> I have sown [Drosophyllum] in a mixture of sand and peat, about equal
> parts. I keep the substrate dryer than normal CP, about as dry (wet)
> as my regular house-plants. There is a transparent polythene pot on
> top, so the humidity must be fairly high. The plants are in the
> shadow but receive enough light. The temperature was a few weeks ago
> 20-25C (+/- 70F) and is now 25-28C (+/- 80F) The seeds germinate very
> well, all within 4-8 weeks. They grow fast but when they have about 4
> to 5 leaves they wither and die in a few days. There are no visible
> signs of fungus, parasites or other diseases. I think my conditions
> are good, what can I be doing wrong?
I have seen Drosophyllum growing wild in southern Spain, and can give you
a few pointers about its growing conditions that might help you.
MEDIUM: All the plants I saw grew in a soil that looks like practically
100% very find sand with lots of sandstone rocks mixed in of
various sizes. When it settles and dries, it is almost rock hard.
I saw many of the largest, oldest, and healthiest-looking plants
growing directly out of the cracks in large sandstone rocks.
I didn't see a single plant growing in anything resembling peat.
Why do so many Drosophyllum growers use peat ? The Drosophyllum
habitat is about as different from a peat bog as I can imagine.
It's hot, sunny, dry, and sandy. If your plants are already
potted in peat/sand, you can probably leave them there with no
problem, but just don't keep it moist all the time - keep it dry.
WATER: Keep very dry most of the time, just moistening the top of the
soil with about 1/4 cup of water every couple of days when it
gets too dry. You can tell when the plants are too dry when the
outermost leaves start to fall horizontal to the ground and the
newer leaves don't grow as long as the previous ones, get slightly
wavy at the tips and don't have much dew. Water in the evening or
early morning before it gets too hot.
HUMIDITY: Very dry. Take the cover off your pots, or else the plants may rot.
TEMPERATURE: Yours sounds fine.
LIGHT: Full sun, all day long. In the habitat I visited, I didn't see
a single plant growing in the areas with partial or full shade.
They all grew on the same side of the hills - facing south, with
no obstacles between them and the sun.
I don't know what part of the country you live in, but if you're in a
dry, arid, sunny area you might consider growing them outside. I have
one plant growing on my balcony that I transplanted from the habitat I
visited (it was growing right next to the roadside, and was almost
certainly doomed to get run over soon). Yes, you can transplant them if
you're careful. It gets full sun all day long, a heavy rain about once
every 3 or 4 weeks, and a little bit of water every 2 or 3 days in
between. The daytime temperature gets up to 30-35C on most days, and
20-25C at night. It's been growing fine for about 4 months now, is
getting bigger, and catches more bugs than all the other plants in my
collection combined.
I hope this helps.
Gordon Wells
Instituto de Cibernetica
Diagonal 647, planta 2
Barcelona 08028
SPAIN