Grow Sundews

Sundews, also known as Drosera, are a species of carnivorous plant. These plants are often considered to be the easiest indoor carnivorous plants to grow mainly because the way they catch an insect (by secreting a sticky substance from their leaf tentacles) makes feeding easy. You can get the seeds for sundews from big plant nurseries or online. If you would like to grow them, it's a simple process.

Steps

Purchasing Sundew Plants

  1. Research the sundew plant. If you do some research on this plant, you'll get an idea of what it is and whether you can grow it in your area. There are approximately 194 sundew species worldwide. They grow in all different shapes and sizes - from round ones to long ones. Sundews tend to live for 50 years, if kept in good condition. In some cases, they can be used for medicinal purposes. Some of the more common sundew species you might want to grow are:
    • Drosera capensis: The easiest sundew to grow.
    • Pygmy sundews: Usually found in Australia, this one has hairs to ward off the heat.
    • Tuberous sundews: Very good at surviving hot weather.
    • Petiolaris complex: Usually grown in warm or wet areas.
  2. Know how the sundews catch their food. If an insect lands on one of the leaf's sticky tentacles, they may get stuck and the Sundew would wrap its tentacle up and digest the content.
  3. Obtain your plants. Sundew plants are rarely found in generalist nurseries. Try really big nurseries or order them online. When purchased, the plant usually only comes in seed form or as a very small plant.
    • Ask the helper in the shop for any tips or information on your plant's specific growing requirements. Remember that their characteristics differ, depending on which sundew plant you're buying.

Planting the Seeds

  1. Add long-fibered sphagnum moss, peat moss, or a mixture of either peat and sand or peat and perlite to a 4 inch/10cm pot. Moist or dry soil should be 70% peat / 30% sand or perlite (although take into account specific needs as revealed by your research). You will need a 4 inch pot or larger because a sundew's roots are unusually long and providing adequate space will enable the plant to reach its maximum height. This plant usually grows better in moist conditions. The roots tend to be weak, though, and are nearly useless for absorbing nutrients from the soil.
  2. Spread the seeds on the surface of the potting medium. Make sure if you spread many seeds on the surface in the same container to space them out as much as possible.
    • Water the plant with a little rain/distilled/reverse-osmosis water (about one or half an inch/2.5 to 1.5cm), via the tray method, to avoid disturbing the small seedlings.
    • Check the plant every single day - the Drosera are very sensitive plants!
  3. Wait for the sundew to grow taller and wider with more stems. This growth period will take approximately one month, maybe longer.

Taking Care of the Plant

  1. Keep the sundew at a temperature of 45-90ºF/7-32C or sub-tropical conditions. The more light shone on the plant, the better. Place the plant near your window so it gets enough sunlight. High humidity is not needed, so anything up to 50%RH would be fine.
    • The sundew should be placed in a well lit place. It should receive direct sunlight for at least half the day. Be aware, too, that the dew or the sticky substance may dry up.
  2. Feed the plant once every two weeks. If your plant is situated indoors, you'll need to hand feed it. Feed it some dead insects or live insects, such as an ant. Feed the plant only fresh bugs.
    • The sundew is not able to digest meat, so do not feed it any.
    • Do not feed the plant an insect that is bigger than the plant's tentacle, or it could escape (and you'll have to catch it) or it will simply be too large for the plant to digest.
    • Don't overfeed the plant if it is living in a high humidity environment. Doing so might promote mold growth, killing the leaves.
    • If you place the plant outside, it will most likely feed itself, hence feeding is not required.
  3. During summer or late spring, five-petaled flowers will start to bloom. You may notice the sundew is not doing much at this stage due to the energy expended in making the flower. When the flower has developed, you can place the plant outside so a bee or other insect can transfer the pollen from plant to plant. The flowers are usually red, pink or white and will self-pollinate if they are not pollinated by another insect first.
    • Seeds might develop and these are known to come out better if you cross-pollinate by rubbing the pollen from one plant against another flower's stigma.
  4. Water the plant. A sundew's roots are often weakly developed and most water is taken in through the leaves. Therefore, spray the plant with an inch or two of mineral-free or distilled water once every week. Remember not to spray too much or drown the plant. Too much moisture or water will rot the roots.
    • Do not use any other type of water (such as tap water), as there may be excess minerals which build up and may kill the plant. If you do over-water the plant, invert the pot and plant while pressing down on the soil to squeeze out the extra water.
  5. If you have chosen to grow the plant in a terrarium (even though the plant will grow better outside), remember that you have to feed it. Since the terrarium is enclosed, few insects will be able to get in there and you'll be the sole provider of food.
    • You can control the light intensity inside of a terrarium. This is another reason a terrarium might be a good choice for your sundew.
  6. If you put the sundew outside, remember to check it every day to see if the plant has been attacked. Check for diseases at this time, too. Put the sundew in a well-lit location where the plant can receive direct sunlight for part of the day, yet also have a bit of shade.

Things you need

  • 4 inch/10cm pot
  • Mineral-free water
  • Sundew seeds
  • Freshly killed (or live) insects


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Tips

  • Sundews take a long time to digest food, so it's better not to try to observe the whole process. Just trust that it will happen. After all, the plant knows what to do and how to digest most insects.
  • Remember that sundews can be divided and transferred to another place by leaf cuttings or root cuttings.

Warnings

  • Only water a sundew with mineral free water. Mineral build up often kills the plant. Leaving water outside to evaporate for a day will only concentrate the minerals even more.
  • During winter, you may notice the leaf die back due to winter dormancy. Pick the dead leaves off carefully. Do not overstimulate the sundew during this period with too much sunlight or water. Just ensure that the soil is dark brown. During spring, you can start to increase the amount of sunlight.
    • Leaf die-back usually ends as soon as the days start to get longer and spring approaches.
  • If your sundew is white and very weak-looking or if it isn't that sticky, do not add fertilizer. The results of fertilization are the same as adding tap water, only worse. Chemicals and minerals build up, putting your plant at risk. Since fertilizer is not a factor in health of sundews, you should look to too much water, too little water, too little food, not enough sunlight or too much sunlight when you notice the plant is weak or weakening. Ask an expert gardener to try to identify the problem(s).

Sources and Citations

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