Expert: Christopher Littrell - 8/12/2009

Question
Also I just got a Drosera Adelae from Lowes.it was in a terrarium. I opened it a little and put it outside over night.   what should i do with it. should i repot it if so what soil? and should i leave it outside and how many of sunlight does it need?also when do the flower and do they self pollinate?


Answer
Hello Clara,

Drosera adelae can be adapted to lower humidity and should be grown open pot like a typical house plant. Just keep opening the top a little more every three days until it is no longer holding in humidity. Remove the top after two weeks. If the plant has at least 4 inches of soil in depth it will be fine for now. Just place it in a tray with about an inch of distilled, reverse osmosis, or rain water.

If you repot, use only fertilizer free sphagnum peat moss and perlite in a 50/50 mix. Never allow any fertilized soil near your sundew's roots as that will kill it.

Drosera adelae are partial to indirect sun plants that cannot stand direct sunlight. Direct sun will burn them and kill them off eventually. Keep the plant indoors in a sunny east facing window where it will get morning sunlight and plenty of ambient light all day. You can place the plant outdoors if the temperature stays below about 90 degrees in the heat of the day and if you can provide some shade from the direct rays of the sun while still giving the plant strong light.

Drosera adelae need to cross pollinate and all the stock in America is cloned, so they cannot produce seeds. On the other hand, D. adelae does regenerate and clone itself from root cuttings and produces root runs continuously to generate new plants every few months. They will flower almost at any time as they are tropical and considered biennials.

Christopher