Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 17:13:19 +1000 From: "Mark T. Bachelor" <bachelor@gateway.mggs.vic.edu.au> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1715$foo@default> Subject: Tuberous Drosera
Most tuberous Drosera due best in full sun. D. peltata naturally grows in
open exposed places, whether it is grassland, the edge of heathland or
rocky out crops.
D. macrantha grows in semi-shaded grass on the edge of heathland and atop
grassy sand dunes where it gets a lot of sun, but is sheltered from the full
force of the wind.
D. whittakeri grows in heavy shade (dense bush and heathland) and exposed
areas, including paths on sand dunes and rock out crops.
D. auriculata grows in grass in semi-shade to almost full sun. Like D.
macrantha it uses the grass for support.
My W.A. plants D. menziesii, D. stolonifera ssp. rupicola, D. gigantea all
do better if given plenty of sun, however being much further south than
their native sands I have to be careful to protect them from frost.
I am giving my new plants the same sort of treatment, a cool shady spot in
summer after they have dried out and a sunny spot in winter and spring.
Of my tuberous Drosera (TD) only D. peltata & D. whittakeri seem to grow
well inside, the W.A. plants seem to suffer if denied sufficient sunshine.
D. peltata grows like a weed. Seedlings come up in pots of my Sarras and
Cephs and any other pot that is not over grown with D. capensis.
D. peltata & D. whittakeri can be grown in shallow dishes with very little
peat or sand, but D. gigantea requires a large pot to reach its full
potential. Most others require a 15 cm pot.
Victorian plants can tolerate snow but W.A. plants don't know what snow is
and will suffer if exposed to freezing temperatures. I am currently waiting
to see what comes up this year as my plants were frozen last year due to
unusually low temperatures. The tuber of my D. stolonifera ssp. rupicola
was much smaller than it normally is. Its growth season was cut very short
by the frosts. Freezing temperates are rare here, but in mountainous areas
Victorian plants have to cope with a month or two of snow which may come and
go. Even in these areas it does not get to much below freezing in sheltered
areas. I don't think that they grow in the snow fields, but they may come
up after the snow clears.
I grow all my TD in very sandy mixes (some 3/4 sand to 1/4 peat) with a
central column of sand for the stem to grow through and bed of sand at the
bottom of the pot which is kept in place by a layer of sphagnum that blocks
the holes of the pot and acts as wick to draw water from a very shallow
water tray (a planter dish) that holds a maximum of 1cm of water.
D. peltata grows in much wetter conditions as well as those that I use for
other TD.
As I said it grows like a weed.
Regards
Mark T Bachelor
Biology Technican
Melbourne Girls Grammar School Voice: +61 (03) 9866 1676
South Yarra, Victoria, Fax: +61 (O3) 9866 5768
Australia 3141
STAV National Science Week Family Day Co-ordinator
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