FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi guys. Im really despirate now to find real information about scorpioides care and it pretty much peeves me off that absolutely every website I go to treats "pygmies" as a single plant, litterally never giving real care information for specific pygmies, sometimes even goving false info instead.

Guys, exactly what do you need to care for scorpioides?

It is summer here, it gets to 35 and higher here in the day and 24 at night (Degrees celsius). The humidity here is about 30 percent now, maybe a little above, and 15 percent on really hot days (39 celsius). I leave them standing permanently in a tray of very pure reverse osmosis water along with all my other plants and I give them as much direct sunlight as I possibly can (almost always more than 4 hours when the clouds are clear).
I do this for all my plants (VFT's, capensis, burmannii, pulchella, scorpioides, sarracenia minor)

1: What temperatures to D.Scorpioides preffer in summer? (Min/max)

2: what temperatures do they preffer in the winter? (Min/max)

3: What are their watering prefferences? I mean, do they like being permanently in a tray of 1 inch deep water?

4: Does low humidity effect them or their dew production? (if they get enough sunlight)

5: Do's and dont's?

Guys, if you can answer those questions, I will be in your debt because Im litterally writing it in a journal I have specifically for my plants and so far there is absolutely nothing under the scorpioides section.

Thank you guys so much for any help!

The reason sites treat pygmy Drosera care as for one species is because they're really all almost identical in how they should be grown - kinda like how there are minor differences between Sarracenia species but most sources will tell you how to care only for the genus as a whole.

1. Same as other pygmies.
2. Growing season - same as other pygmies.
3. Same as other pygmies. The only difference I've noted is that D. scorpiodes might appreciate being kept just a bit drier, but that can be because of my conditions.
4. Same as other pygmies.
5. Do - treat like other pygmies! If they form stipule buds and enter summer dormancy (likely with your day temps), cut back on the water. Expect losses, so always think about gemmae production.

In conclusion: just grow them like other pygmies and they'll do well!

SerMuncherIV wrote:The reason sites treat pygmy Drosera care as for one species is because they're really all almost identical in how they should be grown - kinda like how there are minor differences between Sarracenia species but most sources will tell you how to care only for the genus as a whole.

1. Same as other pygmies.
2. Growing season - same as other pygmies.
3. Same as other pygmies. The only difference I've noted is that D. scorpiodes might appreciate being kept just a bit drier, but that can be because of my conditions.
4. Same as other pygmies.
5. Do - treat like other pygmies! If they form stipule buds and enter summer dormancy (likely with your day temps), cut back on the water. Expect losses, so always think about gemmae production.

In conclusion: just grow them like other pygmies and they'll do well!

I see what you mean... but how can I grow them if they will keep going dormant due to the heat here? Even if they make gemmae

If you can keep them cool during the hottest part of the year they shouldn't even go dormant. As long as day temps can remain below 85F or so they should continue growing.

I shade D. scorpioides in the summer if it gets really hot. They don't need a lot of humidity to keep their dew, but I do keep them in about an inch of water. If pygmies dry out, it may trigger them into dormancy, which they may not come back from.

I wouldn't worry very much. D. scorpioides is one of the hardiest pygmy sundews out there.

SerMuncherIV wrote:If you can keep them cool during the hottest part of the year they shouldn't even go dormant. As long as day temps can remain below 85F or so they should continue growing.

Lol, 85 is a blessing for us around here. It almost never gets that low in the summer.

MrsMuscipula wrote:I shade D. scorpioides in the summer if it gets really hot. They don't need a lot of humidity to keep their dew, but I do keep them in about an inch of water. If pygmies dry out, it may trigger them into dormancy, which they may not come back from.

I wouldn't worry very much. D. scorpioides is one of the hardiest pygmy sundews out there.

If they are so hardy, why cant they survive dormancy? It kinda confuses me a lot, arent they supposed to survive dormancy? Its a sleep, not a coma, hahaha! Sorry, my nerves are fried. I was hoping I could let them go dormant and keep them warmer in wintertime (its sometimes -6 degrees celsius here in winter) and let them grow then. It seems simpler in theory

Most pygmies are very prone to root rot during dormancy (even if water is reduced), with some growers experiencing losses upward of 50%...that's why it's generally not recommended to allow them to go dormant. More info here: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/sunde ... estivation

SerMuncherIV wrote:Most pygmies are very prone to root rot during dormancy (even if water is reduced), with some growers experiencing losses upward of 50%...that's why it's generally not recommended to allow them to go dormant. More info here: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/sunde ... estivation

I'll be honest: that scares me. 50 percent survival rate? How do they do it in their natural habitat? And how can I keep them cooler?

Shade the plants when the sunlight is too harsh or avoid growing them outside and have them on a sunny windowsill in a cooler room. In some climates it's simply not possible to keep the temperatures low all year so you may just have to deal with them possibly going dormant.

I grow D. scorpiodes right next to D. capensis in the same conditions: Lots of light, water tray, standard 50:50 peat:perlite mix, 50% humidity, 12-16 hour photoperiod, temperatures ~70F day, ~60F night year-round. I believe the photoperiod needs to go a bit lower to get proper gemmae production though a couple of my plants are producing right now anyway.

I hope you can figure out a way to keep temperatures down, good luck!

Gry wrote:

SerMuncherIV wrote:Most pygmies are very prone to root rot during dormancy (even if water is reduced), with some growers experiencing losses upward of 50%...that's why it's generally not recommended to allow them to go dormant. More info here: http://www.terraforums.com/forums/sunde ... estivation

I'll be honest: that scares me. 50 percent survival rate? How do they do it in their natural habitat? And how can I keep them cooler?

They survive by producing lots and lots of gemmae. The gemmae have a springy root at their base, so raindrops can make them spring off and reproduce several feet away.

Edit to add: Keep them cooler by providing shade in the hot summer sun, and keep them well watered. If cooling is very important to you, you can invest in an air conditioner.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the help!

Thanks for all theminformation guys! But now, how domI care for scorpiodes if they go dormant?

SerMuncherIV wrote: If they form stipule buds and enter summer dormancy (likely with your day temps), cut back on the water. Expect losses, so always think about gemmae production.

http://www.bestcarnivorousplants.com/cu ... ygmies.htm

When it's hot keep them in bright shade and in a water tray at all times. It gets 80+ in inside in my west windows in summer here and mine do fine.