Growing Sundew in mini globe terrarium?
 

Hi all! Hope spring is treating you well. :waving


A local nursery recently got some teeny Droseras in. I've been wanting one for a while to help control the gnat population in my home.
From what the salesperson was able to tell me over the phone, the sundews they have are the ones with long, skinny leaves covered in tendrils- makes me think it might be a subtropical sundew? Their tags don't say anything more than "Drosera."

If that's so, do they not need as much humidity?
Living in a dry home in a dry state, I was thinking it would do best in a mini terrarium.

I have an old fashioned glass globe terrarium (I bet it would hold a 1/2 gal, has a 4" opening on the top) that's probably an antique, but is pretty substantial looking, so not afraid of damaging it.

The plants they have are in 2" pots, and are pretty tiny, would this little globe be good for them?

How would I set it up? I have peat moss and sphagnum moss available, I'm planning on buying some sand.
Would I use 2:1 peat and sand, with a moss top dressing?
Can i just sit it's pot in the terrarium, with a water reservoir in the bottom? Or could I do a layer of gravel, then the peat and moss, and do that for it to have the water on the bottom?


Sorry for all the questions, I hope you guys can help!

Izzie;

It might be Drosera capensis. They're a pretty common beginner 'dew and practically indestructible.
http://www.pitcherplant.com/image_fo...cape_page.html

They won't get all the gnats, but they'll put a pretty good dent in them and they're fun.

I grow mine in standard CP 50:50 sand-peat mix and set the pot in a margarine tub or something similar and set them among the plants. You don't need to add any moss, it'll sprout on its own.

Water with RO, distilled, rain, or dehumidifier water (It must be mineral free). When I water, I fill almost to the brim of the tub and let it dry down almost to empty and then refill.

Cheers.
Jim

Izzie,

This sounds lke a good, fun idea.

:) Thanks Ted and Jim.

Jim- I've been hoping it's a capensis, that's the kind I've been looking for. I was going to order one online if I couldn't get it at my nursery.

So do you not think the globe will be necessary?

Do they need good drainage? As in, does the 'tub" that I put it in, not need holes on the bottom?

Do you fill with media all the way to the top of the tub (within an inch?)? I'm worried that will get stagnant with such a tiny plant.

I know to use distilled water (that's all I have access to.)- should I mist with it every day?

Can I use a ceramic (glazed) pot instead of plastic? (not to say a margarine tub wouldn't be cute :lol: )


Speaking of moss- was excited to see some teeeeny sprouts in the dirt of my baby easter cactus- who is chucking out new leaves like you wouldn't believe, woo!


ETA: While trying to get to sleep last night (despite my cat plastered to my side, hiding from the oh-so-scary t-storm outside), I started to worry that maybe that small opening in the globe would deter any insects from visiting the sundew...... :/

:D Hop on board and join the fun! It'll be like OB Member Project- CP edition.

Went and picked up the teeny guy today.
It's planted in sphag in one of those typical cone containers.

Should I continue to keep it in sphag?

Will it be okay outside of a terrarium, sitting in a dish of distilled water? My home stays around 30% humidity.

Or should I stick with the terrarium idea.

I have a Drosera spathulata growing with my orchids to help snag fungus gnats. The plant is going crazy and will need a bigger pot soon, so I assume what I'm doing what it likes. I keep the pot sitting in water (also in a cottage cheese container :)). I flush the pot out with fresh water once week and replace the water that the plant pot is sitting in. They do like humidity and I was told that if the orchids are doing well, then Drosera will do well. They also like fairly high light. I grow under T5 fluorescents. It is my understanding that you do not want to mist them or fertilize them. I did have a Drosera capenensis that was doing great until I was gone too long for a vacation and it got too dry-these plants do not like to get dry.

Susan

What kind of medium do you have it in Sue?


My worry is that I am not sure if I have access to peat/dirt that is completely free of fertilizer- and I can't warrant buying an entire bag (we just bought a lot of dirt, and it has fertilizer worked in)

It looks like it is in a peat/sand mixture. I think sphagnum can also be used. If you want to go with a different mix, then there is a store near where I live that has the peat mix specifically for carnivorous plants and it is inexpensive for a small bag. If you want me to, I could send you a bag of it. This site might help you:

The Carnivorous Plant FAQ

Susan

I wonder if you could getaway with using a pure perlite or a perlite/vermiculite mix, since there is an already existing reservoir?