Question
Hi, there. I just received my first sundews, mostly pygmies, in the mail. I plan on keeping them in separate pots in a 10 gallon tank, terrarium-style. I live in Memphis, TN (zone7b) and will keep them inside for now in tanks. My other terrariums are great and healthy, with sarracenia in them as well as ferns and mosses. What is the best way to plants these tiny guys? I have 4 excellent books, and they all say different things.

As of now, I'm going with D'amato's instructions in The Savage Garden, soaking them in Superthrive for half an hour then planting them in a 2:1 sand/ peat mixture in 2" pots with sphagnum at the bottom to prevent soil loss. I've done the two D.capensis I received already, but, as I've said, I just got them yeasterday from Cook's, so it's too early to tell anything.

The plants are D.callistos, palacea trichaulis,lake badgerup (a palacea, I believe), scorpiodes, and a nitidulaxpulchella.

I also got some sarracenia seedlings of mixed and unidentified varieties. Should I treat the seedlings differently than the adults?

Thanks for your time.

Angela

Answer
Hi Angela,

The main issue that comes to mind is the growth stage of your plants.  Pygmy sundews go semi-dormant in winter, and it is during this time when they produce gemmae, which are vegetative buds that reproduce into new plants.  If this is the case, I'd say to just collect the buds and start fresh from there.  

You're right that every grower will say something different.  That's because there isn't any one way to do it, nor is there a "best" way to do it.  I'm sort of a minimalist, and I like to believe that carnivorous plants are much hardier than most people make them out to be.  

I've found that a terrarium is not at all necessary to grow pygmy sundews, or most carnivorous plants for that matter.  The old school of thinking is certainly outdated and I'm a staunch advocate of growing plants without a terrarium.  The most important thing for sundews is light intensity, not humidity.  Most growers who use terrariums often make the mistake of not providing sufficient light intensity.  Pygmy sundews, for example, require full sun conditions.  Anything less than that and they produce pale leaves with very little dew.  

As for soil, a standard mix of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite will do just fine.  You can follow Peter's recommendations, but I haven't found it to provide any significant difference in growth than using a standard mix.

So with all of your carnivorous plants, make sure they get lots of bright light.  Use a compact fluorescent bulb that is 40 watts or stronger in actual light output.  Keep the light about 4-6 inches above our sundews and Sarracenia seedlings to maintain proper light intensity for these sun-loving plants.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin