NepXGorgicus Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Hello CPUK. This is my Drosera regia. It is growing in rougly 33% perlite-peat-sphagnum. It is growing outdoors in the Bay Area, CA. Climate Zone 9B. The only fertilizer I have on-hand is Maxsea 16-16-16. I was recommended by Peter at California Carnivores to avoid fertilizing them until they reach 6" in diameter, but another source says that seedlings can starve to death if not fertilized. Clearly my Drosera regia needs something to be happy, but I don't know how to give it what it needs. Help! Edited April 8, 2015 by NepXGorgicus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Try insects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Try insects There's no dew on the leaves. How should I go about that? X_X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Your plant appears heat stressed to me. I think you need avoid letting sunlight hit the pot. The soil is likely getting too warm which will eventually kill this species. From what I understand, this species is native to a cool water seep in a highland area. Which means it wants super fresh, cool water. Sitting in warm water or soil is likely to starve the thick fleshy roots of oxygen. The warmer water is, the less oxygen it can hold and the faster it gets used up by bacteria. Sundews also hate excessive rain/misting of water on their leaves. Sure it can clean them, but it also washes away their trapping mechanism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) If it is heat stressed, I can move it to a portion of my deck where it will see less sunlight. My deck only gets morning sun, I thought for sure It wasn't going to be getting enough light! Do you think it would fare better indoors with a setup for intermediate-highland Nepenthes? Thanks for the help! Can I use the Maxsea 16-16-16 as fertilizer, or do I need to get the Osmocote pellets I've been hearing about? Edited April 9, 2015 by NepXGorgicus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) Your plant appears heat stressed to me. I think you need avoid letting sunlight hit the pot. The soil is likely getting too warm which will eventually kill this species. From what I understand, this species is native to a cool water seep in a highland area. Which means it wants super fresh, cool water. Sitting in warm water or soil is likely to starve the thick fleshy roots of oxygen. The warmer water is, the less oxygen it can hold and the faster it gets used up by bacteria. So that means I've been doing it wrong for 27 years by sitting the pots in water with air temperatures of 100F + ( 38C +) Edited April 9, 2015 by FredG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 There's no dew on the leaves. How should I go about that? X_X How long have you had the plant? Was it an outdoor grown one when you acquired it? Has it been through a dormancy? Just exactly how are you growing it? ( be thorough) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have had it for a number of months. I really don't think it is heat damaged because it was wintered outdoors and it basically looked like that. I thought it was just in shock because I had just acquired it late in the season. I don't think it has been through a dormancy. It's growing outdoors on a deck that receives mostly morning sun in a climate 9B zone. I think it might have been exposed to frost without properly going through dormancy now that I think about it again. Then again its April now and it doesn't seem to be changing for the better. Right now it's growing in roughly 1/3 perlite-peat-sphagnum moss. I keep the water level low-ish. Maybe 1cm of standing water or less for a 6" pot. Since I heard fertilizing it through the roots was good for them, I watered with small amount of extremely diluted (1/4tsp per gallon, the same strength you would use for Nepenthes) Maxsea 16-16-16 solution, but that was only after it seemed pretty obvious that the plant was not doing well. Did I mess up by fertilizing it with that? Should I flush out the pot? I have mentioned it in two posts and nobody has said that it's deadly poison to it, yet. I have no knowledge as to whether or not it was grown outdoors when I bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Does the centre of the rosette look healthy. Are there signs of growth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) Yes. It continually produces new leaves. With no dew. The leaves don't last long and the ends brown quickly. We aren't getting frost right now, and it doesn't get direct sun in the heat of the day. Should I try thoroughly flushing the soil to remove the Maxsea 16-16-16, and start using Osmocote pellets instead? I need a fix soon, it can't keep up this state of living forever. It needs to get some dew on the new leaves. :-/ Edited April 9, 2015 by NepXGorgicus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I must admit I keep my water level higher than you are doing. I have mine at about 5cm. I've never had to feed my plants in the 27 years I've been growing this species and they catch very little in the position I have them. I do however use rainwater, are you on RO? As for the medium I've tried most composts I've had in use at the time I was potting up. Peat/perlite, peat/gravel/sand, live sphagnum, live sphagnum/perlite. I have been considering trying brick dust as nothing seems to bother them. My plants do go into dormancy starting in September and finishing in early spring although some signs of growth can be seen in early January, even through ice.. The dormancy trigger must be on day length.. How humid are your outside conditions? I'd flush out the maxsea and not apply any other for now. The thing about artificially fertilising is it's OK if you get it just right, get it wrong and you're doing more harm than good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I used to keep the water level higher, but then I read that D. regia didn't like it that waterlogged. I haven't noticed a difference either way, standing water is standing water for the most part. My soil mix doesn't seem to be the problem, and this is months after the dormancy period should be over. My outdoor humidity is averaging 35-40%. Indoor maybe 5-10% higher. I'll flush out the soil, but I don't really have a plan as to what to do after that. As far as I can tell, all the conditions should be fine, the only thing I'm doing that might screw it up real bad is the fertilizer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) I'm not that sure that It's months after dormancy should be over. My plants don't have a leaf over 2" (5cm) at present. They're just starting to grow properly. Edited April 9, 2015 by FredG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 If it is heat stressed, I can move it to a portion of my deck where it will see less sunlight. My deck only gets morning sun, I thought for sure It wasn't going to be getting enough light! Do you think it would fare better indoors with a setup for intermediate-highland Nepenthes? Thanks for the help! Can I use the Maxsea 16-16-16 as fertilizer, or do I need to get the Osmocote pellets I've been hearing about? Well, if you use fertilizer, make it rather weak. D. regia doesn't need or want a lot of ions in its soil, it just likes very pure water. I killed mine with a dose of fertilizer that didn't even trouble the N. burbidgeae nor D. capensis growing together in the same pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) Well, if you use fertilizer, make it rather weak. D. regia doesn't need or want a lot of ions in its soil, it just likes very pure water. I killed mine with a dose of fertilizer that didn't even trouble the N. burbidgeae nor D. capensis growing together in the same pot. Oh I have been quite cautious. I use the same dilution I would use for foliar feeding Nepenthes. 1/4 tsp per gallon of water. If that's the case, I will flush it. It's ridiculous that this plant has a reputation for loving fertilizer when one gets fried that easily... LOL. Edited April 10, 2015 by NepXGorgicus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 The only reputation I know of is it a sensitive species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) The only reputation I know of is it a sensitive species. Actually in the UK its reputation is it's as tough as they come. Mine have never been artificially fertilised, stand in water in the growing season, and have been subjected to temperatures from -18C (0F) to in excess of 38.4C (100F). It's also not fussy as to the medium mix. I may also mention that my oldest plants are in media they were planted in 25 years ago. That's a really sensitive species. Edited April 10, 2015 by FredG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Actually in the UK its reputation is it's as tough as they come. Mine have never been artificially fertilised, stand in water in the growing season, and have been subjected to temperatures from -18C (0F) to in excess of 38.4C (100F). It's also not fussy as to the medium mix. I may also mention that my oldest plants are in media they were planted in 25 years ago. That's a really sensitive species. If it's that bulletproof then why is mine appearing half-dead? Did I screw up that badly with the Maxsea or is that really what it looks like in dormancy? I'm gonna flush out the pot really well and follow Dave Evans' advice as well. If all else fails I can move it indoors where the lights are a little less intense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) Drosera regia emerging from dormancy. My plants are in a greenhouse and receive full sun in the afternoon and evening in the growing seasons. Edited April 10, 2015 by FredG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NepXGorgicus Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Yeah, my plant was hobbling along like it is now all thru winter. It would have been exposed to frost in that state. Even now in mid-April it is still in that same half-living state. I flushed it out REALLY WELL. It's now in a place outdoors where sunlight won't heat up the soil as much, but it should still get enough light. I'm crossing my fingers that these two fixes do something, but it was in poor health before I ever tried the Maxsea to begin with... Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 So Fred, how well do they do for you when you transplant them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 This is the last one I transplanted, I just broke it off from the parent. It's doing just fine and breaking dormancy now. Do you have problems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Evans Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) Nep, Fred has had good luck with his regia. I've seen plenty of regia react to a transplant by dying. Much like _Drosophyllum_. I do suspect the reason the UK growers have better results with regia is because the UK tends to be cooler than many areas of the US. In New Jersey, we regularly have weeks on end above 90 degrees and it barely cools off at night. I don't believe the climate is as extreme in UK. We get colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. And really, capensis is the bullet proof species. Just look in the seed banks. How much capensis is available and how much regia is available, if it is even available. D. regia reminds of Darlingtonia. It is a weed too, in mountain seeps fed by snow melt. Try growing it in different conditions--weed status is revoked. Edited April 10, 2015 by Dave Evans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Nep, Fred has had good luck with his regia. I've seen plenty of regia react to a transplant by dying. Much like _Drosophyllum_. I do suspect the reason the UK growers have better results with regia is because the UK tends to be cooler than many areas of the US. In New Jersey, we regularly have weeks on end above 90 degrees and it barely cools off at night. I don't believe the climate is as extreme in UK. We get colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. And really, capensis is the bullet proof species. Just look in the seed banks. How much capensis is available and how much regia is available, if it is even available. D. regia reminds of Darlingtonia. It is a weed too, in mountain seeps fed by snow melt. Try growing it in different conditions--weed status is revoked. Oh of course it's all good luck, 27 years of it Now you mention it I've had 32 years of luck with that weed too, what's it called again? This one .... Oh yes, Darlingtonia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimitar Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 and have been subjected to temperatures from -18C (0F) to in excess of 38.4C (100F). Here up to 45C (113F) with no problems already 7 years in the summer time... The Darlingtonia gets even higher temperatures than D. regia here already 9 years and it is quite happy... However, do u want pics Dave? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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