Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 07:52:33 +0000 From: koudela@ure.cas.cz To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2538$foo@default> Subject: Re: Queensland Sundew Cultivation
Hi to all,
Here is my response to the question about D.adelae, D.prolifera and
D.schizandra cultivation:
I grow all these species in closed home-made terraria made entirely
of PMMA which stand on the windowsill facing north. It means these
plants did not get any direct sun at all except in long summer
evenings for a short period. All require high humidity. By 'high' I
mean above 70-80% or so which is guaranteed by the fact the terraria
are covered with their lids. The first two plants grow in peat with a
little sand or perlite added while D.schizandra in pure sphagnum.
Plastic pots with plants stay in 1-2 cm of (rain)water all year long
with no artificial lightening which means they get only light in
amount natural for central Europe. The temps are about 22 -30'C in
summer and 15-22'C in winter.
The first two are absolutely easy growers: D.adelae can be
even kept outside an terrarium and get more sun although it sometimes
stops growing and wither once a year but then sends up many new
leaves within a month without any special care. D.prolifera profusely
flowers and about 5 years ago I found its flowers can be pollinated
by hand which sometimes results in viable seeds. BTW, the
interesting fact is they are as large as those of tuberous sundews.
On the other hand, I have alternating results with growing
D.schizandra. It does grow with leaves best in autumn and winter but
not too happily throughout summer. This is maybe due to the fact I
keep the pots with them in a very small totally closed terrarium. I
used to grow D.prolifera there too but then I found the bigger the
terrarium volume, better they grow because conditions are there much
more stable. Anyway, D.schizandra produces many new plantlets from
the roots so I have no problem to keep it in my collection.
Hope this helps a bit,
Ivo
--------------------------------
Mgr.Ivo Koudela, Okruzni 25/21, Zdar nad Sazavou, Czech Republic
koudela@ure.cas.cz
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