Question
QUESTION: While my family was moving, one of my relatives helping out accidentally knocked over the pot that had my Cape sundews that I got from you guys and over the confusion where I was re-potting the roots and soil back, the baby spoon-leaf sundew got buried into the peat moss so I'm wondering if it still have a chance that it is still alive...
Before that I think it was in dormancy because it was not growing and all the traps had turned brown, leaving only some green on the older traps.But I think it might have also been that it got exposed the afternoon sun when I through the three sundews were not getting enough light.
The growing conditions are that they are getting about 4 hours of the morning sunlight and some of the afternoon sun until the area get shaded. I'm using water from a water dispenser that says that it were oxidized. And the soil mix is a mixture of one part peat moss and one part perlite that I manage to savage after the fall. I live in zone 11
I couldn't find a picture of the spoon-leaf sundew condition so sorry about that.

ANSWER: Hi Edmund,

If you can dig it out and get it planted on the surface it should be fine.  This won't be any different than being shipped.  Just rinse it off.

Which Island do you live on?  Are you on city water or rain catchment?  I have serious concerns about the water you're using.  I've never heard of "oxidized" water, although some companies oxygenate the water (bubble oxygen through it; it's a gimick).  Unless it's purified by either reverse osmosis or distillation, it's too hard.  Many bottled water companies put minerals in the water since it's good for us.  I've measured Honolulu's water hardness before.  It comes out at about 250 parts per million, very hard.  That would cause your Spoon-leaf sundew to dire in a couple weeks.  The Cape wouldn't be far behind.

I can guarantee too much sun for a Spoon-leaf sundew is not what would be making it look bad.  Most of the ones in cultivation (including ours) originate from tropical Australia.  They grow in bogs and billibongs in full sun.  They take on a brilliant red color when growing that way.  Having said that, however, if a sundew has been in low light, then is moved to full sun, they will burn at first.  After the weak leaves die off the new ones formed look normal.

Good Growing!

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

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I live on Ohau, and I'm on city water where the hardness is 50-75 ppm. I checked my water again and turns out it was ozonated. When I checked the company (Menehune Water Co.) website, it says they uses reverse Osmosis through before that they used a water softener. Here's the site so you can take a look...http://hawaiiwater.leads.com/ultra-pure-hawaii-water.html

Answer
Hi Edmund,

Interesting.  Different wells on the island must have different water quality.  I tested tap water in Aina Haina and it came out to around 240-250ppm.  Anyway, even yours is still a bit hard for sundews.  Continual use with your tap water will catch up with them over time.

I looked at Menehune's website, and as long as you're using the Ultra-pure water it's great.  Their regular bottled water is full of minerals.  With that being said, using Menehune water is a really expensive way to water your plants.  You can buy gallons of distilled water for around a buck at drugstores and grocery stores.  Many grocery stores also have machines where you can fill your own bottles for around 30-50 cents a gallon.  There's also a great filter pitcher called ZeroWater.  We use these in our own home.  They take out all minerals out of the water.  Other filter pitchers like Brita or PUR don't do that.  Here's a link:  http://www.zerowater.com/  It even comes with a TDS meter.  Target usually has them.  You could also collect rainwater during storms.

Good Growing!

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