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Drosophyllum behaviour after flowering- during setting


Iwein

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For the first time I cultivate this plant, and it has made a huge display of flowers.

Now the first seeds are harvested, while last flowers are still open.

see picture - 2 plants

how the plant previously looked like can be seen in this album

However, since the plant has begun flowering, the height (length) of the leaves has shrunk dramatically. Approximately the height of the plant is only half of the height before flowering began.

From the leafs bases, there are also lots of small new growing points emerging.

But the plant doesn't produce any dew anymore.

Is this normal? What could I do to have it producing slime droplets again?

It needs to feed again!

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I had the same problem the only time I had long-term success with Drosophyllum. The plant grew very well and flowered, but then faded away and died. I'm sure that if I say this other people with more experience of growing this species will disagree, but could it be that Drosophyllum isn't a plant designed to go on and on. Looking at the photos of your flowering plants, they give the impression that it is throwing all its energy into flowering and keeping none back for fuure growth. Maybe not a true annual/biennial in that it can persist for longer, but one pursuing he same strategy of producing the maximum number of seeds now rather than vegetative growth. So you would be better restarting plants from seed. Alternatively, removing flower stems before flowering might keep it healthily vegetative.

I have heard that some people have had success burning the dead leaves off their plants - I hesitate to recommend it but that might be worth looking into. There was an article that talked about this in the CPS Journal a few years ago.

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Hi Iwein,

Not to worry. This growing behavior is absolutely normal for Drosophyllum. The plant stops growing and slime production while setting seeds. When the seeds are developed, the plants will go on growing form the newly formed basal rosettes (the small leaves as you describe). These new basal rosettes are then the new growing points for the plant.

Regards,

Jan

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Thanks for the replies,

I will start some seeds for the case that...

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