FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I recently ordered a D. scorpioides from Cook's Carnivorous Plants, and received it today. I planted it in 2:1:1 sand, peat, perlite and am currently using the tray method for watering. It is indoors under a 23W CFL 6500k with 1,450 lumens on a 16 hour photo period. Here are some pics of what it looked like when I opened the package and also after I planted it.

Please let me know if anything looks wrong (I have never dealt with a pygmy sundew before), if I am doing something wrong with my plan, and if there is any fyi thing I need to know moving forward. Thanks!

Can someone inform me what gemmae are? I see people on ebay selling "gemmae" of pygmy sundews and I always just assumed it was another term for "seed". And Starchy, I don't own any pygmy sundews, but Scorpioides would have been my first choice also! Good luck with your new plant.

Akinkysnorlax@
Gemmae are very small reproductive bodies that pygmy sundews use to reproduce. I like to think of them as being super tiny leaf cuttings that germinate like seeds.

Here's a great webpage to read if you don't know what gemmae are.

http://www.droseragemmae.com/CareGuide.html

You MAY not get any gemmae until next November or December. That's when mine make them here in N.Y. They are VERY easy to start once you harvest them. They form on TOP of the plant in the center. Tiny little green bud" looking objects. LOVE these plants!

Tom

Do these things literally keep growing upward on top of the dead stuff? I didn't realize they would get this tall.

Yes. I understand they produce flowers after a few years. I have always thrown out plants after they produced gemmae but that's not the right thing to do I have learned. I kept a few growing this year and they have produced new leaves. Not sure how many years they last, I always collect a bunch of gemmae so I can make new plants each year. I gave away some gemmae last late fall. Next fall I will give a lot more away but for postage cost this time.

The last image, the plant on the right has gemmae, 5 or so, if I'm not mistaken.

oen13 wrote:The last image, the plant on the right has gemmae, 5 or so, if I'm not mistaken.

I thought it might. Doesnt that mean its dormant? Should I take any action?

Scorps do not go dormant. Just leave it or you can carefully pick out the gemmae by taking a safety pin or toothpick and rub lightly over/through the gemmae to dislodge them. You can also just leave them.

Will the plant with the gemmae continue growing once the gemmae dry out, or is that plant finished?

Also, do I let it flower when the time comes, or do I cut the stalk?

It WILL produce new leaves. It takes a little time.

What the heck do you feed these things? I am getting carnivorous leaves sprouting up every day now. Are flightless fruit flies too big?

No need to feed. If you really want you can use finely crushed tropical fish flakes. But ONLY a TINY bit on one or two leaves. I do this maybe once a month during summer. They get most of their food through light, not fertilizer.