FlyTrapCare Forums

Just to clarify, I cut all the leaves off as they had gone black and died (the flower stalk is still attached as the flowers had shrivelled but it remains healthy).

I have now put the plant outside to give it more light.

Hi Wood1988, again I encourage you to create a new thread in the Sundew forum when you have questions. I get alerts for this thread now so I saw this

I guess I'm not understanding what you mean by rhizome. D. capensis does make a sort of tap root, a thicker chunk of root from which smaller roots branch off, is that what you mean? Rhizomes (AFAIK) are runners that come from the plant to form new plants; they are basically underground stems. I know King Sundews make them but I don't know that Cape sundews do.

Cape sundews can make new plantlets from any bit of root, so whatever you mean, I think the answer is yes Here's some info with some options for whatever root chunks you have http://www.growsundews.com/sundews/Prop ... t_Cuttings

Hey wood, the good news is Capensis can grow from virtually any part of the plant. I personally have done it with root cuttings but a lot of people do it with leaf cuttings as well. It is a versatile plant like that. Rhizomes will be just under the base of the leaves in plants like VFTs, Drosera Regia, and Pinguicula. It's like a central hub where the leaves grow from the center of the plant. Capensis form stems and grow upwards, albeit slowly. Anyway, it wouldn't surprise me if both parts strike new plants if you give them the right conditions and maintain high humidity.

An alternative for seedling fertilization would be a light spray of maxsea 16-16-16 fertilizer 1/4 tsp per gallon of distilled water every couple of weeks. I personally use a very fine mist bottle because I've had bad luck with heavier dosing. This allows me more control to prevent burn.

For now, your seedlings sound way too young. The seedlings have nutrients supplied to them from the seed husks as well as energy from photosynthesis. I wouldn't feed them until they're large enough that you can visibly see them without a lens. A safer alternative to maxsea would be your fishfood. I'd probably take a little bit crush it and add a drop of distilled water so I could put it on a leaf. Sometimes that's too concentrated for the leaf so I put it on smaller, weaker leaves that will drop next anyway. I do either one every 2-3 weeks. I saw a post you made about seed germination and a stray weed in the pot. I'm glad that those seeds sprouted for you in the end. Keep it up!

Many thanks for that.

I actually left the bottom half of the rhizome exposed. Should i bury it because I planted it vertically instead of horizontally?

Since the plant arrived unhealthy, turning yellow and shrivelling I dont think the new shoots will appear as I unintentionally 'snapped' the rhizome whilst repotting it from the shipping pot (the roots were growing out of the drainage holes).

You can leave the root partly exposed -- it will sprout leaflets just floating in water -- but you can also put a bit of media on it if you'd like. It may be little plantlets that appear, not a re-sprout of the stem.

It's in interesting experiment, to see how it re-grows, please keep us posted!

Hi Adriana,

Im becoming less convinced that my sundew will come back because now the remaining flower stalk has started turning yellow, this was after the crown developed new roots, also i think that a slug has been across the crown due to the entrails covering it.

Do you have any pictures? Those would help very much.

I will get them tomorrow when I have time. The sundew was looking dreadful when I took it out of the packaging so may not survive anyway.

I think you're right, Wood, that the current leaves are not going to survive. If there was that rot on the central stem from being buried, it might not live. But it can make plantlets from roots or healthy leaves.

Honestly if the plant dies off, I'd keep it wet and leave it for a while anyway. Adriana is right, the plant may sprout plantlets from the root system. They take a while to grow so don't discount it after a week. I have Hercules sprouts I've had for a couple months and they're only about an inch in diameter. They stay small for a while before they ramp up their grow speed.

On a side note, are you using distilled water or reverse osmosis water?

I am using deionized water (for batteries and steam irons) while there isn't any rain.

Hello all.

Here are the photos of my cuttings.

I don't think my sundew will grow back as the plant was unhealthy, anyway can you offer any advice as to whether I have done the right thing because it was an emergency procedure due to accidentally snapping the rhizome?

Many thanks.

I would plant the stump again, and you may be able to get plantlets from the flower stalk too. I'd cut that and stick it in water or in the soil.

I don't know DI water would be good enough? It might be? But if you can get distilled or check your DI water with at TDS meter that would be best.

How do I go about replanting the stump?

Also I don't have a TDS meter available and according to the water label, there aren't any chemicals in it it just says the water and the things it's used for.

As my pictures show (namely the one titled flower stalk and rhizome) I replanted them after photographing them in a clear plastic tub used for tomatoes and a plastic plant pot.

Is this the correct way to replant them?