Dying sundew

[chloroplast]

Hi,

It's been several months now since first collecting CPs, and they're all doing well, except for a couple of plants both of which are sundews. They both seem to be suffering from the same problem. I've given as much info on each plant to help figure out what's going on.

D.fulva: This plant is dying faster than it's growing (old leaves are browning and new leaves don't grow large and brown early). Plant is 6" under 160W florescent light, 12hr/d cycle, 70F temperature, >90% humidity. Plant standing in shallow water.

D.capensis 'all red': This plant has the same problem and has the same environment except 6" under 120W florescent light. The new leaves are extremely small (1/8") and brown at the tips and do not produce any dew.

These plants are with other sundews that seem to be doing fine. I don't know why they are dying (or whether they're dying.....perhaps some sort of dormancy period?)

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[pond boy]

Perhaps too much light? Maybe the heat from the bulb(s) are burning them?

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Both the forms you mention present cultivation difficulties.

Of the two problems, the D. fulva requires the closest attention. It may be the plant is going dormant, in which case yo u should have it out of the tray water. Keep it warm as possible and with good air circulation. Other causes might be affecting it, but this is the most common trouble shooting issue.

For the red D. capensis, if it is the same form as I grow, my plants behave in similar fashion. Right now they are making abbreviated leaves. Again, I reduce the watering, and keep the air circulating and maintain good light levels. This plant returns easily if the roots do not rot, unlike D. fulva.

Good luck!

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

My D. capensis red form died back completety but a repot yielded a regrowth of about 4 growing points.

 

[rattler]

i would think 90% humidity is quite high. i have yet to grow the red form of capensis and dont have D. fulva but i have yet to successfully grow any Drosera in the high humidity alongside my Neps. my Drosera seem quite happy in normal low household humidity sitting in a tray of water. i have everything including spatulata "Hong Kong local", capensis typical and albino, binata, pygmys, filliformis, madigascarensis and many other species all happily growing side by side, well other than the few temperates going into dormancy.

 

[chloroplast]

Thanks for the replies; I appreciate it. The possibility of dormancy makes me feel somewhat better.

I've removed the water, put them a little closer to the fans, and moved them to a shelf a little further away (9") from the lights. As for the high humidity, I have little choice but to keep them in the terraria because they'd receive insufficient light if placed on my windowsills.

I'll see how this works. Thanks again.