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Carnivorous Plants/Drosera regia
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Question
QUESTION: I've got a D. regia that I got from you fellows several years ago that has gotten quite large. I've noticed that as it has grown, it is sending out roots all along the stem of the plant. When I repot the plant, can I cut it off at these roots and bury them in the soil mix, or should I just let it go as is?
ANSWER: Hi Greg,
Don't cut those roots off unless you want to selectively remove one to do root cuttings. This is basically how we propagate this plant. However, they are a little more sensitive to disturbance than many other types of sundews, so less disturbance is better. I just did this a couple months ago to ours and had few problems. I took one succulent looking root off of a plant for cuttings, but was sure to leave an equally nice looking main taproot. It's always a good idea to give the plant a 10 - 15 minute soak in a Superthrive solution before transplanting also.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the quick answer Jeff, but I think you might have misunderstood the question. What I wanted to know was would it be ok to either cut the plant off and bury the rest of the stem with the roots coming out, or leave it all intact and bury the part of the stem with the roots on it?
Hi Greg,
Just leave everything intact and bury the stem with it's new roots in a larger, deeper pot burying those new roots. This is very common for D. regia and D. capensis "wide leaf" to form these side roots along the stem. The plants can have a somewhat scrambling habit in nature, and those roots provide support.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
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Answers by Expert:
Sarracenia Northwest
Expertise
If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!
Experience
With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again.
Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.
No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.
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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION: We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?). Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?) For general plant care, please read our care sheets on our main website: http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets For business questions: http://www.cobraplant.com/contact |
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