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Post by loxosceles on Feb 15, 2012 17:09:12 GMT
how wet do you keep your capensis? I had mine under a mist system for about 2 months to promote new growth for leaf cuttings and when i pulled them out from the mist system they looked pretty similar. The excess water seemed to do more harm than good. Also many of the roots had rotted even though the pots they were in were pretty well drained. My guess is that the dead portion of the root was rot and that you are keeping it too wet. Try letting it dry out some. I actually just use the tap water in my apartment for all my carnivorous plants and the only damage I have gotten so far is on my Nepenthes mirabilis var. echinostoma. Everything else doesn't seem to mind so I doubt it is the bottled water. If anything that is probably cleaner than my tap water. Interesting. Well the substrate is always moist but not damp, I water when the standing water runs out, maybe once or twice a week. All the other plants get the same amount of water and they're just fine, even more delicate plants. |
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Post by peterhewitt on Feb 15, 2012 17:44:22 GMT
Drosera Capensis needs very little Humidity to do well and the maximum amount of sunlight. keeping them close to a sunny window is usually not bright enough. This might account for the Root Rot problem, when you keep them wet (As you should) and in insufficient light, they will quickly Rot. In my opinion, they seldom do well indoors, unless you have a window that receives full sun all day (Which is unlikely) I live close to the natural Habitat and it is Hot, dry and very inhospitable for most other plants. I keep a few thousand of them about the Nursery and the only thing that bothers them is not enough sunlight.
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Post by loxosceles on Feb 15, 2012 22:22:08 GMT
Drosera Capensis needs very little Humidity to do well and the maximum amount of sunlight. keeping them close to a sunny window is usually not bright enough. This might account for the Root Rot problem, when you keep them wet (As you should) and in insufficient light, they will quickly Rot. In my opinion, they seldom do well indoors, unless you have a window that receives full sun all day (Which is unlikely) I live close to the natural Habitat and it is Hot, dry and very inhospitable for most other plants. I keep a few thousand of them about the Nursery and the only thing that bothers them is not enough sunlight. Illustrating. So, to be clear. You don't recommend standing water for D. capensis, or just more sunlight?. The plant is in front of a window that recives direct sun a couple or more hours and good light the rest of the day. Maybe I could water just when the substrate dries out. Thanks. |
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Post by mcmcnair on Feb 15, 2012 23:35:57 GMT
I wouldn't let the substrate dry out. Keep it moist. I use the tray method and i usually wait a day or two after the tray dries out before I water again. Possibly consider getting a small LED light or HPS light?
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Post by loxosceles on Feb 17, 2012 3:52:46 GMT
I wouldn't let the substrate dry out. Keep it moist. I use the tray method and i usually wait a day or two after the tray dries out before I water again. Possibly consider getting a small LED light or HPS light? That's what I'm doing right now, just a little less water. I don't think the light is the problem, the plant was growing nice and big, all the damage took place in about a week. |
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Post by Guest on Feb 18, 2012 5:24:39 GMT
I wouldn't let the substrate dry out. Keep it moist. I use the tray method and i usually wait a day or two after the tray dries out before I water again. Possibly consider getting a small LED light or HPS light? Personally, I have some growing under T5's and some under regular cheap T8's all are doing well. HPS is great and generates a lot of light but cost a lot and you will be racking up a bigger electric bill. I do tray water mine, I like to allow the tray to dry out but not the substrate. If you want to spend a bunch of money on lights, I would go with T5's for carnivores personally. I have a 1000W HPS lamp but stopped using it. Too expensive to run and I noticed little marginal benefit. |
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sundewman
Full Member
Happy Growing!
Posts: 235
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Post by sundewman on Feb 19, 2012 3:14:58 GMT
I also would agree that the plant looks light-starved, regardless of whether the main symptoms are showing up just now. But here's the diagnostic- were the tentacles white before last week? If so, it could use more light. Not having enough light is something a sundew like D. capensis can tolerate for quite a while, but once it reaches a certain point, it won't even be able to put out normal traps due to a complete lack of energy. Plus this also makes it more susceptible to things like disease or pests.
And misting/watering the leaves has caused problems for other growers unless you have really good air circulation (not sure if that's the case here).
Good luck bringing it back to health!
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Post by loxosceles on Feb 19, 2012 7:59:55 GMT
I also would agree that the plant looks light-starved, regardless of whether the main symptoms are showing up just now. But here's the diagnostic- were the tentacles white before last week? If so, it could use more light. Not having enough light is something a sundew like D. capensis can tolerate for quite a while, but once it reaches a certain point, it won't even be able to put out normal traps due to a complete lack of energy. Plus this also makes it more susceptible to things like disease or pests. And misting/watering the leaves has caused problems for other growers unless you have really good air circulation (not sure if that's the case here). Good luck bringing it back to health! Well, since I opened the topic the plant has decayed more even after reducing the watering. I think that the lack of light might be the real problem. About the hard water, well, all the other plants are doing fine, even more delicate drosera like pygmies and paradoxa. I'm going to expose the plant to a stronger light for more time, maybe a dionaea period (more than 6 hours of direct sun) may help. |
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Post by peterhewitt on Feb 19, 2012 16:39:49 GMT
You should only leave them sitting in water when grown Outside in full sun, which is what the plants are more used to. If you grow indoors you can still use a water tray, but only fill it enough to let the pot absorb the water. Some people grow indoors under lights, and that can work, but the plants seldom colour up as well, and can also suffer from sudden fungal attack if kept too wet. Since your plant is already sick it will take a lot of light to get it to recover.
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Post by loxosceles on Feb 19, 2012 17:26:39 GMT
The plant is now taking full sun with distilled water. Hope it's not too late.
Thank you everybody for tour answers, you've been very helpfull.
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