Question

Drosera adelae   QUESTION: Hi lately I've been having a problem with my drosera adelae. When new leaves come out, they look beautiful, are very dewy, and catch many insects in my home. However like a few days after the leaves open up, the tentacles and dew just die away and it looks like it was never healthy looking. Is is this normal for drosera adelae to do this? I keep the plant sitting in an inch if water all the time and it receives some direct and bright indirect light in my west window. I have it growing along side my Mexican butterworts so I don't know what's wrong with the plant.

ANSWER: Hi Victor,

What it looks like you have going on here is the older leaves have been in lower light conditions, and now you are moving it to more sun.  This appearance is very normal.  It's very common for D. adelae to have a skirt of dead leaves, and once a leaf stops producing dew, it won't produce again.  You'll only see it on new leaves.  As your plant grows new leaves it will start looking much better.

Judging from the gnats I see on your plants you really do have a bad Fungus gnat infestation.  I would definitely try the BTI dunks in your plant water.  It is safe for all the plants.

Good Growing!

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

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QUESTION: Hi. Well my drosera adelae has been in that location for 2-3 months now. I'm not that sure if the plant is just acclimating to a brighter location. Now the new leaves that had dew are losing it and they look just like the poor, older leaves. Could the dew problem be because that since it's hot in the summer, the air conditioning in my house is causing that? Also, would old soil result in the non-dewy leaves?

Answer
Hi Victor,

If your plant is in any kind of a breezy area from the AC that could be having an effect.  Also, D. adelae does better with morning sun as opposed to hot afternoon sun.

The other thing to do is to get rid of the fungus gnats.  If you have a bad infestation, they could be eating plant roots, and that would cause the slow decline you're seeing.

Good Growing!

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