Ordovic

I agree with Karsty, that's a cutting. Very little rhizome, no roots, clearly freshly cut. I would be pretty cross if I paid £20 for a division and that's what arrived. I'm curious as to the seller but also why send one like this if all the others in same order were good quality. That is not £20 worth of plant regardless how rare.

I'm confused by the growing monopoly Westland has in garden centres across the country, since I find all of their products to be of dubious quality.

Isn't day length the most important factor in the growth cycle of tuberous sundews?

Well, obviously! Now the science has been done.

Last year at the end of Summer, I cut back a single 10cm pitcher that was rotting from the middle and starting to go mouldy due to "indigestion", but was still green below; the putrid stench of the fluid that spilled out was simply vile. So I advise against cutting into any pitcher that isn't completely brown and crispy dry.

Probably too early, yes. Not a good idea to buy frost-tender plants such as Heliamphora in the middle of winter any way.

Wow! I hope you know what you're getting into; that's a lot of plants you're going to have. Considering they need to be almost mature before you'll know which plants are 'the keepers' is 1 polytunnel enough....? Well best of luck with them. I look forward to following their progress.

Okay, thanks

Are there any other species of tuberous sundews, besides D. peltata, that will tolerate being in wet substrate year round or is it completely unique in this regard? (asking for "a friend" ) What of those species that used to be considered subspecies/varieties of D. peltata?

I don't have any records of actual temperatures to share but in my experience, with the protection an unheated greenhouse provides against wind, torrential rain (or snow), animals, air frosts and the constant freeze-thaw, my VFTs and D. capensis cope perfectly well with being frozen solid in their pots, literally, for a few days most winters. Full grown D. capensis often lose some or all of their growth points over winter only to grow back strong from the roots or, more usually, from portions of stem above soil level before the end of winter. Similarly, D. madagascariensis dies off completely when things get frosty but reliably re-sprout from roots in spring. Even D. slackii will tolerate some light freezing (I bring them indoors if forecast is too arctic but haven't needed to this year and it's been cold enough for water to freeze in the greenhouse). Interestingly, Drosera verrucata seems to take the same conditions in it's stride, while D. binata lives but does not thrive, having to grow back from the roots each year. I provide no additional insulation nor are they kept particularly dry -still wet would be more accurate. So will definitely trial some spare VFT's on the outside of the glass next winter, in a sheltered position, just to see how far I can push them.

That's an interesting set-up for your VFT's, may I ask what's going on there? I see that expanding insulation foam and a terracotta pot/pipe cut in half, but I'm curious as to the rationale behind it too. Is the metal on the bottom right corner of the pic anything to do with it

A survey of the examples of various varieties members grow by state or county of origin might yield something more meaningful. Especially for S. f. var. atropurpurea.

1) Not really no. 2) I'd wait 'til arrives before assessing if it needs repotting. It shouldn't be much of an issue if you felt like it. 3) Sphag peat/ perlite should be fine (I use sand instead of perlite for dews -though to be fair mine is still in the same pot and media it came in but then I only got round to growing this particular species a couple of years ago) 4) Keep rainwater in the dish all the time 5) It won't grow vertically straight on a windowsill unless you keep turning them! Will get quite leggy over winter. Like manders mine die off from freezing in an unheated greenhouse and grow back from the roots in spring. Seems to be fairly easy to grow. Where are you buying from?

Don't rule out that it could just be a response to regional variation in the growing environment and not genetic. Need to cultivate side by side to know. Or indeed a coincidence of the normal seasonal variation.

The mongrel purps I leave outside tend to get brutalised by molluscs. So be aware.