FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Last year I bought a Drosera hamiltonii from P.P. It arrived healthy. I planted it in the New Zealand Sphagnum Moss that was supplied by the seller.

It's a unique looking plant, unfurling new leaves like carpet unrolling. It has the look of a Tuberous Sundew without the tuber or required dormancy. In Nature, it's often found near Cephalotus.

I've had it for over 7 months now and it just doesn't want to Booger Up. (Saw that phrase on FB and I couldn't resist borrowing it.)
New growth is healthy but there just isn't any dew, to speak of. It's growing in an uncovered 10 Gal tank under LEDs. Temperature ranges from low to mid 40s in Winter and up to low to mid 80s in Summertime. There is almost always at least a ten degree drop at night. Humidity varies from 50% to 90%. Watering is done by the tray system with 1/4 inch or so of water in the bottom of the tank at all times.

Checking with Google revealed a few things. First, this is a common problem. Second, most successful growers suggest a 1:1 Peat:Perlite mix. Third, the plant gets by well enough, without much mucilage on its tentacles.

So today I transplanted it into the recommended media mix. I also took a root cutting for propagating a new plant.

Anybody else out there grow this plant?
Anybody else out there run into this problem?
And if so, what did you do to fix it?

Good growing,
Mike

I've had this species for just about a year now and it hasn't given me any problems. I've grown it in high humidity and highland temperatures with my Heliamphora, and with normal room humidity and temperatures on a grow rack under strong fluorescent lights. In both cases it did well, although it dewed up more and had better coloration under the stronger lights. I use a 1:1 peat/sand mix.

D. hamiltonii - grown with highland Nepenthes and Heliamphora


D. hamiltonii - grown in room conditions under fluorescent lights


I'm not entirely sure why your plant is acting up. The color of your plant is odd though, even under different light intensities my leaves have always been olive-green to reddish. The plants in situ also appear to follow that pattern. This makes me think that it may be a problem related to the soil chemistry, hopefully repotting will have resolved that.

I'll post an update photo in a week or so to see if the new medium will make it happier.

Thanks for the feedback and comparison pictures.

Good growing,
Mike

Your plant is very strangely pale. I would agree that it may be a reaction to soil it doesn't like, or possibly a nutrient deficiency? I just got a small plant a month ago and it's growing outside in full sun and is a nice deep red color, almost purple.

I agree. It was not happy in the LFSM, especially when you compare it to SerMucherIVs picture.

Well, it's in 1:1 normal mix now. Let's give it time and hope for improvement.

I tried feeding it with bloodworms and I spritzed it with MaxSea monthly. Neither seemed to do much good.

But at least it's still alive.

Good growing,
Mike

If all else fails, at least you can boast about having a flesh-coloured Drosera hamiltonii.

I figured the weird color was because it was within 16 inches of my MarsHydro 300 LED lights.

If it doesn't perk up within a few weeks, I'll move it to a spot with lower light intensity.

But time will tell.

Good growing,
Mike

I have one from seed in desperate need of a repot. It really seems to like being in my HL room. 73-85% humidity. Peat/sand mix. It's under strong light. 16" from a MarsHydro is extremely strong light. Perhaps too strong?

Something that's not often discussed is the effect of soil nutrients on carnivorous plants. There's scientific papers out there that indicate that many Drosera species do uptake minerals and nutrients through their roots. It's my personal theory that although the plants cant tolerate high levels of some minerals (like calcium), the existence of low concentrations of minerals/nutrients in the soil are important the plant's health.

To me, that plant looks extremely iron deficient (iron is needed to generate chlorophyll, which accounts for a green colour). I think repotting in a peat-based substrate could help, since presumably it contains trace levels of iron (I haven't tested this or read into the literature, it's just a theory at this point). It could also explain why some plants decline in old media and are refreshed by a repotting.

I have same problem with my sundews, I had put them outside in spring. And they went dry.. My solution, i saturate their soil with water and put pot back in its closed growth chamber inside with bright cfl bulbs and a fan for circulation. The next day, they'll dew up. I just keep them in the bucket now. I have no measurements of temp/humidity, the hot and wetness raises humidity I guess.

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