Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 9/3/2011

Question
i got 2 cool wight bulbs and 2 daylight 1 seems brighter then the other there all 40 watt t12 does this make a difference or should all the bulbs be the same and witch one should i use also i want to add a forkleaf sundew to my collection how many t12 bulbs would i need i got 2 fixtures with 2 bulbs each and a 200 watt compact fluorescent on my plants now the sundews are not making dew they just keep flowering don't know how to stop this put i do want dew with out loosing the flowers ps one of my capsundews got messed up so i had to repot it been throw alot i repoted it it has not recovered all the leaves are green with no tentacles on it but there not browning or dyeing is this plant still alive

Answer
You brought up multiple issues in your message, and it may not be feasible to fully address them in this format.  Lets first start with the lights themselves.  Daylight tubes tend to be brighter than cool white tubes.  This is because of the particular light spectrum that they produce.  Either type will be appropriate with many types of tropical sundews.  You can use both types over your plants.  It won't make a difference.

When you mention that you have a 200-watt compact fluorescent bulb, I'm going to assume you mean equivalent output and not actual output.  This makes a big difference.  For now, I'm going to assume it's equivalent output.  A compact fluorescent with 200 watts of actual output is usually quite expensive (above $50) and tend to produce too much heat.  We generally don't recommend this type of bulb for the average grower.  Bulbs with an equivalent output of 200 watts also produce a fair amount of heat, but it's much more manageable.  (Whenever we mention fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent bulbs, we always refer to the actual output.)

There are a variety of reasons why sundews don't produce dew.  Lack of sufficient lighting is usually the most common reason.  Without knowing how far you have the lights or the number of hours you have it on, it's difficult to ascertain if this is indeed an issue.  In general, keep the lights approximately 8 inches above the plants for 14 hours.

Other factors that affect dew production is heat, lack of water, excessive wind, recent repotting and plant trauma.  Without knowing anything more about your growing conditions, I can't comment on these factors right now.  In any case, after making the appropriate changes, it sometimes takes a month or more until you see any signs of definite improvement.

Your cape sundew is likely alive.  As long as the leaves are green and upright, the plant is alive.  With dead plants, the leaves turn brown quickly.

You might do best by watching Volume 2 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series.  This particular volume shows you how to grow tropical sundews and how to grow them using fluorescent lights.  You might have an easier time actually seeing how to do it.  It is definitely worth the investment if you plan to increase your collection.  It'll save you from lots of headaches down the road.
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD


Good growing!
Jacob Farin