Sundew plants?? how to?

i need some basics on how to care for a sundew plant.


How much water?


how much bugs?


how often to feed?


what bugs to feed?


environment??


please dont answer if you dont know. I dont want your wrong answer to kill it!


Thank you.

Sundew plants?? how to?
Sundews come from all parts of the world from the arctic circle to the tropical rainforest. They all have some important things in common that will guide how you care for urs... but most important is to discover what variety urs is..and where it comes from.. These will dictate ur temperature regimes, lighting etc.


Generally speaking, sundews like most 'carnivorous' plants grow in wet, highly acidic soils, poor in nutrients such as "nitrogen". Thats why they evolved to become insectivorous. They don't eat the insect so much as they trap, kill and decompose insects to use as natural fertilizer. Most people new to growing insectivorous plants make the mistake of "overfeeding" thinking their plant will perish without food. The reverse is true. these plants will do much better without being given insects to eat. (at least very sparingly) Its important to remember that these plants have choosen to grow in nutrient poor soils for a reason. They will survive best if those soils remain nutrient poor.


I can't stress how much more important it is to understand the temperature, humidity and light requirements of ur plant.


Find out what species it is.. where it is from..


And google the rest....


Feel free to email me if you wish.


Good luck with ur new plant.
Reply:To answer your main question... Yes! They can live mainly on water.





There are many websites that give plenty of accurate information on how to care for any specific type of sundew plant.





One site I'd recommend is www.cobraplant.com





They have a good reputation for giving quality information.





But to answer your questions briefly above...





Water... let the pot sit slightly above a shallow tray of water. This will help the humidity around the plant. Sundews like to be constantly moist. Don't let them dry out! You can water them from the top like you would with other plants; just be careful not to get the water on the leaves as this would wash the "dew" off.





Insects are not as important to carnivorous plants as people often think they are. Insects are like fertilizer to the plant, and the sundew will grow to catch insects on their own. Feeding is not really necessary. It's better to never feed them rather than feed them too much. Undigested insects on the leaves can lead to rot.





As for the environment, 50% or more humidity is best, but several genus of sundew can tolerate lower humidity. Find out what genus you have and determine from there.





Most sundews are considered tropical plants, so temperatures should ideally be above 60 F all throughout the year. Lower temperatures could cause the sundew to stop growing and enter a semi-dormancy until the temperature warms up again.





But the most important thing to all sundews is that they need a lot of light! Sundews need very bright (but not direct) sunlight all throughout the day for best dew production and color. You'll know that your sundew is getting enough light when it's glistening with dew on the tips of each of the red "tentacles."
Reply:Drosera capensis - African Sundew. This tropical sundew is fairly easy to grow in a humid greenhouse or terrarium. While thriving in bright light, direct sun should be avoided unless weak winter sun is used. About 50% shade is average. Four to six inches below fluorescent plant lights often works well and its best to keep temperatures between 55°-80°F. Potting in a 4-6 inch plastic container should be large enough if pots are used. We recommend a mix of 2 parts long sphagnum moss plus 1 part perlite as a soil mix. Other blends include 50/50 sand and peat moss or 2 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite. The lower end of the stem should be buried and occasionally repotting is advised as the stem becomes taller and wobbly. New roots are produced as the stem elongates. Bright pink flowers appear on tall stems and can set a lot of seed if conditions are good. Remove the flower stalk if seed is not desired as a pile of tangled seedlings may result!





Keep the plants moist to wet but not sitting in water; do not allow to dry out. Pale stringy growth indicates more light is needed and a healthy plant will have red on the tentacles. As with most sundews, water on the leaves is not advised. Flood occasionally with pure water beside the plant to avoid washing the "dew" off. Feeding is not usually needed as the plants capture small gnats and other insects. In a situation where the plants cannot catch insects, it is probably beneficial to sprinkle a few ant sized insects on a leaf a few times a year. Dead insects work well and are less likely to crawl off.
Reply:First you need to find out what kind of Sundew you have. There are North American species, South American, African , and Australian. Sundews are one of the most prolific carnivorous plants of the world. Keep the plant in a peat/sand or perlite mix. this should be a 50/50 mix. Use ONLY distilled water, rain water, or reverse osmosis water. Tap water will kill it slowly but surely. The sundew needs constantly moist soil, humidity between 50% and 70%, and very strong light. Light is more of a requirement for the plant to dew up than humidity or water. I grow several tropical types in a terrarium with two twin 40 watt flourescent light fixtures in it. I also grow four different types of N. American sundews outside year round in an artificial bog. With a strong light source, the plants will dew up quite nicely thus attracting it's own meals. You will be amazed at how affective these plants are at feeding themselves. If you just can't resist feeding your plants, get some beta fish food from the local Wal-Mart or pet store. Feed it just a tiny bit. if you feed it a meal too large, fungus mat set in and kill your plant. Sarracenia Northwest has free caresheets on their site, plus a blog where you can ask any question. There is also a group on yahoo called Backyard Bogs where there are friendly knowlagable people.

computer security