Question
Hi, I have a few question about d. burmanii. im pretty sure you're not suppose to water the plant from the top and only by using water tray method or saucer correct? and im concerned about the flowers. there are a couple of flowers that are grown when i received my plant, should i cut it so my plant doesnt die? is it wise to cut all flowers off so plant lives? Also i was quite disappointed when i received my plant because i opened it up and all the soil and plant were in pieces and i had to basically repot them in the same soil, hopefully they will live? or die cause of shock?

Answer
Hi David,

Drosera burmanii is essentially an annual, so avoid cutting off the flowers.  Use the flowers to collect more seeds.  To make sure the flowers self-pollinates, use a toothpick to "tickle" the insides of the flower.  Do this for each flower, which will help transfer pollen to other flowers.  When the flower stalk turns black, your seeds will be ready for harvest.  Simply sprinkle the seeds on a soil mix of equal parts peat moss and pearlite.  They'll germinate within 2-3 weeks in warm conditions.

Only time will tell whether or not your plants will survive the shipping process.  Make sure the roots are back in the soil and the plants are getting lots of sunlight.  As for watering, the idea of using the tray method is simply to make sure the soil never dries out.  You can water either from the top or from the bottom.  Most growers water from the bottom since it's a lot easier.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin