Question

Growing Conditions  

TDS   Hi Jeff,
For some reason I couldn't leave this reply attached to my last question. To answer your follow-up question:

-The plant is located outside in a tray with an assortment of venus flytraps, sarracenia, utricularia (subulata), sphagnum moss, drosera (intermedia, binata, and capensis), and bog companions (polygala lutea).
-Temperatures are usually around 76 degrees fahrenheit, but can dip to the mid-sixties or rise into the low/high eighties on occasion during the growing season.
-Water is collected from an exposed children's swimming pool that collects rain. TDS of fresh rainwater is 3. Another pool sitting directly under a water spout has a TDS reading of 18.  


Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Eric,

It looks like your growing conditions are pristine.  We've only been growing D. madagascariensis for about a year, so some of the idiosyncrasies of this plant are still new to us.  I did a little research and found that although this is usually a super easy sundew to grow, they will sometimes die back from disturbance or unfavorable conditions.  They usually spring back from roots, and one source made specific mention of not throwing out a pot that looks dead, because usually they are not.  In your situation the only thing I can think is that you're a bit cooler than us here in Oregon right now, and the plant was in the 90's every day in the greenhouse.  The cooling may have an effect on it.

Bottom line, just give it some time to see how it does, and if you get new shoots developing.  Since this plant is native to Central Africa and Madagascar, it does like it warm, so moving it to a warmer location could be of benefit.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com