Question
hi, i just had a few questions about my cps.  1) how do i remove the hard woody base of a cape sundew?  Should i just leave it?  I have 3 that have a hard base and when i repot them i would like to try and remove the hard base if its ok.  2) About how long will it take for a plant to start growing once mulch is removed and weather is at least 45+F.  3)  How can nepenthes trucata's be propagated.  Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Dustin,

1)  The hard woody base is normal as the Cape sundew ages.  In some regards, there really isn't much you can do about it.  It's just part of the normal process of this plant.  If it's too unsightly for you, you could transplant the sundew in a taller pot and place the stem deeper in the soil.  The sundew will eventually develop roots along the stem and will continue to grow upwards above the soil as it first did when it was younger.

The other thing you could do is cut the plant near the soil line.  A new plant will sprout from the base.  You could then transplant the upper portion into a fresh mix of soil.  Keep the soil moist at all times.  Within a few weeks, the cutting will produce its own roots, and you'll end up with two plants out of the deal.

2) Temperate plants will usually emerge from dormancy when the daytime temperatures are consistently above 50癋.  Of course, this is species dependent.  Sarracenia flava tend to emerge early, while Sarracenia psittacina may emerge in late spring to early summer when the weather is consistently above 70癋.  

3) Nearly all of the Nepenthes truncata available in the United States are from tissue culture, a type of cloning process.  To propagate your own, you will need produce your own seeds, but this is nearly impossible for US growers.  You see, you need both a male and female plant, and nearly all of the Nepenthes truncata in North America are
males.  This is because those who cloned them were smart enough to hold back on all the females.  What they chose to release are males.  I have a friend in Hawaii who has been looking for a female Nepenthes truncata for the past 20 years!  I'm sure if he finds one, it'll be worth several thousand dollars.

I'm also not aware of anyone trying to do stem cuttings with this species.  The plant produces its leaves too close together to take a proper cutting.  So for now, the best way to get more Nepenthes truncata is to buy them.  That's what we have to do.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin