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Is anybody growing Drosera falconeri?


The body snatcher pod

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Hi there!

Just wondering if is there anybody who grows D. falconeri here. I just considering to purchase one or two falconeri plants from carnivoria.eu (they seem to be quite cheap and shipment is not expensive) but I don´t know If I will manage to give them their proper growing conditions.

I know they like it hot and wet. But how much hot? I don´t want to overheat my terrarium because I am growing more plants in there and they are not as so heat loving as falconeri. Temps there are (now in autum/winter) 25/24ºC max. 18ºC min and can be a little lower in the deep of the winter. In sumer temps rise up a few degrees there.

Shoud I be able to grow falconeri there or is too cold for them? I am considering in building another terrarium just for this heat loving plants.

Also I want to ask if falconeri dormancy is a must. If I keep it warm and wet, with bright light, will grow year round or anyway will go dormant finally despite of the "springish" growing conditions?

Thanks!!!

Edited by The body snatcher pod
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I think you should try some easier species of Drosera sect. Lasiocephala. D. paradoxa is an excellent beginners plant from this group. If this plant will grow with no troubles, you can place there D. falconeri. But i think that 18°C is quite low for falconeri.

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Guest Andreas Eils

Hello "Body snatcher pod" (why do some forum users not at least reveal their true forename?... :wink: ),

I don´t grow "Petiolariscomplex Droserae" anymore but had them in my tropical lowland tank some years ago. They were growing very well in there. I had a maximum of 26°C during autumn & winter at daytime and at least 20°C in the night. In summer temperatures ranged between 33°C at daytime and 21°C at night with a constant high humidity (75 - 90% rel.). So, the "Petiolariscomplex Droserae" don´t necessarily need it very hot to grow well.

If temperatures drop down to 15°C and even lower than moist soil can be problematic (and cause rotting). Cool conditions and dry soil are no problem. But then the plants are forced into dormancy I guess. My advice would be try to keep temperatures at least no lower than 20°C.

You don´t need to trigger dormancy in winter for "Petiolariscomplex Droserae". Just watch the plants if the rosettes decrease in diametre. If petioles become shorter and leaves smaller it´s a sign the plant is preparing for dormancy. Then slowly decrease watering and level of moisture in the soil. You may grow the plant for a while without dormancy (perhaps up to two years) but according to my and other growers´ experience the plant WILL one day step into dormancy and this can be even in summer when the plant feels to need a rest!

It´s important to keep the soil ALMOST dry during dormancy, which means the upper part of the soil should be totally dry and the lower third can stay slightly damp. Dormancy is a bit challenging I´ve found. I´ve never let the soil at the bottom of the pot become totally dry. I´ve read of losses at those who tried keeping the soil bone dry for the whole dormancy. Plants never returned to growth.

However Maurizio Sarolda in Italy has a technique with which he succeeds in bone dry dormancy. I believe he keeps his plants outside all year. So, during autumn and winter it can be rather cold for the resting plants.

During dormancy a constant high humidity (>80%) is required. But inside a terrarium there´s usually a high humidity anyway. ;o)

This is what I can tell you from my experience. But I cannot give a guarantee.

Good luck!

Andreas

Edited: A few pictures as evidence =P

gallery_1944_362_197301.jpg

gallery_1944_362_90241.jpg

Edited 2: Oops...a typo...ehehe... :oops:

Edited by Andreas Eils
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Thank you for your kind replies! I will consider very carefully growing something else than "paradoxa" in my terrarium because I grow Helis in there and I think it will be a little in the cold side, abobe all, in winter. But, is very interesting what you tell, Andreas Elis, so I will meditate what to do.

However I am also considering bulding another terrarium only for growin petiolaris... will see...

By the way, Andreas Elis, my name is Enrique, but I find funnier to use a funny nickname as I use... because of the film, The Body Snatchers... you know, a plant like alien life form, coping people whit giant pods and replacing them... Well... the film is about something like plants doing something strange, and this forum is about strange plants doing "weird" things like hunt and eat. ... so... The Body Snatcher Pod... :yes:

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Guest Andreas Eils

What? Heliamphora together with D. falconeri???? :blink: That´s indeed a crazy idea! LOL If there are two different "types" of carnivorous plants which surely don´t fit together regarding their demands in growing conditions then I´d say it´s Heliamphora and "Petiolariscomplex Drosera". :wink: D. paradoxa is more robust than the other species of Sect. Lasiocephala....if it´s also happy in a Heli tank, well, just try...

Yes, better build a terrarium only for 'Petiolariscomplex Droserae'! I´ve had mine in the lowland Nepenthes tank until the Neps became too big.... I lost them almost all in winter 2009 when I kept them in a tub where humidity obviously was too low - although it was covered for 90%... :oops:

Hai...it´s not good to "change a winning team"....

As for the nickname: It´s okay to use a fantasy name as user name. It´s only I would prefer to write "Hello Enrique" in the introduction of my post instead of the very extended "Hello Body Snatcher Pod".... :laugh:

Best regards

Andreas

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What? Heliamphora together with D. falconeri???? :blink: That´s indeed a crazy idea! LOL If there are two different "types" of carnivorous plants which surely don´t fit together regarding their demands in growing conditions then I´d say it´s Heliamphora and "Petiolariscomplex Drosera". :wink: D. paradoxa is more robust than the other species of Sect. Lasiocephala....if it´s also happy in a Heli tank, well, just try...

Yes, better build a terrarium only for 'Petiolariscomplex Droserae'! I´ve had mine in the lowland Nepenthes tank until the Neps became too big.... I lost them almost all in winter 2009 when I kept them in a tub where humidity obviously was too low - although it was covered for 90%... :oops:

Hai...it´s not good to "change a winning team"....

As for the nickname: It´s okay to use a fantasy name as user name. It´s only I would prefer to write "Hello Enrique" in the introduction of my post instead of the very extended "Hello Body Snatcher Pod".... :laugh:

Best regards

Andreas

Yeah, you´re right! :laugh2: I don´t know how I could end thinking something like that, my friend!! Anyway, I have discarded growing falconery for the moment. (Well, in Heli tank, no. I know, I mean in other placeces. I will try first with easier petiolaris complex.

Well, my terrarium temps are very mild, not in the hot, nor ind the cold side, because I use LED lignting. So, yes, it´s good for Helis, no so good for the most demanding petiolaris complex drosecerae... Just wondering if they just have the chance to grow them there. Anyway, temps are no extremely low in there, may be I could try a "paradoxa" in there. :-)

So, the thing is, if I want more "petiolaris complex" I have to put another terrarium. Oh man, my plants are invading the whole house... :training1:

Cheers!!!

Edited by The body snatcher pod
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Petiolaris complex is very difficult to grow ,i have try this and give it up,when temps go below 20° you lost them all ,even when it s only for a day or so.This genus is very sensitive,when go in rest ,the most go in rest for allways and not came back.

Never grow this again ,it s a waist of money and time,things go good for a year or so,i never can grow this longer ,i know there are growers specialised on this but she have the right place for them,the most difficult is temps,when you not can garanty a temp above 20° ,not begin whit this,

Cheers Will

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Thank you Will! I think my temps will be a little low for them... May be I will set up a little tank for some petiolaris in spring, when temps rise up, and think something to keep the tank warm the folowing winter...

Edited by The body snatcher pod
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Guest Andreas Eils

Buenas tardes Enrique, =))

during growing time it´s for sure better not to let the temperature drop below 20°C also in the night. The best conditions are more than 30°C at daytime and a constant high humidity of 80% or more and strong light (maybe best is direct sunlight).

When I "threw" all my "Petiolariscomplex" plants out of the lowland terrarium in summer 2009 I grew them very nicely below my South-West facing roof window in a large tub with permanent water at the bottom (and a heating cable for too cool days and nights). They got direct sunlight and as you can see in the pictures above were very happy and beautifully coloured. When temperatures and light intensity decreased in autumn the plants were reducing their size and indicated they will go into dormancy. Almost all plants (except D. paradoxa, D. petiolaris and D. dilatato-petiolaris) disappeared completely overground! I hadn´t had that before. In the heated terrarium the plants still produced leaves even if they were very short and small.

Like Willy mentioned my plants didn´t return into growth next spring either after they spent their first winter outside the terrarium. :( I have found out the thickened rhizomes or bulbs have totally dried out and apperently shrivelled! :shock: I guess that was because of a too low humidity. In habitat dormant Petiolariscomplex Droserae receive moisture from nightly mists that waft inland from the coast.

Dormancy of Petiolariscomplex species is challenging indeed. In case the soil is a little too moist the "bulbs" can fastly rot. If the dormant plants receive too less moisture (humidity/fog) it´s also their end!

Nights can be very chilly in habitat in winter. Andreas Fleischmann reported to me he saw an ice rind on the Ord River bed where Drosera ordensis comes from. The plants seem to take light frosts - as long as the soil is BONE DRY!

Nothing I would like to imitate in cultivation though! :wink:

For winter I would recommend you to heat the terrarium still at a minimum of 20°C (and if possible up to 26°C or more at daytime). Humidity should be extremely high - close to 100% I´d say. I have watered the pots once the substrate was bone dry. I have put the pots into a water bath - half height of the pot - for 30 seconds and then put them back to their place (15 cm below the terra lid and the fluorescent tubes [4 x 36 Watt T8, light colour 865]). As bone dry peat doesn´t absorb moisture that quickly anymore only the lowest third of the soil has become moist. The rhizome or bulb should be surrounded by bone dry soil during dormancy!

My soil mix was 50% peat and 25% each perlite and coarse quartz sand. As soon as the new leaves became larger I have slowly increased the level of moisture in the soil.

This method worked very good for me from 2006 to 2009 in my lowland Nepenthes tank.

So, I hope all this information helps you to find the right setting. :)

Best regards

Andreas

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Buenas tardes Enrique, =))

during growing time it´s for sure better not to let the temperature drop below 20°C also in the night. The best conditions are more than 30°C at daytime and a constant high humidity of 80% or more and strong light (maybe best is direct sunlight).

When I "threw" all my "Petiolariscomplex" plants out of the lowland terrarium in summer 2009 I grew them very nicely below my South-West facing roof window in a large tub with permanent water at the bottom (and a heating cable for too cool days and nights). They got direct sunlight and as you can see in the pictures above were very happy and beautifully coloured. When temperatures and light intensity decreased in autumn the plants were reducing their size and indicated they will go into dormancy. Almost all plants (except D. paradoxa, D. petiolaris and D. dilatato-petiolaris) disappeared completely overground! I hadn´t had that before. In the heated terrarium the plants still produced leaves even if they were very short and small.

Like Willy mentioned my plants didn´t return into growth next spring either after they spent their first winter outside the terrarium. :( I have found out the thickened rhizomes or bulbs have totally dried out and apperently shrivelled! :shock: I guess that was because of a too low humidity. In habitat dormant Petiolariscomplex Droserae receive moisture from nightly mists that waft inland from the coast.

Dormancy of Petiolariscomplex species is challenging indeed. In case the soil is a little too moist the "bulbs" can fastly rot. If the dormant plants receive too less moisture (humidity/fog) it´s also their end!

Nights can be very chilly in habitat in winter. Andreas Fleischmann reported to me he saw an ice rind on the Ord River bed where Drosera ordensis comes from. The plants seem to take light frosts - as long as the soil is BONE DRY!

Nothing I would like to imitate in cultivation though! :wink:

For winter I would recommend you to heat the terrarium still at a minimum of 20°C (and if possible up to 26°C or more at daytime). Humidity should be extremely high - close to 100% I´d say. I have watered the pots once the substrate was bone dry. I have put the pots into a water bath - half height of the pot - for 30 seconds and then put them back to their place (15 cm below the terra lid and the fluorescent tubes [4 x 36 Watt T8, light colour 865]). As bone dry peat doesn´t absorb moisture that quickly anymore only the lowest third of the soil has become moist. The rhizome or bulb should be surrounded by bone dry soil during dormancy!

My soil mix was 50% peat and 25% each perlite and coarse quartz sand. As soon as the new leaves became larger I have slowly increased the level of moisture in the soil.

This method worked very good for me from 2006 to 2009 in my lowland Nepenthes tank.

So, I hope all this information helps you to find the right setting. :)

Best regards

Andreas

Guten tag, Andreas!

Thank you for your very detailed answers! Sure they will help me to find the right condition for them. I think, if I fainally find "courage" to deal with difficult petiolaris-complex, I will start seriuosly with them in spring, Now I´m afraid I will have to put some heat wire for them. I don´t have particulary low temperatures, but I think not enought for them. As usually I use LED lighting for my plants, no much heat added by the lamps...

Best regards!

Edited by The body snatcher pod
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Well, I´ll try D. paradoxa in there, ´cause it the easiest petiolarix-complex! I would like to show some pics of my tank, but I use postimage and now this server is banned from this forum... I feel lazy to upload my pics to another sever, but I´ll try.. :-)

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Guest Andreas Eils

Enrique,

why not using the upload function of this forum? You create your own gallery here, put your images in and insert them into your post ("Options" button in your gallery menu -> "share links" -> "image link" copied and inserted into the input mask after you have clicked the "image button" in your editor menu). It´s really easy (after you´ve done it a few times :) ). No trouble with other free image hostings! :tu:

Muchos saludos

Andreas

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, it should be fairly simple to use some incandescent lights to boost the infrared around the section Lasiocephala species within your growing area. These are some oddly adapted species, most species don't get much rain and those that stand in water it’s ridiculously hot, like 35-45 degrees, even warmer than your bath! So the environment of section Lasiocephala takes care of fungal issues by being too harsh for fungus but this has resulted in species which have very little in the way internal resistance to fungus present in cooler conditions; very much unlike the rest of Drosera except for maybe D. indica and relatives. Also, even if there is no rain for days, the air is very humid.

This ecology is rather similar to that of Drosophyllum including lateritic soil, but most species in Lasiocephala experience hotter weather in the summer.

Edited by Dave Evans
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the info! Very interesting what you said about the heat and harshing conditions for fungus!

Well, it should be fairly simple to use some incandescent lights to boost the infrared around the section Lasiocephala species within your growing area. These are some oddly adapted species, most species don't get much rain and those that stand in water it’s ridiculously hot, like 35-45 degrees, even warmer than your bath! So the environment of section Lasiocephala takes care of fungal issues by being too harsh for fungus but this has resulted in species which have very little in the way internal resistance to fungus present in cooler conditions; very much unlike the rest of Drosera except for maybe D. indica and relatives. Also, even if there is no rain for days, the air is very humid.

This ecology is rather similar to that of Drosophyllum including lateritic soil, but most species in Lasiocephala experience hotter weather in the summer.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Andreas Eils

Great illustrative guide, Amphirion! :clapping:

Too bad I don´t grow them anymore (except a single pot with D. paradoxa). :( But currently it´s difficult for me to set another heated and bright lit tank. :o((( I have to admit I miss them, the Falconeries, Kenneallyis, Broomensisses, Darwinensisses, Dilatato-Petiolarisses.... *sniff*

Regards

Andreas

Edited by Andreas Eils
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