Expert: Christopher Littrell - 3/5/2008

Question
When I first got my Capensis, I gave it 300 watts of grow lights.  Once the branches grew and unfurled, the tips started to brown.  After doing some research, I figured that maybe I was giving it too much light, so I took it out and put it next to the terrarium.  It still gets plenty of light, but not as strong.  However, the browning continues.  My room is pretty small, so spacing is severely limited.  I have only one other place to put it, but I'm afraid that if I put my Capensis further away from its present location, it will be too far.  What should I do?

Answer
Hello Talisha,

Drosera capensis is a full sun plant. So long as the grow lights were about 8 inches from the plant, it should not have suffered leaf burn or drying from artificial lights unless the lights were in a situation in which heat built up around them beyond the plant's tolerance.

If only a few leaves are browning while new green growth occurs in the center you have nothing to worry about. Cape sundews lose leaves quickly, creating a layered section of dead growth under new leaves. If all of the leaves are browning then I would be concerned with several potential hazards.

Water the plant only with distilled, reverse osmosis, or rain water, never with tap water or drinking water. Make sure a tray of water is left under the plant to keep it moist all the time. Do not overwater the plant either though, they still need air seeping down to their roots.

Insect pests might be eating away at the leaves where you can't see them.. causing the browning. Spray them with pyrethrins, neem oil, or other naturally based insecticide that is not soap based if you suspect pests.

Make sure the plant has been potted in sphagnum peat moss and perlite in a 50/50 mix. Long fiber sphagnum is O. K. but perlite or silica sand are good to use as drainage with the regular peat.

You said you had it in the terrarium? A terrarium is one of the best ways to induce mold and root rot in many carnivorous plants. Just grow it as a regular potted plant in a window or under a few lights. Hopefully it has not been affected by mold or root rot.

Christopher