Drosera and Rainstorms

[Mossy Girl]

I keep my plants outside. This works great for my Sars and VFT, but I've been having issues with my Drosera spatulata (only drosera I have ATM; I want to get more if I can resolve this issue). The two plants tends to get beaten down whenever it rains. Almost all the dew was washed away from one of my plants when terrible storm came through while I was at work. The leaves are often plastered to the ground. We've had a very wet summer, and when storms hit in close succession night after night, my plants start to look pretty bad. When I'm home and I see the skies darken, I can move them to a covered porch. I'd leave them there but that porch only gets 2-3 hours of morning sun.

It isn't feasible to move my plants inside. My house is filled with aquariums and angry family members who don't want more "things" (they can't use the term animals anymore since I've started with plants) in the house. Not to mention I don't have the funds to get good grow lights. Anything I get has to be outside-hardy.

What do you guys do to protect your Drosera from strong rainstorms? I move them when I can, but I can't always be at my house for the worst storms. What can I do when I'm not there? Or are they just fine and I'm over-reacting?

 

[Jcal]

Try to place them between a few sarr. The Sarrs will offer them some protection from the weather. Just make sure they still get some light.

 

[lil hokie]

Hm I do not really have spatulata (I did but it died, it was a gift from my boyfriend for Christmas. It looked dead when I got it but it had a flower so there are a few tiny seedlings.) but I have lots and lots of filiformis seedlings and two adult plants. The rain washes away the dew and some limbs end up plastered to the ground but the plants look fine. I have intermedia as well and it does not care at all.

However I do have them in pots with sarrs or next to pots will sarrs. That might help a bit. It has rained here every day or night over the last two weeks or so. In fact it is raining and thundering right now and has been for the last four hours?

 

[richjam1986]

The plants won't look as pretty, but they should be fine. After all, they deal with rain in the wild. It's more important that they keep getting enough sun than trying to keep their dew from washing way, as annoying as that may be. Having the dew washed away and getting slightly disheveled won't kill them. And then, when you get a good streak of storm free weather they should look nice again in no time!

 

[jimscott]

I have a plant rack. Things like Sarracenias are on the top tier. What I put below are plants that I want to acclimate to being outside, as well as those I want to shield from being drenched.

 

[Plant Planter]

We've been having some heavy rain these past few weeks, but for some odd reason my Drosera x tokaiensis always seems to have some mucus on it.

 

[Mossy Girl]

Putting the Drosera next to the sars is something I certainly hadn't thought about. I do have some tall S. flava that I'm pretty sure could shelter the D. spatulata pretty well. I will move them tomorrow morning.

I also love your idea, Jim. And thanks for the visual. I want to find some of those wire tables and placing my Drosera on the bottom would be another great plan especially as temporary housing if I know a drencher of a storm is coming.

And funny thing... it was raining when I first wrote that post, but we've had clear skies all today!

 

[Oregoncp]

You could also look into one of those 4 tier mini greenhouse deals. You can find them for like $20. They are cheap china imports, but if you make sure to tie them down, they work pretty well.

I got mine from a local discount grocery store this year. But I see them in all kinds of stores.

Here is a example

 

[Mossy Girl]

That greenhouse looks like another good option. I think I've seen them at Lowes for about that same price. Grocery stores around here don't carry plants or garden-related stuff at all.

So... massive storm just popped up and blew through. The Drosera do seem a little worse for the wear but better than when they were on their own. I think I've found a good system keeping them by the tall Sars. Thanks, everyone!!