FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I'm wondering what accelerates and decelerates drosera seedling growth. I compared my d. capensis seedlings to my cousin's (both of which came from the same packet and were planted roughly the same time).* His were way larger then mine, however, mine were receiving more light.

I have a few theories:
1. Maybe mine are getting too much light.
2. Maybe mine were exposed to more heat.

*Note: He's growing in peat/perlite and I'm growing in the same except with a sphagnum top dressing. (don't know if this makes a difference)

was your cousin feeding them?

Sphagnum naturally has less nutrients compared to peat. Thats why it's better for keeping less algae. The little bit more of nutrients causes CPs to grow a bit faster. I suspect that is the reason.

The difference could be as simple as your cousin having more springtails in the soil (or fungus gnats flying around in the air) thus allowing his seedlings access to a food source your plants don't have or don't have as much of.

Plus, if I remember correctly, you don't live together, but are around three miles apart. That means you both have different growing environments as well.
Yours might be getting more light, but his may be 7 degrees warmer. Yours are on sphagnum, which moves water better, but peat holds water better.
All the little factors that people are suggesting may be insignificant by themselves, but, together, they add up.
Don't worry, it's not a race, as long as they're growing.

With cousins, relatives, siblings, it's always a race and a competition.

There's something weird with my cape seedlings. They grow a leaf and another leaf dies at the same time. So they don't grow much but repeat the cycle. Also, my surviving spatulata seedlings are only the ones that I fed. The rest are almost dead. I thought that they don't need to be fed in order to survive. Can any tell me what could be causing this?

When leaves die on seedling it's usually because they were fed too much food, or they are just old leaves. What are you feeding them??? Fish food? Bugs? Maxsea?

That's the thing, I'm feeding them nothing.

Could we see some pictures?

The cape seedlings about 2 1/2 months old:

How come you don’t feed them max sea? You don’t have to worry too much about algae with maxsea. As long as the leaves have dew they can be fed. Use a blunt tip oil/glue medicine dropper thing. Around a 25 gauge or so works good.

There's only one problem, I don't have any. I was gonna request some with my last request, but I forgot.

TrapsAndDews wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:30 pm There's only one problem, I don't have any. I was gonna request some with my last request, but I forgot.

You should be able to request some in a few days. (1 request per month)

More like in eleven and a half hours.