I have my sundews sitting up to their pot rims in water and also full sun. I'll take a photo and post it tomorrow.

Here are some photos of my Drosera. They are happy, happy, happy plants. I repot every winter - that happened about 2 months ago.






When I repotted, I gave a friend a pot (6 of them) of little Drosera that, by this time, should be a pot of big Drosera. She wanted carnivorous plants to put in her 'bird room' because she was having a gnat problem. I warned her about enough light (full sun) and water (at most, halfway up the pot but always in water). Today she told me all her Drosera have turned black - she thinks they are dead. And now wants to know why. My thought: not enough light or too much water.

You guys got some thoughts on this?

Daisy

I am thinking the light aspect could have been a primary reason, but was she watering from above or from below...and did she use rainwater or could she have accidentally used tap water. That could also kill them fast.

Those are lovely Droseras! Love those tentacle like leaves!

Your Drosera looks happy and healthy. Maybe your friend did not follow your directions. Could have been too much light and they cooked or not enough water. What was the humidity in the 'bird room'? I hope that this will be a natural remedy for my gnat problem in the summer probably due to the stored water for my plants and the fish aquarium. I just received one cute Drosera capensis in the mail today which is the reason why I am here at this thread. Need information to keep it alive. The instructions says that they need full sun to thrive, need to be kept constantly moist to wet with distilled or rain water. No fertilizer is to be given ever.
Saw them at the orchid show this week in a glass case with other carnivorous plants. Pretty.
Ivy

I tried Drosera before, placed it outdoors in a bright but not direct sun area, in standing water, but still got toast by our excessive dry heat. So good access to sunlight, humidity and keeping it in standing water will make it thrive better. The glistening tentacles as the sun hits it, makes it so attractive to insects.

Indoors, I find it easier to grow Pinguiculas and fungus gnats really love them a lot. Just have to be careful when they go into their non-carnivore mode, to avoid risk of making them too wet.

I have a couple Pinguiculas buried somewhere in the Drosera. Most of my plants have grown from seed out there in the greenhouse. I have started them from seed myself but it requires cold stratification - I'm not sure why it doesn't when they do it by themselves.

After talking to my friend again, I think she didn't provide adequate light. She had them in a south facing window but now tells me the window has privacy film on it. So, because of low light and normal water, I suspect the roots rotted.

Her birdroom is humid. I have always used tapwater on all my plants and have never had a problem.

Daisy

Interesting. I was reading the instruction sheet about tap water having less than 50 ppm of dissolved minerals. It also stated that the minerals from tap water can "over-fertilize" and "burn out" the plants. Depends where you live in the country. With that said, I don't feel that I should go out and buy another gadget to test my city water etc. Bought a bottle of distilled water instead. Going to Home Depot this evening to find some growing media for my first baby Drosera. I want it to live and prosper.


Thank you.

"Going to Home Depot this evening to find some growing media for my first baby Drosera. I want it to live and prosper."

That will lead to your next problem. Drosera are grown in 1/2 and 1/2 milled peat and either sand or perlite. I use perlite - the sand seems to pack too much. Those little bags of peat are fortified - instant death for your little Drosera.

It is not easy to find un-fortified peat. You can also use sphagnum moss but you have to find true sphagnum not green moss. My HomeDepot does sell un-fortified peat in 3 cu ft bags. That's a lot of peat!

You can use peat as a soil additive. Never plant anything in peat that is not thoroughly wet - it will burn them to a crisp.

Daisy

Yes, tap water varies from city to city. I play safe, if I happen to be able to collect rainwater, I use that, or if none, I just get distilled water.

I bought nepenthes carnivore media from California Carnivores, and they were using New Zealand sphagnum moss and some other stuff in the bag.

I went to a gardening supply place $$ instead of HD and found the growing media that is needed. Read every label and asked questions. Spent hours soaking and rinsing the Canadian sphagnum peat moss, long-fibered sphagnum moss and perlite (un-enriched). The extra supplies that is leftover will be used on some of my other plant projects/soil and also prompted me to order two more Drosera plants. I feel that I am ready for this project.

Thank you,
Ivy

It's been windy, getting warmer and drier here..Sarracenia purpurea drops its petals..gives me a better view what's inside in that upside down bloom:

Tarev, very nice. Was curious as to what it looked like inside the bloom.

Me too! Been trying several angles of shots a few days back..now the reveal is done!

Nice to see the growth improvement of my Nepenthes densiflora:
13Jan 2016 - pitchers still quite young, and seeing how it likes to be in standing water, kept it that way:


Fast forward today 12Apr2016:


making it face my camera for a better shot. Its slanting growth tells me it wants more sun, but it copes well. I also brought it out last weekend to get a good taste of our weekend rains.


actively making a new leaf

matured and red speckled pitchers

Beautiful bloom on the Sarracenia!

Love, love, love the color on your Nepenthes!

Looking great, tarev!

Thanks Tara

Tarev, the more that I look at your plants, the more I think that I want one. They are very nice. Doing more research on their lighting and care. When I see one for sale when I am shopping, may look it over, Been seeing some that were kind of beaten up or that the customers had fun with.

Go for it Ivy! It is fun as I grow them, learning as I go too!

I will do more research. My apartment does not have bugs for feeding them even if I had a mature enough plant. How do I know this? Tested the environment in my apartment to see if there would be nourishing insects etc. I have had a cup with 5 smashed thick skinned grapes sitting next to my small Sundew for one week. Saw only one tiny flying bug so far. Looks like I may have to wait until the warmer weather shows. Living across from the Henry Hudson river and park should produce more live prey. I am going to go for it in another month. Thanks for the encouragement. Saw these nice ones at the Orchid show in a glass case last month.




Ivy

Ivy,

Start with something easy like Sarracenia, the American pitchers or Drosera, sundews. All you need to do is provide the proper conditions: always sitting with their feet in water and for Sarracenia, cold enough for a nap next winter but hot and sunny all summer. For Drosera, sundews, also with their feet in water but they always want it warm and sunny.

No need to find bugs for your plants. They will get enough on their own - bugs are fertilizer for carnivorous plants but they are green so also producing they own food, like all plants do. You can actually over feed them - essentially over fertilize - and kill them.

Have fun!

Daisy