Question
I've had it for a week now, and it hasn't produced dew. It has a little bit in some places, but not alot. I am keeping it in a terrarium, and it is getting lots of sunlight. I keep it in a dish with about an inch of water. Also on one website said browning of leaves was because of too much sunlight. Is that true?

Answer
Hello Will,

What you are experiencing is normal for plants grown in terrariums. In most cases, carnivorous plants grown in terrariums simply cannot obtain enough light to do the carnivorous things they do. Even when you add as much light to the plant as possible, the effect of the glass produces more of a pressure cooking simulation along with a reduction in the actual intensity of light the plant needs. The light may be focused on one spot through the glass, producing leaf burn, but the rest of the plant may suffer from too little light and high temperatures. It is not the application of too much light that is the problem, but the application of too much light in a terrarium for a plant that does not need a terrarium. Terrariums, and the resulting conditions within, kill more carnivorous plants than most any other factor.

There is only one cure for this problem. Get the plant out of the terrarium. If the plant came with a dome, or was grown in high humidity before you got it, you will need to slowly and carefully adapt the plant to low humidity by opening the terrarium a fraction of an inch at first, then gradually more every three days until by the second or third week the terrarium holds in no humidity. This equalizes the terrarium humidity with the room it is in and the plant will produce a waxy protective covering over its leaves to hold in moisture. The plant will be healthier and stronger after this hardening off. If the plant was open air to begin with and you just placed it in the terrarium, go ahead and remove the lid slowly as I outlined just in case the plant has become somewhat accustomed to high humidity. Fast changes in humidity can have adverse affects on plants. Most carnivorous plants, including D. binata, the Fork Leaf, are able to adapt to low humidity if it is done slowly.

Sundews need high levels of light, and D. binata can take full sunlight, that would be outside sun, in the growing seasons. You can grow it indoors, but it would probably appreciate some florescent light overhead of about 6000 to 12000 lumens if the window light does not provide enough coverage, that would be 2-4 40 watt shop light tubes of the cool white variety. You can also use one or more compact florescent bulbs over and around the plant, just make sure the light is 8 or so inches from the plant to stave off heat buildup as compacts are hotter than tubes. The tubes can be placed about 6 inches from the plant. Sunlight is how the sundew makes the glue on its tentacles. It does not require high humidity at all.

Christopher