Question
Spatula Sundew?
Hello,
I'm having 2 problems with a series of Sundews that I got recently.
1) I received the sundews wrapped bare root in sphagnum in a sealed Ziplock bag. I potted the plants in a mixture of 2 parts peat to 1 part horticultural sand and 1 part perlite.
Several days after this I came home to find that my cat had been rummaging around on the windowsill and knocked them all out of their respective pots.
I washed the plants, using distilled water, and removed any damaged leaves for cuttings.
However, since this time they have not made any dew at all.
Initially I had them sitting on a southeast windowsill, but I have moved them outside hoping that the sunlight will help the photosynthesis process.
It seems as though new leaves are growing, but the old ones are turning red(sunburn?), and the new leaves are not yet making dew. Should I be concerned?
I use either distilled water or rain water in a tray for watering, and I live in Portland OR, so I'm guessing you have an idea what the climate/weather is like right now.
2) I've included pictures, and I'm having trouble identifying the plants, the markers were knocked out and mixed up by my cats. Any help identifying them would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, and It seems to only be letting me upload 1 image, is there a way that I can upload more?
Thanks for your time.
Gregory Blakemore
AnswerHi Greg,
Your plant is most likely Drosera spatulata. If you have Drosera aliciae in your collection, it could be this one as well, but the leaves look most similar to D. spatulata.
Whenever a sundew experiences significant root disturbance, it will stop producing dew for a while. This is a normal response, and you simply need to give the plant time and sunlight to recover. It may take as much as two weeks. If the disturbance was severe, then you may need to wait until the plant produces new leaves before you see any dew again.
In any case, your order is shipping today (Thank you!), and you'll get to see what a healthy sundew looks like, most likely by tomorrow!
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
