adapted to 20% humidity in my room and is producing lots of dew. PM me if you're interested.
|
|
|
Post by doug on Jan 25, 2009 14:42:52 GMT -5
Hi welcome to the group. If you tell us where you live there might be someone close to you that could donate you a sundew or 2. Cant sendthem in the mail at this time of year, they would likely freeze.
Doug
|
|
|
Post by brian on Jan 25, 2009 15:04:52 GMT -5
I'm no expert but I would stick with tropicals at first to avoid dormancy requirements. I like the terrarium concept so they won't dry out when I'm not here. I'm stuck with a North facing window so Madubon suggested and was kind enough to give me d. adelae and d. prolifera, both doing great. Of course, you have to be willing to experiment.
|
|
|
Post by hal on Jan 25, 2009 15:55:45 GMT -5
Welcome ;D You'll likely need some supplemental light. Clamp lamps with high wattage CF bulbs might do the trick. Most people use T8 or High output T5 fluorescent fixtures. I'm just starting too and I am trying to germinate seeds from 2 varieties of capensis, admirabilis, capillaris, binata and rorimae. My ultimate goal is to set up some terrariums with varieties form certain geographic locations. South Africa, with capensis seemed the easiest place to start for a beginner. The containers should have holes in the bottom and the best way to keep the plants damp is to have them sit in a tray of distilled water. They aren't too fussy about humidity as long as the medium stays wet. Keehn's sells good plants but wait until the spring. I ordered a paradoxa and adelae in November and Canada Post froze them. PS. I just checked your jars. I'm not sure a completely sealed jar will work. The plants need some ventilation.
|
|
|
Post by brian on Jan 25, 2009 16:52:20 GMT -5
I put tiny silicon rubber self adhesive cupboard bumpers from Home Depot between the jar and lid to let in air. I hear if you leave the lid off entirely though, you still get high humidity and a month between waterings.
|
|
|
Post by tael on Jan 25, 2009 16:59:29 GMT -5
brian: It's true, I have a fishbowl with some live sphagnum growing in it. And the humidity in there is at least 80%.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Jan 25, 2009 18:30:30 GMT -5
Get seeds of D. diehlsiana, tokaiensis, sessifolia, capensis & spatulata. 1:1 sand to peat, stick the pots in a tray of water. Sun or bright light, 1/2" of distilled water in the tray, room temperatures. Stand back for a forest of dews.
|
|
|
Post by sundewlex on Jan 25, 2009 19:37:16 GMT -5
Wow, thanks for all the replies! I live just west of Toronto. I was planning on using exactly what Brian said, or leaving the lids off entirely. So what do you put for a bottom layer if there aren't drainage holes? Or do I try to make drainage holes in glasswear?
Any recommendations for sundews that stay small, and are newbie hardy?
Thanks again, this is great!
|
|
|
Post by tael on Jan 25, 2009 19:53:32 GMT -5
Sundews can grow in undrained containers, I have a couple of mine in undrained containers and they seem to be doing fine. I think the main thing is to keep the media damp, but don't over-water them too much all the time. It might be best to let it get to a point where it's just "moist" and then you can give it lots of water to allow air into the growing media. Also, if you have them in a container that keeps the humidity up, you won't need to water them often. With the humidity being so high, it should retain the moisture in the soil.
|
|
|
Post by hal on Jan 25, 2009 20:50:24 GMT -5
Don't try and make holes in the glass - you need a diamond drill. Just put a layer of stones or gravel in the bottom. D. capensis is easy and forgiving but it gets a bit messy, D, aliciae is easy and more compact.
|
|
|
Post by mabudon on Jan 25, 2009 21:07:47 GMT -5
Right- first off Welcome Aboard Now- "thread leaf sundews" (I would think any of the D.filiformis" types) are ALL temperate- keeping temperate (as in "they need some kind of dormancy") plants in super humid enclosures/containers/jars would probably be a REAL pain in the butt. I have D.filiformis ssp. filiformis in my outdoor bog and it truly appreciates being frozen underground for a few months each year. As others have said, go tropical for sundews- as Brian in particular said, try D.adelae and D.prolifera, they actually dig low light. Lots of other easy sundews and I would think a lot of terrestrial Utrics would perform okay in the same situation, but the first two are definitely the BEST choice for low-light CP-wise EDIT- you can't go wrong with D.capensis, it's a big, pretty plant that is pretty difficult to kill (I have one "volunteer" in a pot of U.livida that I routinely pluck out of the pot, roots and all- a month or so later another full-sized plant is in its place)
|
|
|
Post by brian on Jan 26, 2009 6:16:06 GMT -5
As for drainage, I put stones (granite or anything non sedimentary) in the bottom, add water just to below the top, then put the plants in decorative pots on top of the stones. Even though they don't touch the water the soil stays moist. Plus I don't have to look through the glass at icky subsoil stuff. You need wide mouth jars to lower in the jars. Also easier to lift out the pots for tending the plants.
|
|
|
Post by sundewlex on Jan 26, 2009 17:16:46 GMT -5
Wow, so much to try to remember to ask about... So granite gravel in my small containers, how deep before the growth media (like, half the depth, 2/3..)? I have a garden I can move stuff to for the summer, and a garage a can store stuff in, in the winter (though it does freeze in there). So I'm not sure what that means for me to try my hand at temperate eventually. I can probably set up a *small* bog area in my garden, and leave it all year, but I get part sun to part shade in most of my garden. (I should really get myself one of those sun meters from Lee Valley, and a max/min thermometer...)
I think I can do what Brian is suggesting in my bowl. So can I put several pots in the one bowl, or will they need more surface area room than that?
Ok, here are all the questions I've thought of today: Are the red or albas harder to grow than the typical capensis variety? Carnivorous plant nursery carries dwarf sphagnum moss, they say: “companion moss to CPs. This is a small, more compact growing sphagnum moss, that does not overgrow CPs.” Any opinions? Anybody tried it? Any Canadian source? Some people suggest using more sand in the potting mix for droseras so they don’t get over grown with moss as quickly. Any thoughts on that? (I still have to find / create my potting mix) Is there a way to find out which sundews are tropical vs temperate? Or do you just figure where it grows naturally, then figure out if the location means temperate or tropical? I have a list of sundews that I like the look of, but can't find enough information on to know if I should try to grow them. Any pygmies that you’d suggest? (can you tell I really like the idea / look of pygmies?) So if I plan on putting a few grow lights on the East facing window shelf, and make this my brighter area, what should I put on the shelf in what jars? Can I put a red / alba capensis in the bowl with adelae, and prolifera? In their own separate pots... Weird question here, are cp's like salt water invertebrates, does copper kill them? I'm trying to figure out what type of attractive signage I can use to label all these when I get them.
Ok, that's it for now. You guys are a huge help. I think I'm going to start looking for sources of D. adelae and D. prolifera now...
Thanks! Lex
|
|
|
Post by mabudon on Jan 26, 2009 17:24:31 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure copper is BAD for CPs, I know aluminum is very harmful to them.
The list of temperate species of sundews is pretty short, and yes, where they grow will help a LOT in figuring out whether they need cold dormancy or not
Oh and D.capensis are all pretty much the same plant with only visible differences, the actual "types" are all pretty much identical to one another as far as cultivation
That's a LOT of questions, WOW
|
|