Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 9/29/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi there -

I have a pair of cape sundews in a pot that aren't looking too happy. They're
growing in long fiber sphagnum; not peat/perlite or sand mix. I had them for
about three months at my office in front of a sunny window. They seemed to
be doing OK - they produced dew, sprouted new leaves, and grew flower
stalks with viable seeds. I had been watering them with water from what I
thought was a reverse osmosis water filter in the office, but perhaps it wasn't.
It seemed to work for so long that I forgot about the potential
consequences...

A few weeks ago, the leaves started to curl up and turn brown at the tips.
They also stopped producing dew. At the first sign of distress, I took them
home for some TLC. I flushed the sphagnum they were growing in by top
watering them with some RO water. I put them under a 150w equivalent
compact fluorescent bulb with 14 hours of light per day. The damage seems
to have stopped getting worse, but nothing is getting better.

On each of the two plants in the pot, there are about 6 or 7 new leaves
popping out from the center of the rosette and beginning to unfold
themselves. What's really concerning is that they haven't moved in nearly a
month. It's like they sprouted and just stopped growing. That worries me
because it leads me to believe the "heart" of the plant is dead, and it's just a
matter of time until the leaves follow suit. The leaves also still aren't
producing any new dew.

Am I doing everything I can here? This evening I'm getting a delivery which
includes some 48" T8 32w fluorescent bulbs and some shop light fixtures...
perhaps more light will do the trick? Would you recommend repotting into
peat and perlite?

Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Garroch,

Thank you for the detailed information.  This is useful.  The initial problem with your plant might have been a combination of hard water and poor soil.  Sundews really need mineral-free water (or water with mineral levels of 50 parts per million or less).  If you use tap water, you should always test your water prior to using it on your plants.  While your workplace may be using an RO unit, it will only work if the filters are changed regularly.

The soil should also be a mix of peat moss and perlite, equal parts.  Avoid using long fiber sphagnum moss.  We found it to harbor a lot of fungal spores.  It also doesn't provide sufficient drainage for sundews, which will worsen the effects of hard water.

You're doing the right things to help your plant recover by providing more light and using flushing the soil with RO water.  (Switch to bottled distilled water if you're still using water from work.)

The only recommendations is to change the soil to the recommended mix and to wait.  That's the most you can do.  Many times it can take a plant a month or two to recover fully, depending on the damage to the roots from improper watering.  More lighting will help, but it's simply a matter of giving your plant time.

Fortunately, these plants are fairly inexpensive and readily available, so you can always start over with a healthy plant.  

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Jacob - thanks for that quick response! Very helpful. I just have a few followup questions:

1) As I described, new growth on both of my cape sundews seems to have halted. The new leaves that unfold from the center of the rosette seem to have just unfolding half way through. Have you ever observed this behavior before? If my plants recover, would you expect them to simply start growing again and finish unfolding?

2) About three weeks ago, I transplanted the two sundews into a smaller pot with better drainage and new long fiber sphagnum. Is it too soon to re-pot them into some peat/perlite without risking further damage to the plant? It doesn't seem to have been too offended by its most recent repotting, so I'm optimistic... but I wanted to get a second opinion on that too!

Thanks again,
Garroch

Answer
I don't see any benefit in waiting to repot.  If your plant needs a better soil mix, it's always best to do it sooner than later.  Otherwise you're risking the plant having another set back from poor soil conditions.  

Again, you need to give your plant time to recover.  Plants will cease unfolding their leaves when they experience a sudden change in environment.  It will take time for the plant to produce a new set of leaves in its new growing conditions.  Give it a month or two.  As long as you don't see any deterioration of new growth, your plant will be fine.