Jump to content

Drosera Regia Wintering Advice Needed


FunToFunky

Recommended Posts

Hi there everyone,

I've just joined CPUK recently, and have grown cp's including temperate drosera for about 5 years, however I had to stop for a couple of years until this January. I live in Scotland, my greenhouse minimum temperature is set to 10°C and gets up to around 15°C during the day.

I'll be receiving three drosera regia plants soon, and have read the entries on regia in Slack's 1979 and D'Amato's 'Savage Garden along with many of the posts in this forum. What I'm unsure of and would like some advice on from those who have had success in cultivating this species, is how to treat the plant over it's winter period.

Some people have been saying that they keep the plant just moist over winter, while others keep it hot and with high water levels throughout the year, giving it no winter resting period at all. When I looked up the conditions in the plant's natural habitat (Wellington, South Africa), it seems that winter there (June to October) has high rainfall, so I can only assume that while I keep this plant in it's winter resting phase at 10-15°C (same as natural habitat), I should keep the pot sat in a few centimetres of water?

If you're about to argue that those conditions don't occur in regia's natural habitat, please just look it up before you say anything (unless I'm as thick as two short planks and can't read simple weather data, in which case please correct me), I've attached a link below so you don't even have to do that yourself ;)

http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Wellington-weather-averages/Western-Cape/ZA.aspx

I'd really appreciate some help with this, as drosera regia is a plant I have longed to grow for years so I would really like to do it right, and not kill what will be my new favourite plant!

Many thanks in advance :)

David

Edited by FunToFunky
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have cultivated Drosera regia very successfully for 27 years but never in the conditions you propose. Sorry but in this case I find my experiences with the plant can add nothing relevant so I'm afraid you're on your own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're in a cold greenhouse and kept moist overwinter. I don't let them get too cold, they've never been below -18C (0F). The plants at -18C were in 8" squares  :Laie_97: . I'm not recommending that the temperature is allowed to go that low but it demonstrates just how hardy the plant is

 

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some people have been saying that they keep the plant just moist over winter, while others keep it hot and with high water levels throughout the year, giving it no winter resting period at all. When I looked up the conditions in the plant's natural habitat (Wellington, South Africa), it seems that winter there (June to October) has high rainfall, so I can only assume that while I keep this plant in it's winter resting phase at 10-15°C (same as natural habitat), I should keep the pot sat in a few centimetres of water?

 

 

D. regia is a not too complicated plant.

You can keep it the same as other South African Drosera like D. capensis or D. aliciae. 

 

BUT: D. regia will surely NOT FLOWER the next season, if winter temperatures are too high.

 

I got my D. regia early in 2012 and it flowered! The previous owner has kept the plant in a heated greenhoure before.

 

Since then I kept my D. regia warm, temperature never falling below 14°C in winter, I think.

And my plant never flowered again, not in 2013, not in 2014 and not in 2015.

 

So winter temperatures should surely be below 14°C, to make the plant flowering in spring.

 

And I think your climate table shows too high temperatures. Wellington SA is located at an altitude of just 100m ASL, but the natural locations of D. regia are more located at 700 m ASL I think. Easy rule: The higher the altitude, the lower the temperature.

 

So with a typical temperature gradient of -0.65°C per 100 meters, you will not see 10-16°C at the natural locations, but you have to substract 6*0.65= circa 4 degrees for altitude corrections, and this means: +6°C daily low to +12°C daily high temperature in the coldest winter months.

 

If temperatures are too high during winter ==> no flowers next season (that's what I get)

 

But you surely CAN keep the plants warmer (with more light), if you never want flowers.

Flowers of D. regia are very nice. They are much different from the flowers of all the other Drosera species.

Edited by jesse
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it was. That was the temperature we had in the winter of 2010-11. The greenhouse is unheated with all vents open. For a few weeks in winter it gets no direct sun so the temperature inside is the outside ambient.

The main problem I find with winter is if the plants are repeatedly frozen and thawed. Keep them frozen and the effect is lessened.

I used to insulate with bubble wrap and heat a couple of the greenhouses (just above freezing) and I found I lost plants to root rot and botrytis. Keeping maximum light and letting the temperature drop to ambient with good ventilation I just don't get those problems.

 

I must admit I was as surprised as anyone with the number of plants that did come through that winter. 

Edited by FredG
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...