Carnivorous Plants/drosera adalae

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Expert: - 3/28/2009


Question
I am going on a very long trip soon and i was just wondering if there is any way to preserve my sundews.  If I make leaf cuttings, will the cuttings become plants even after a long period of time?

Answer
Hello Matt,

How long of a trip are you planning? If the trip is only a week or two you might get away with just overwatering the plants in a very large tray and letting it slowly evaporate over that time.

I have not had any success with leaf cuttings from D. adelae though I believe other growers have. The easiest way to propagate D. adelae is to simply make root cuttings. D. adelae naturally generate root runs up to a foot from the parent plant from which clones arise. If the parent plant is cut down to the soil, it will begin to generate new plantlets from the roots in a month or so. Roots cut off the parent in sections also survive and begin growing in that time as new plants. The problem is still providing water to the roots so that they do not become dessicated. I would suggest having a neighbor or friend come by and just water the plant once a week.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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