FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi, i'm relatively new to carnivorous plants and acquired 3 plants at about the same time (this spring) and am having problems with all 3 at the moment. Well, with 2 of them.. The other is pretty well deceased. I purchased this sundew under the impression it was going to turn red. It hasn't. So I've decided it probably isn't going to. It was a tiny sprout when i got it, and has since been repotted twice as have the others. It appears to be growing very well. It started as a single and now has multiple plants which i decided to not seperate for fear of hurting it and just keep putting it in larger pots and let it go crazy. It's "blooming" like nobody's business and is completely green, no brown, wilted, or dead spots.. For the life of me I cannot get it to dew. I've read everything I can and have even placed it in a large dish of rocks filled with distilled water. Also, all of the blooms it makes grow high and wild and start to open where you can see the pink inside.. Then they stall, never fully opening, and eventually turn brown and die. One stalk has what looks like a plant growing on it. What am I doing wrong? And what's with the bloom stalk with what appears to be a plant growing on it instead of flowers?

Just to add some quick info on the dew situation I'm questioning above: I live in se texas only about 50mi from the coast. The humidity outside rarely falls below 80%. The plant is in a window right next to the door where it gets a burst of warm humid air dozens of times a day and I've also got a humidifier in the room running durring the night. Plus I have the plant in a glass bowl full of rocks and distilled water.

Sounds like it needs much more sun, how many hours of direct sunlight does your plant receive?

It gets 6hrs of direct sunlight. I have all of my inside plants in the same west facing window.

It may not be getting enough light. Usually if it’s inside by a window, the light that comes through the window is filtered and therefore less effective. Sundews need a lot of light, typically unfiltered whether it’s directly from the sun or from good grow light(s). If it’s by a window where there is glass involved it can magnify the sun as well but only producing more heat directed at the plant.
Try acclimating it to direct sun outdoors and when the temp gets too hot bring it closer to a shady area outside.

Yes I agree it definitely needs more light. You could try a little supplemental grow light above the plant and you will see the plant really perk up and produce dew. That little plantlet growing on the flower stalk is rare but happens now and then. It's normal and actually you can cut it off and plant it, it will root, and it will be a clone of your mother plant. All those flower stalks are also probably filled with seeds. Drosera flowers don't last but maybe a day or two and I rarely catch them when they are open. When the stalks turn brown cut them off and put them in an envelope. The seeds will fall out and you will have lots.

Needs a lot more light. I don't consider any type of window lighting as "direct light". Only direct light is outdoors in full sun as far as I'm concerned. The remedy is simple though, if this is your only sundew just go to the hardware store and get a daylight CFL bulb with a higher lumen output (1300+ lumens) or just order a $20 grow bulb from a site like MarsHydro.

I would also ditch those rocks in the water tray, they may start to leach minerals into the water eventually.

Thank yall. Hey Hollyhock I have a question about the mini sundews growing on the stalks. It has the 1 fairly large one that I pictured above. It also has 2 small ones. One of the smaller one is at the base of a forking stalk, but it has bent right after the tiny SD. Can I do anything with the very small ones? And how would I go about planting them? How do I cut them off and do I need to apply root starter? Here are marked pics of what Im referring to.

Yes SundewWolf, it is the first and only sundew I have. Thank you for the info. My new question was actually going to be if yall could refer me the correct lighting type for it. I will also get it out of the bowl with rocks and put it back how I had it in a smaller glass dish of distilled water. Is there any way to tell if It's a red variety or if it will stay green? I bought it labeled as Drosera Spatulata, under the impression they were all red, but it wasn't stated as such. I didn't know there was a plain green variety until after.

You can cut the section of stalk with the plant attached above and below where it's growing. Plant it in moist LFSM it should root for you if kept moist. You can bag the pot to help keep up humidity til it starts growing. If the plant is growing from the end of a stalk same thing just trim it off even if there's still a little section of stalk attached. This is how I plant root cutting same way.

Great! I'll give it a go. Thanks so much Hollyhock. I have 1 more question on planting the snipped off mini-sundews growing on the stalks. This morning I cut the 2 very small minis only bc the stalk on 1 was turning brown, so I was running out of time on it, and the other on the forked stalk bc it was bent and was very soon to be in the same boat. My question pertains to the last one that's on the end of a stalk that's about an inch in diameter. The stalk it's on is nice and green and the baby sundew appears to still be growing. So.. Do I let it be a while and let it get larger and wait until the stalk starts to fail, and THEN snip and plant? Or should I snip it and plant it now while it's in grow mode? I'm sorry I'm asking alot of questions, but I really don't want to hurt it or screw it up when it's doing so well. (Aside from it refusing to make dew) I'm actually really good with plants. I swear. I can get almost anything to grow. From seeds, from cuttings, Orchids, Edibles, Flowering, nearly anything.. Except for Venus Fly Traps.. They apparently hate me. I really like CPs, but this is first time I've had the chance to acquire any, and I know they can be really fickle and I don't want to off the little guys. I would normally take the trial and error approach, but now that I have the forum to ask experienced CP growers I'd rather just ask. Thank all of you. On a side note: if anyone here reads this and knows how the hell to fix the reverse lights on a 1987 Jeep Wrangler pls send me a message

I would do it now. I only say that because to me it seems growing way up there on that stalk isn't giving it a chance to form roots. I think the stalks probably feeding it right now. So I wouldn't want to wait til the stalk turns brown. And sorry I don't know about your Jeep..

Hey Ayla, where are you in SE Texas? I live in Lumberton. I can give you a bunch of pointers and tips to growing carnivorous plants indoors and outdoors here in Texas.

Those plants definitely need a lot more light.

Hey Kate... Sorry about the rest of ur screen name.. I have had enough coffee yet. I would love sone pointers. I live in a blink and you miss it town outside of Victoria Tx. We got nailed 3x's in a row by Harvey. Whee Also, I love Les Miserables. Annd I really thought my plants were doing good the drosera went from 1 tiny sprout plant to about a dozen in there and made a multitude of stalks with flowers, and my pitcher plant under it went from a tiny sprout to getting to the point its almost touching the counter were im looking for a way to hang it, and has never had any dead spots, and my orchids and such on the same counter and window (i have a jungle behind my sink) are all growing new leaves and stems, and i had 4 vfts.. They hated me. Went to a medium war with them.. Tried every medium mix known to man and some new ones.. Til i had 1 vft left and said screw it. You're a plant.. Im gonna stick you in straight fine grain peat and if you dont live.... Well.. It did! It grew many leaves.. Many heads.. They all grew to maturity.. Having a new sprout surfacing nearly every other day.. Then one morning i got up, went to water them.. And the entire thing was turning black.. Starting at the base, not the heads.. So.. It died i dunno what happened. Nothing changed. And to be fair. So yall all dont hate me.. The 4 vfts started out as 2 plants from lowes that were actually 2 per pot and theyd been carried around in a car by an 8yr old boy, in 120 degreee texas summer heat, being left in the car, and feeding it random stuff.. And when it started looking bad they brought it to me. So to be fair - i did plant cpr and did what i could. So yeah. Help me

*Haven't had enough coffee yet.