Question
Hello, I purchased a Lance Leaf Sundew from you at the Portand Winter Home and Garden show last year. I live in Portland, and the plant in question sits on my north facing windowsill. I water it, and it sits in tap water. it is doing well, and is quite crowded in its original 6 inch pot, sending up lots of new leaves, and 2 flower stalks. The plant has expanded so much you can't hardly see the soil anymore. However, I am a bit worried because it has stopped producing dew, even on newer leaves. Is this just a winter thing? the sunlight is not the best in my windowsill, and I am thinking it might like to be placed under my Cymbidium orchid lights, but am not sure. Should I repot and upgrade to a larger pot size?
Also, my other houseplants recently suffered a fungus gnat infestation, and D. adelae got its fair share of bugs and then some and is covered in gnat carcasses. Could the lack of dew be because of too much food? Everything else about it indicated that it is happy.
Thank you,
Emily

Answer
Hi Emily,

It's ironic you sent in this question when you did, since I just trimmed up a D. adelae in my kitchen for the same reason.

D. adelae will often stop producing mucilage in low light.  Your orchid lights could be very helpful with this.  The other reason dew production can cease is due to drying out some.  With D. adelae, if they get even a little dry in the soil, the mucilage production will stop, and the leaves won't produce it again.  This is what happened to mine in the kitchen window.  (I forgot about it and it got too dry.)  My plant was also very overgrown.

The easiest thing to do at this stage is to simply cut off all of the leaves right down to ground level.  Place it back in its water tray and give it a few weeks.  In about 3 weeks time, you'll see numerous new sprouts coming up, and by summer, it should be a mass of new leaves.  You can also repot at this time too.  Once the leaves are cut off just repot the root mass in your new pot with the cut stems just above soil level.


Good Growing!

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