Question
Hi,
 I bought a Drosera Lanata, and a Drosera Kennelii from you back in early December. I have been keeping them in my garage, in a large humidity tent, along with some cape sundews, and Nepenthes.
It gets cold at night, so I placed both plants in a tray, and placed the tray on a seed heat pad, for nighttime warmth. I try to keep 0-1/4" of water in the tray.
At first, the Lanata looked healthy, and the Kennellii looked distressed. Now the situation is reversed. The Kennellii is thriving, has gotten a lot bigger, and is now blooming, while the Lanata's health is declining. Some of its leaves are turning brown, and the plant does not appear to be growing.
Do you know why this might be happening, and do you  have any suggestions to get the Lanata to grow well? Also, do you know why the Kennellii is doing so much better? I thought those two plants came from almost the same environment.
                  Thanks,
                    Steve Colbern

Answer
Hi Steve,

I'll give you a couple suggestions, but I can't claim to have these guys completely dialed in.  Wooly sundews are fussy little devils.  They seem to like warm temperatures and humidity.

The garage, even with the heat mat, may be a bit cold.  Put a thermometer in with them to get an idea of the temperature in the tent.  Ideally it should be 75-80 degrees F.  What's the light source?  A twin tube fluorescent light can add light intensity, and help keep the heat up also.  I've had Drosera falconerii under lights in the house with good results.  Also make sure you don't have any mold forming on the plants.  Trim off any dead leaves and spray with fungicide if needed.  Essentially, more warmth, and more light.

You might also try going onto the bulletin boards at the ICPS.  Plenty of Wooly sundew enthusiasts hang out there and may have some good suggestions.  Here's the link:  http://icps.proboards105.com/


Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com