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Carnivorous Plants/drosera adalae
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Question
QUESTION: Hi, it's me again. I just have a quick question. I looked at your most recent reponce that you told the person to cut off all the leaves of a drosera adalae. Well, I've had a drosera adalae for about 2 months now and it's doing pretty well. I'm just wondering when should I do the same for my plant and how does it benifit the plant? I see that you've done it with your plant 2 times and it looks GORGEOUS.
ANSWER: Hi Victor,
My plant is quite a bit older than yours. I wouldn't do it yet if it looks good. Over time, D. adelae will usually send out numerous side shoots, and eventually they fill the pot they are in. They will even develop plantlets from roots coming out the bottom of the pot. I cut mine back last fall because the thing had become an ugly mound of dead leaves intermixed with live ones. It's at that point that trying to trim them becomes futile, I just decapitate the whole thing. You usually start seeing new growth in about a month. This technique can also be useful with other thick root sundews such as Drosera capensis and D. binata complex. Many of the South African species respond well to this.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for everything! I just found a tiny spider that I want to feed my adalae. So I was wondering if you could tell about how they digest and capture their food becuase I know they don't curl over prey like the Capensis?
Hi Victor,
Like all sundews the sticky mucilage is the primary capturing mechanism. The tentacles move, but the leaf blade doesn't. D. adeale tends to capture large numbers of small flying insects, and occasionally flies since they are a mass of sticky tentacles. Here's some videos that just came out you may find fascinating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPRg7tHtPEE
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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