Drosera Nitidula ssp. Omissa X Occidentalis Help

[bergjoel93]

Hey there, I'm a new Drosera Enthusiast, and I have a small completely enclosed terrarium and i'm trying to take care of a D. Nitidula ssp. Omissa X Occidentalis but it doesnt seem to be doing well. Although it has bloomed new leaves it has not formed dew yet. It also looks a little dry. I planted it in my terrarium a few weeks ago and it is with a D. Adalae, which is doing beautifully. The container its in is a large jar, and it is in a room 65 degrees next to a window that gets sunlight all day. Should my terrarium be further or closer to a window? What is the best way to cultivate D. Nitidula? I also have a capensis that only dews occasionally. It seems to dew most when it gets indirect sunlight. I am new at this and am anxious to learn drosera cultivation.
Thanks!

 

[Iwest]

Well, if it is in fact a completely enclosed terrarium, there's your first problem. Pygmy droseras just don't do well in high humidity, and I presume a fully enclosed terrarium would mean high, or fairly high humidity. Being native to Western Australia, they experience a somewhat Mediterranean climate. That means lots of light, and pretty dry in the summer, but cooler in the winter with more water. They tend to grow in the cooler and more rainy winter months, but go dormant during the hot, arid summer months. The dormancy can be avoided if you just keep the soil moist at all times, but nonetheless low humidity and high lighting are a must. Growing them on a sunny windowsill, outside, or in an open terrarium are probably the easiest and most effective ways of growing these plants, provided you keep the soil moist but not soaking. Your soil may be another problem. They thrive in sandy soil, I like to use a 50:50 peat:sand mixture. Capensis are pretty low tolerance, the lack of dew may be due to over-lighting, dehydration, or it may just be adjusting to new conditions if it was recently moved or repotted. They also grow in a Mediterranean climate, but are pretty tolerant of almost anything. They do well in both open and closed terrariums, windowsills, and outside. Make sure they receive good lighting but aren't too close to the lights if you keep them in a terrarium, or otherwise windowsills/ outside should suit them well, at least in the spring and summer months.

 

[jimscott]

I would have them om a grow rack from fall to spring and when there's no more frost, they could be outside. These guys are outside and the pictures taken an hour ago:

They should also be in deep pots.

 

[bergjoel93]

Wow this helps me a lot. Thank you, I live in Salt Lake City Utah and the climate is pretty dry here. I think my next step will be to repot my Nitidula in possibly a fishbowl type terrarium or a small pot with a glass cylinder to keep in humidity all the while sprying them down with distilled water. When I bought them they were potted in a regular plastic pot that was sitting in a small tub filled with water. IS this effective in keeping the soil moist? How will I know if my nitidula is drying out because of not enough humidity. We keep the ac on high all the time in my dorm. Thanks

 

[Iwest]

I probably could have been clearer on the humidity bit, so my bad. The soil should be moist, but the air should not be humid. In other words, water them fairly frequently but don't keep them in an enclosed terrarium designed to hold in humidity. A couple super easy ways to make sure the soil stays fairly moist and the plant doesn't dry out would be to either touch the soil occasionally and see if you can feel any moisture or check on the plant. See if it's producing dew and the leaves look healthy and not shrivelled. Sitting them in water might work, I've never tried it. I know that some other growers do sit their pots of pygmies in shallow water, but I'd be careful not to completely waterlog them.