Question
Hello,

I made the mistake of potting up Pinguicula moranensis and Drosera capensis together in the same pot last year. Now the butterwort is getting to be almost six inches in diameter with multiple growing points, and the sundew is dropping seeds all over the place. They're both growing on top of each other, and it looks to be very messy, not to mention crowded. How do you suggest I go about separating the two, and when? I'm thinking the capensis would have quite an extensive root system by now and might be tangled with the butterwort's roots?

Thanks.

Answer
Hi Brian,

You can repot your plants any time.  Just unpot both of them and carefully separate the two.  The Pinguicula will have afairly short root system, while the Drosera will have a long tap root, so it's unlikely that they will be tangled up.

In the event that they are tangled, carefully unravel the roots from each other.  There's simply no way around it, and that's exactly what we do when plants have their roots wrapped around each other.

Fortunately both plants are tolerant of this sort of procedure and will rebound from the experience.  After repotting them into their own pots, give them several weeks to recuperate.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin