Question
Hi. I have a drosera adelae and I had it growing under one 10 watt fluorescent light bulb for 13 hours a day and it was under a little dome. It had been looking great but it was getting too big for it and I found out domes were bad so I acclimated it to the lower humidity of my house and now it looks a lot less dewy and has produced a bit smaller leaf than before.It is in 1 part  peat to 1 part perlite and I water it with distilled water. What can I do to make it grow better?

Answer
Hi Jonathan,

The main issue is acclimation, or lack there of.  While it is true that sundews don't need constant humidity to grow well, they still need to acclimate to lower humidity if you choose to change their environment.  The process takes 1-2 weeks.  If you rush the process or remove the dome suddenly, the plant experience a rapid loss of moisture through the leaves, and the leaf is at risk of drying out.

Right now the damage is already done.  The older leaves won't produce any dew and may die off.  This is normal in this situation.  Just clip them off as they start turning brown.  

It's also normal for the new growth to be smaller in lower humidity.  This is a natural adaptation to prevent excessive moisture loss.  Over time, the plant will readjust and produce larger leaves.  You just need to be patient as it will take several months.

Your lighting is also insufficient for long term growing.  We recommend a minimum of 40 watts of actual output (fluorescent bulb).  

For more information about growing tropical sundews, how to grow them under artificial lights and how to acclimate them to lower humidity, watch Volume 2 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series:
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD

Good growing!
Jacob Farin