FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Sponsored by FlytrapStore.com

Discuss Drosera, Byblis, and Drosophyllum plant care here

Moderator: Matt

By Jezavix
Posts:  2
Joined:  Sat Sep 04, 2021 3:11 pm
#388845
Hello everyone! I joined to find out what to do with the baby plants growing on my flower stem.

I've had my plant for a couple of years now, I bought it from eBay labelled as "Drosera capensis ‘Giant’ form" (not sure if that's right or not as I know nothing about the different varieties).
I like to think I've been looking after it well as I feel it looks healthy and has grown a lot. But other than the basic care guide that came with it (no tap water, plenty of sunlight and letting it sit in water) I really don't know much about these plants!

I didn't even know they could flower when I bought it so that was a surprise the first time! I used to just cut the flower stem after it finished flowering... just learnt from your forum that they can self pollinate so may have to try collecting seeds at some point!
This time however I didn't cut the stem because... well, it's started to grow plants from the tip.

Should remove them from the flower stem and pot them up? If so how big they should be first and should just cut them off or do something else? Any advice would be appreciated! Pictures of the plant and the flower stem are below, sorry they're not the best quality photos!
4.jpg
4.jpg (596.93 KiB) Viewed 2756 times
3.jpg
3.jpg (635.08 KiB) Viewed 2756 times
User avatar
By Rammplins
Location: 
Posts:  417
Joined:  Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:28 pm
#388848
Thats called false vivipary, and it doesn't happen very often. NICE!

If you just let it go eventually those little plantlets will die as the flower stalk starts wither away after it produces seed.
I would use a razorblade to cut them off the stem of the larger ones as close to the base as possible, and plant them up in a fresh pot of peat and perlite or sphagnum and perlite. Bag up the pots you planted them in for about 2 weeks and you should get a couple new clones of your plant from them! Be sure to open the bags about once a day to cycle the air in the bag a bit.
MaxVft, MikeB liked this
User avatar
By Panman
Location: 
Posts:  6398
Joined:  Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:41 pm
#388849
^^^ What he said. My personal preference is to keep a bit of the flower stalk with the plantlets when you plant them. That way they can use some of the energy from the withering stalk in producing roots. But like I said, that is my way. Rammplin's method is perfectly fine. You definitely will want to bag them and keep them in indirect light until the are established (3 to 6 weeks).
Rammplins liked this
User avatar
By Rammplins
Location: 
Posts:  417
Joined:  Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:28 pm
#388850
^^^what he said as well, I dont get sleep lately so sometimes im not quite as clear as I need to be.
Cut on the red and blue lines, the blue lines are more estimates as I cant see past the beautiful dew.
cap temp.PNG
cap temp.PNG (1.74 MiB) Viewed 2742 times
By Jezavix
Posts:  2
Joined:  Sat Sep 04, 2021 3:11 pm
#388851
Thank you both for the advice and thank you Rammplins for the picture and for sharing what it's called! I thought there must be a term for it, it's good to have the name so I can look it up. :)
I'll try planting them as you suggested and hope I do it right and they turn into some nice little plants!

SASE received. Order is fulfilled. Return envelope[…]

They arrived today! YAY! will get them planted out[…]

SASE received. Order is fulfilled. Return envelope[…]

Got my Trader Joe's VFTs

I'd heard rumors around the forums that TJ's has s[…]

Atlanta Georgia Meetup

To bad you can't make it. There is another meet up[…]

Dionaea m. ‘Ginormous’

Hey all, Just wanted to see some photos of your Di[…]

Finally

After a few nights in the 20s I can finally put th[…]

Hunting D. Binata

I'm hunting D. Binata Dichotoma Giant, D Binata Mu[…]

Support the community - Shop at FlytrapStore.com!