Joseph Clemens Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Drosera capillaris was the very first sundew I ever grew. It was not always one of the easiest for me to grow either, but once I had seen them in the Southeastern USA, covering the ground for scores of acres, it was awesome and quite inspiring. After seeing them growing so vigorously and prolifically in the wild I extrapolated what I was neglecting them in cultivation, provided it and have had good success with them ever since. Here is one of my favorite forms to get this started: The seed this plant was grown from was collected near the U.S. Naval Hospital, Pensacola, Florida, USA. It was found in a roadside ditch where I also discovered the near red-pigment-free form of the same species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Brad Ventura California Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemens Posted November 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Thanks Brad, This type I got from Meadowview Biological Research Station: It is much smaller under the same conditions and much more colorful. When I saw them in the field, this is what the vast majority looked like, either this or like the one in your photo. There were many exceptions, especially when they were growing in dense vegetation and not getting full sunlight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundewmatt Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Hey Pingman... Nice pics. Why wasn't capillaris the easiest for you to grow? I've found the typical form to be really easy. There should be a pic or 2 of some of my capillaris on my website growlist. (see link below). I had some more of some I recently got but I think I accidentally deleted them before uploading them to the computer. Ooops.... How's the capillaris 'alba' I sent you? Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnedarn Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 I am currently growing a whole batch of these plants from seed. Infact I noticed today the first flowerstalk on this plant. 3 others also have flowerstalks... Anyway, you can tell from the picture this plant is still pretty young. I hope it shows what you are looking for. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemens Posted November 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 SundewMatt, The difficulty I had been having was not anticipating the effort that many of them put into blooming. They can almost bloom themselves to death, sometimes. All of the Drosera capillaris did not behave like this, but some of them did. Once I learned to anticipate this I remedied it by trimming all flower scapes from the plants once I had a sufficient amount of seed harvested. The plants would often stop growing for a month or two after blooming and then begin again with renewed vigor. The Drosera capillaris (alba) seed you sent is doing very well. I have a nice colony going. Unfortunately I neglected to take photos while they were blooming this summer, and now they are in their post-bloom decline. I will photograph them once they resume growth, to include them in this thread. I am currently assembling a Drosera photo album at: Drosera photo album Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Hiemann Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 A small story from Germany :) In Germany it is really difficult to find real D. capillaris seeds or plants. 95% are wrong labeled D. spatulata. It would be great if somebody can send me some seeds from Drosera capillaris. A can swap with german Drosera rotundifolia from genuine location (Saxony) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Hi, I don't have a plant yet But i can provide two pictures of seeds i received today. Here they are : The seeds are from plant i got as Drosera capillaris 'Pasco County'. best wishes, Christian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundewmatt Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 Here is one of mine. I've got several, all with location data. Note the white secretion on the leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemens Posted December 29, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2003 Here are some microscopic images of seed from various Drosera capillaris plants: 200x 60x From top to bottom in the two columns the seed are from the same Drosera capillaris plants, the difference being the degree of magnification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemens Posted January 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2004 Here is a photo of a Drosera capillaris I discovered in Pensacola, Florida the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. It is nearly all green, and with a white flower. The only red pigment is a pale pink on the tentacles and tentacle gland tips. -------------------- One other thing I would like to mention about the all Green form: Immediately after I acquired it, I grew about 50 or more of them in a community tray (13cm x 26cm) and harvested most of the seed they produced that summer (a fairly large amount of seed). I then sent 1/2 of the seed collected to the ICPS seedbank so it could be distributed further. Then came a period (about a year) when I was unable to cultivate plants of any kind, CP included, (my work kept me on the road, away from home, more than I was home). So I was trusting that my portion of these unusual Drosera capillaris would survive as "germplasm" seed that I had kept to restore them when I could again cultivate plants including CP. But, alas, when the time came, though I was able to germinate a great many CP seed that I had been keeping, I was unable to germinate any of the all Green Drosera capillaris seed, they had lost their viability. Thank goodness I had earlier distributed seed through the ICPS seedbank. Not only was I able to reaquire this interesting variant (thank you SundewMatt), but I learned that it had been written about in The Savage Garden. Thanks Peter D'Amato. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundewmatt Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 You're welcome, Joe. :) I'm actually wondering if something might have gone wrong with your seed storage there as I believe I have had 1 year old seed germinate for me. In fact, the seed I sent you might have been older than 1 year old. Maybe you didn't let it dry out well enough before refrigerating / freezing it? Anyway, it's good to see your plants are doing well. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnedarn Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Here is one of mine. I've got several, all with location data. Note the white secretion on the leaves. What is this secretion you are refering to? If you look at my plant pictured above it also has this. Thanks, Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Rico, did you get seed yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Hiemann Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Oh yes! I get some seeds. I am awaiting germination. But I am still interested in seeds from genuine locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundewmatt Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hi Andrew, I'm not sure what the secretion is made of. Anyone else know? Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odysseus Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 After seeing them growing so vigorously and prolifically in the wild I extrapolated what I was neglecting them in cultivation, provided it and have had good success with them ever since. PingMan, What exactly did you extrapolate? I have a couple new D. Capillaris and am curious to know how I can make my plants live a little better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemens Posted January 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 That when they bloom they do so with such abandon they seriously weaken themselves. If you keep an eye on them and give them a little hand feeding with, for instance, "freeze-dried bloodworms" that they will perk up and bounce back more quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odysseus Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 That when they bloom they do so with such abandon they seriously weaken themselves. If you keep an eye on them and give them a little hand feeding with, for instance, "freeze-dried bloodworms" that they will perk up and bounce back more quickly. So, then what you changed was simply feeding them freeze-dried bloodworms after flowering? Anything else besides that? Think that'll have the same effect on D. Capensis. 4 of my Capensis are flowering. Schnell says that if you don't want seeds cut the scape once it has flowered at least one flower. Or the plant tries to send up another scape making it use even more energy. Is that the case? Or can I cut the stalk once it appears. You know, before it loses its healthy look. Anyway, if I do need to let the scape flower at least one flower...do you think those Blood-worms will bring my Capensis back to life too? Seriously, my Capensis is pale green and ends of the dewy traps are getting mold on them before I cut them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnedarn Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 SundewMatt: I know that slightly after I took that picture that tray of plants (about 50 planted in one undrained tray) began to look bad. I put holes in the bottom of the tray and ran water through it, caught the run off and tested the TDS. It was very high from what I usually keep it at. (it was about 190 PPM I usually keep them at less than 30 PPM) Perhaps the white secretion is the plant reacting to the high TDS by the stoma passing off the salts? Do you have a TDS tester where you could check your substrate? Did you notice the plant pictured decline in health to the point where you changed the substrate etc etc? Thanks, Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Andrew, where'd you get the TDS meter? Regards Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adnedarn Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Tim: I picked mine up from a local company that installs/repairs reverse osmosis systems here in town. It is a diagnostic device technicians use to check the effectiveness of you RO membrane. I think I get them for 25 bucks or so. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 That's good, practical advice, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundewmatt Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Andrew, I don't have a tester but the plants are growing fine. Also, I only use distilled water so unless there were salts in the sphagnum the capillaris plants are in or the peat/perlite plants in the same "tray" are in then there is no other possible source of salt. Had I been using tap water, I might have thought this could be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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