How to grow sundew from seeds at home?

3 parts: Buying an adult plant Growing the seeds Caring for the plant

Sundew (Latin Drosera), also known as the flycatcher, is a plant of the genus of carnivores. They are considered one of the easiest carnivores to breed at home. Much of this is due to their way of catching insects: they secrete a sticky substance from their tentacle leaves. Thus, it is very easy to feed them. You can buy sundew seeds from any major nursery or online stores. If you decide to grow a sundew at home, there is nothing difficult about it.

Part 1 Buying an adult plant

1. Learn about sundew.

   If you do some research, you will have an idea of ​​what kind of plant it is and if it is possible to grow it in the area where you live. All over the world there are about 194 species of sundews of all sizes and shapes from round to oblong. Rosyanka can live for 50 years if they are in good conditions. In some cases, they can be used for medical purposes. Some of the most common types of sundews for growing at home are presented below:

2. 

   Learn how the sundew catches its prey. When an insect sits on sticky tentacles on the leaves, it most often sticks to them, and then the sundew folds its tentacles around the victim and begins to digest it.

3. Buy a plant.

   Dewdrop is rarely sold in regular flower shops. You need to look for it in really large nurseries or order it online. With this option, the plant is usually supplied in seed or in very small seedlings.

   • Ask the nursery consultant to give you as much information and advice as possible on how to properly care for your sundew at home. But remember that the grooming requirements vary from species to species, so make sure you know how to care for the sundew you are about to buy.

Part 2 Growing seeds

1. In a pot 10 cm high, add either regular sphagnum moss or long staple moss. Also, instead of moss, you can add a mixture of peat and sand or peat and expanded clay. Wet or dry soil should be 70% peat and 30% sand or expanded clay. But be sure to take into account the specific soil requirements that you learned about in the nursery or during your research. The pot should be at least 10 cm because the roots of the sundew are extremely long, and if they do not have enough space to grow, then the plant itself will not be able to reach its maximum height. Most often, sundews do well in humid conditions.Usually the roots of this plant are very weak and practically useless for absorbing nutrients from the soil.

2. Spread the seeds over the surface into small indentations in the soil.

   Make sure you plant enough seeds in one pot to increase your chances of sprouting.

   • Water the seeds with a little rain or distilled water (approximately 1.5-2.5 cm). It is preferable to water in a pan to avoid damaging small seeds.
   • Keep an eye on the sprouts every day, as the sundew is a very sensitive plant!
3. 

   Wait for the sundew to grow, get bigger and wider, and it will have more branches. This period may take a month or more.

Part 3 Plant care

1. Keep the sundew at a temperature of +7 to +32 C or create subtropical conditions for it.

   The more light hits the plant, the better. Place it next to a window so that there is enough sunlight. High humidity is not needed, so keep the room relative humidity up to 50%.

   • The sundew should be in a well-lit place. She should receive direct sunlight for at least half a day. Also note that the sticky substance on the leaves can dry out.
2. Feed the plant every two weeks.

   If your sundew is indoors, then you need to do it yourself. Give her live or dead insects such as ants; they must be fresh.

   • Dewdrop cannot digest meat, so there is no need to feed it to the plant.
   • Do not feed the plant with insects that are larger than the tentacles on the leaves. Because either the insect will be able to break out of them (and you will have to catch it), or the plant will simply not be able to digest it.
   • Do not overfeed your sundew if it is kept in a high humidity environment. Otherwise, it can provoke the growth of mold, which will destroy the leaves.
   • If you keep the plant outdoors, then most likely it will be able to feed itself, so additional feeding is not required.
3. During summer or late spring, the 5-petalled flower may begin to bloom.

   You will most likely notice that the sundew will become less active as it will take a lot of energy to create the flower. Once the flower has formed, you can move the plant outside so that a bee or other insect can carry pollen from plant to plant. The flowers are usually red, pink, or white, and can self-pollinate if no insect does.

   • Seeds may form after flowering. To aid this process, you can do cross-pollination by rubbing pollen from one plant on the stigma of a pistil on a flower on another.
4. Spray the plant.

   Usually the roots of the sundew are poorly developed, and most of the water enters through the leaves. Therefore, spray the plant from a distance of 4-5 cm with clean water without any admixtures of any minerals or with distilled water at all. This should be done once a week. Do not forget that you do not need to water the soil, as too much moisture can provoke root rot.

   • Do not use any water other than the one described above (for example, tap water), as there may be an excess of minerals that will deposit in the soil and destroy the plant. If you do flood the plant, turn the plant pot over and press down on the soil a little to drain the excess water.
5. If you decide to grow a plant in a room (although it will grow better outdoors), do not forget that you need to feed it.

   Since the room is a closed space, and few insects can enter there, you will be the only breadwinner for the sundew.

   • You can control the intensity of the light if the plant is indoors. This is definitely a plus in keeping the sundew indoors.

6. If the sundew is outside, remember to watch it every day to make sure no one has attacked it. Also check the plant for diseases. Place the plant in a location where it will receive direct sunlight during part of the day, but at the same time it will have shade at times.

What do you need

• Pot height 10 cm
• Pure water without minerals
• Sundew seeds
• Live or recently killed insects

Tips

• The sundews digest food for a long time, so you shouldn't try to see the whole process. Just trust it to happen. After all, the plant knows what to do and how to digest food.
• Remember that the sundew can be bred and planted in a different location using a cut leaf or part of the root.

Warnings

• Spray the sundew with mineral-free water only. The deposition of minerals in the soil most often kills the plant. Standing water throughout the day will also result in an even greater concentration of minerals in the remaining water.
• During winter, you may notice that the leaves wilt or die off completely. This is due to the transition of the sundew into hibernation. Remove dead leaves carefully. During this period, do not stimulate the sundew with excessive sunlight or water. Just make sure the soil is dark brown. With the arrival of spring, you can increase the amount of sunlight.

  

  • Leaf dying off usually stops as soon as daylight hours begin to increase and spring approaches.
• If your sundew is white and looks very weak, or its leaves are not as sticky as usual, you should not add mineral fertilizers. The result from this will be the same as from watering from the tap, or even worse. The deposition of minerals and chemicals puts your plant at risk. Since sundew health does not depend on fertilizers, pay attention to watering, nutrition, sunlight (some of this may be in excess or in deficiency). See a professional gardener to determine the problem.

  

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Sundew is a plant that is divided into several species, each of which is significantly different in terms of conditions of detention from each other. But there are also several overlapping rules for plant success.

Absolutely all types of sundews are photophilous. The ideal location is the west and east window, while the south-east and south-west windows will need shading at midday in the summer.

Dewdrop plant predator home care

Watering is carried out only through the pan, only with distilled water. Most often, the irrigation regime must be monitored in the summer, the water in the sump should always be at the level of two centimeters. To do this, choose pallets with high sides of about three centimeters.

We take a small pot for growing sundews, preferably light colors or brown ones, made of plastic, since black ones overheat in the summer in direct sunlight. When transplanting sundews, drainage at the bottom is not needed.

Any contact of the plant with expanded clay is prohibited, since it has an alkaline reaction and an excessive salt content. Also, the substrate can be taken from high-moor peat, but ph in the limit of two and four is four no more. When transplanting the plant, it is important not to use the soil with your fingers. Peat for sundews should be fluffy and loose, you need to break all the lumps with handles.

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Sundew plant transplant

When transplanting, remove the old substrate together with the root system completely, remove rotten non-working roots too. Dewdrop is a predator plant tolerates transplantation quite well.It is advisable to repeat this procedure every year in the spring, for reasons that over time the substrate cakes, and the roots of the plant do not receive air and gradually die off, as a result, as a rule, the death of the plant.

Sundew is a plant that is the most demanding of the predators for the quality of peat. If the peat is deacidified or lower than indicated on the package, the plant will let you know about it within the first few days, the dew on the leaves disappears from the sundew and the plant gradually dies. At the first warning signs, the sundew must be transplanted.

When the substrate is overdried, especially in the summer, when the air humidity is reduced, a spider mite can settle on the sundew. To eliminate which, the plant must be sprayed with a phytovernom, diluting according to the instructions. After four or five days, it is advisable to repeat the procedure.

It is believed that it is possible to feed the plant with pieces of meat, flies and fertilizing the soil; this cannot be done for a sundew. She gets her own food.

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Rosyanka cultivation observing optimal conditions

Also, an important condition for growing sundew is temperature and wintering. Some species do not need a dormant period, such as Drosera capensis, Drosera aliciae, Drosera spatulata, Drosera capillaris, Drosera hamiltonii, Drosera burmanni, Drosera venusta, Drosera adelae.

For these species, the optimal temperature in the summer period will be the limit between twenty-two and twenty-six degrees, with decreases but small, at night.

In winter, the sundew feels great on the windowsill, we choose the brightest place, which is located away from heating appliances and open vents. Additional lighting with fluorescent lamps will also be beneficial.

But there are also species of sundews that need a cool rest for about three to four months, such as Drosera binata, Drosera anglica, Drosera filiformis. The optimum temperature for these species during the dormant period is five to twelve degrees.

In winter, the water level in the sump may decrease, but the main thing is not overdried substrate. At this time, the vegetation process practically stops in sundews, and at a minimum temperature of about five degrees, the leaves may die off, but at the same time the central stick remains, from which new leaves will appear in the spring. In the summer, these species are content with room temperature.

Drosera peltat is especially distinguished, it is considered one of the most beautiful species of sundew. This tuberous species is native to Australia, which grows in winter and rest in summer. During the rest period, the soil should remain moist.

In the autumn, after hibernation, the sundew wakes up by itself and at the beginning of the growing season, watering should be increased. The transplant is an important point for this plant, which cannot be postponed, since after a while the tuber will go deeper into the substrate and may not germinate at all.

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Dewdrop breeding at home

Under good conditions, the sundew plant is a predator quickly gives birth to children, which can later be separated. Propagate some types of sundew, possibly using leaf cuttings.

In summer the sundew plant is a predator in bloom, some species are self-pollinating like Drosera spatulata, while others need to be manually pollinated. Sundew flower seeds are small enough, like dust particles. Sowing which needs to be done on the surface of well-moistened peat and exposing it to the light will not germinate in the dark.

Within two to three weeks, fresh sundew seeds will sprout. A pick of seedlings of a domestic sundew must be made when they have three four leaves. Sitting very favorably affects the seedlings of the sundew predator and grow right before our eyes.

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Sundew is one of the most common plants in the genus of carnivores. There are about 200 species of this plant in the world, which can be found on all continents of our planet except Antarctica. It owes its vitality to a special structure that allows it to grow even in bogs poor in minerals.

Dewdrop extracts nutrients from insects that fall into its trap. This mechanism has attracted the attention of many peoples and is even described in fairy tales, for example, "Rosyanka - mosquito death" by V.V.

How to recognize sundew, plant photos

There are many species of this plant in various forms. Its leaves can be small and round, long and wide, or generally thin, fern-like. But there will always be one feature that gave the name to this plant: the leaf will be covered with villi with drops of liquid that imitate dew. It is a food trap.

The insect, trying to quench its thirst, will sit on the leaf. However, these shiny drops are not dew, but glue with the addition of digestive enzymes and a substance called the alkaloid coniine that paralyzes the insect. While trying to get out, the prisoner will create vibrations that will feel the leaf and begin to curl up. After a few days, he will turn around again, completely digesting food. It is noteworthy that sundew leaves do not react to raindrops or debris.

Sundew care at home

The main condition in the care of a sundew is to create similar natural growing conditions

This carnivorous plant is not difficult to buy in a pot at many flower shops, mainly online. In order for the sundew to grow well at home, you need to create a climate for it similar to the natural conditions of a swampy area. Caring for this flower includes such components as:

• lighting;
• temperature;
• the soil;
• air humidity;
• watering.

The sundew should receive a lot of light: in the summer - 14 hours, in the winter - about 8. But direct sunlight can cause burns, so it is best to place the pot on a west or east window, or in the shade of a garden. You can use additional lighting in the form of a fluorescent lamp.

It is a cold-resistant plant. European species prefer temperatures around 18 ° C even in summer. African sundew species can live comfortably at +30 ° C. The plant likes to hibernate in the cold 5-12 ° C. It can even tolerate slight frosts.

The sundew has a poorly developed root system, because she is not used to using it in soil poor in minerals. Equally taken peat with sand will do. It is a good idea to add sphagnum moss, which is able to retain moisture in the soil. A small pot is suitable, no more than 10 cm. Mineral fertilizers are not required due to a special method of nutrition: the sundew takes all the necessary substances from insects. But if they do not penetrate the premises, buy a couple of flies a week for the predator.

Dewdrop needs a couple of flies a week

Air humidity should be high enough: 50-70%... If the indoor air is dry, it is recommended to place the flower pot in a terrarium, where it can be covered with a lid to maintain humidity. You do not need to cover the terrarium, but then the sundew must be regularly sprayed with water, and to retain moisture, cover its bottom with moist moss.

Watering is enough to carry out once a week, but do not dry out. At the same time, if the flower is too flooded, it can cause rotting of the roots. You can put a pot of sundew in a high pan, and regularly add water to it so that it is at the level of 2 cm. Spray the soil regularly with a spray bottle until it becomes moist.

ATTENTION: Do not use tap water because it contains excessive amounts of minerals. Rain, distilled or, in extreme cases, filtered water will do.

Flowering, reproduction and wintering of sundew

Sundew propagates by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush

In spring, the sundew actively blooms, so it does not waste energy on the growth of leaves. Long stems with white or pink flowers appear, which attract insects for pollination, but keep them away from traps. Some types of sundew self-pollinate, others need help. To do this, you need to take the pot out into the garden, or gently rub the flowers against each other with your own hands. You can also use a brush or cotton ball. After a month, a box of seeds is formed, which you can collect and plant.

If you want to share the sundew with your friends, there are three ways to breed it:

• seeds;
• dividing the bush;
• cuttings.

Plant sundew seeds in moist moss, cover and keep under plenty of light. They will rise within a month. When the sprouts have three or four leaves, they can be planted in the soil. Within 2-4 months, they will develop into an adult plant.

Sundew leaves are usually collected at the root in a rosette. It can be divided and planted. Sometimes a daughter outlet can branch off from the main plant. It can also be placed in a personal pot.

Finally, it is quite possible to propagate a sundew by cutting off the stalk. Just like seeds, greenhouse conditions and a lot of moisture are required. Wet sphagnum is best for soil, although some growers put cuttings in water.

Dewdrop is active from spring to autumn. In winter, it is inactive, so the plant needs a dormant state. We need to give her a rest. A cool, damp place, such as a balcony greenhouse, garage, or windowsill, away from the battery will work. Many leaves die off, food consumption and insect catching are significantly reduced. Hibernation ends around February, when daylight hours increase again. Around this time, once a year, it is recommended to replant the plant so that the soil does not cake.

Diseases, pests of sundew and control methods

The only pest that can be found on a sundew is aphid.

If sticky drops dry out from a plant, this indicates insufficient moisture. Spray the leaves with water, cover the flower in the cage, and she will most likely return to her previous healthy appearance.

There is always a danger of oversaturation of the soil with improper watering. You need fresh soft water without fertilizers and minerals. If there is water in the pot all the time, the plant may rot its roots. The presence of water is allowed only in the sump. From the pot itself, it must be drained, gently holding the soil. If the process of decay has begun, it is better to remove the infected roots, and transplant the sundew itself.

Pests practically do not bother her, because they themselves often become her food. Sometimes aphids can start. In this case, you need to purchase a parasite remedy at a flower shop and spray the plant.

If the plant gets sick during flowering, you can remove the peduncles. It takes a lot of energy to form a flower, and this method will allow you to save it and direct all your efforts towards recovery.

The use of the plant in medicine

Before attempting to treat any disease with any part of the sundew, consult your doctor. Self-medication is dangerous. The plant is poisonous, therefore, non-compliance with the dosage can threaten with poisoning.

Sunflower contains many substances that have different effects on the human body. For example, plumbagon is an antibiotic that helps in the fight against microbes and pathogenic fungi: streptococci, staphylococci, etc.

One of the uses is the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract: cough, bronchitis and especially whooping cough. It can be used with great care for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, sedative, antipyretic and diuretic properties of this plant are also noted.

In folk medicine, it is used as an antiemetic, although in excessive amounts, sundew itself can cause nausea and vomiting. Sundew infusions are recommended for atherosclerosis, asthma, fever, dropsy, diarrhea, dysentery, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, etc.

Fresh sundew is not used internally. For this purpose, dry raw materials are procured. However, sundew juice can be applied topically to get rid of warts or old calluses.

We recommend watching a short documentary on the sundew, we wish you a pleasant viewing.

Plants of the genus carnivores number almost two hundred different species all over the world, among which is the carnivorous plant sundew (drosera). She, thanks to her special structure and ability to survive, is able to grow in almost any conditions and on any continent. The only exception is Antarctica. The sundew can even grow on swampy soils, which are almost completely devoid of nutrients, since it gets them from insects. Dewdrop because of this is called a trap plant.

Description of the plant

The appearance of the sundew does not at all resemble an insect trap. Plants of different species differ only in the shape and size of the leaves, but they have in common - thin soft villi with droplets of sticky liquid, very similar to ordinary dew. When an insect sits on a leaf to quench its thirst with "dew", it immediately sticks and becomes as if paralyzed. With weak attempts to get out of the sticky captivity, the insect creates vibrations that give a kind of signal to the plant and the leaf curls up along with the prey.

Having received the necessary nutrition, the sundew in a few days again unfolds its leaves in anticipation of a new victim. True, if small debris or a raindrop gets on the sticky leaf, then the plants will not react. This natural specimen can grow not only in the wild, but also feels great at home.

Dewdrop is a flowering plant that blooms in the spring months with pink or white flowers that later turn into seed pods. Some varieties are capable of self-pollination.

Sundew care at home

Location and lighting

Rosyanka needs long-term lighting for many hours - about 14 hours in summer and about 8 hours in winter. Direct sunlight is not recommended for the sundew, so it is advisable to grow the plant on a windowsill on the east or west side of the house. In the cold season with short daylight hours, plants can be supplemented with a fluorescent lamp.

Temperature

The sundew is excellent and can easily endure a cold snap and even small frosts. In winter, the sundew can be at a temperature of 5 to 12 degrees Celsius, but in the summer, the temperature regime depends on its type. For example, 18 degrees are enough for European varieties, but for African varieties it is about 30 degrees Celsius to create complete comfort.

Air humidity

In the room where the sundew is kept, it is necessary to maintain a high level of humidity (about 70%). This can also be done using a terrarium in which a potted plant is placed. The plant will receive the necessary moisture if the terrarium is covered with a lid or by regularly spraying the sundew, but with the lid open. To keep the moisture in the container for a long time, its bottom is covered with moistened moss.

Watering

The soil in the flower pot must be moistened daily with a sprinkler, and the sundew should be watered once a week. A lack or excess of moisture in the soil should not be allowed. When dry, the plant will begin to wither, and with excessive moisture, the roots will rot.

As irrigation water, you need to use rain, thawed, purified or distilled water, but in no case tap water.

The soil

Since the sundew in the wild grows on poor soils, in which there are practically no nutrients, its root part is very poorly developed. For home cultivation, you will need a low flower capacity (about 10 centimeters) and a sand-peat soil mixture with a small amount of moss, which will help to retain moisture.

Top dressing and fertilizers

The sundew does not require additional feeding, since it receives its main food from insects. The main thing is that insects in the form of flies or mosquitoes sometimes sit on the leaves of the sundew.

Sundew maintenance in winter

From November to February, the plant is dormant. During this time, the sundew sheds its foliage and becomes inactive towards insects. It is recommended to keep the flower in a cool place with high levels of humidity and away from heating appliances.

Before the start of the active phase of plant development (approximately in the last week of February), you can transplant and update the soil.

Sundew propagation

Seed propagation

The seeds are planted in a well-moistened sphagnum moss and kept in a well-lit place covered with a film at a temperature of more than 25 degrees Celsius. Seedlings will appear in about 25-30 days. Plants with 3-4 full leaves are suitable for transplanting into soil. The sundew will reach maturity after 3-4 months.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The bush of the plant can be divided into several parts along with the root and transplanted into separate containers. Daughter rosettes are also planted in individual flower pots. In the new place, young shoots and separated parts quickly take root.

Propagation by cuttings

The cuttings can be placed in water for root formation, or they can be immediately planted in moist soil, which will be sphagnum moss. For good rooting in the soil, the plant needs a lot of moisture and the creation of greenhouse conditions.

Diseases and pests

Since the sundew feeds on insects, it is almost never disturbed by pests. The only harmful insect for this plant is aphids. You can get rid of it by spraying with special parasite agents for flowering indoor plants.

The flower is sick in most cases due to improper care of it. Basically, this is a lack or excess of moisture in the soil and indoors. With insufficient watering and dry air, sticky drops on the leaves of the sundew may dry out. It is urgent to spray and raise the moisture level by keeping the plant in the terrarium.

With an excess of moisture, the process of decay begins in the root part. This comes from the stagnation of excess water in the plant pot. In this case, it is better to transplant the sundew into a new soil and, having examined the roots, remove their damaged and rotten parts. In the future, it is recommended to use only soft water in moderate volumes for irrigation.

If the disease has caught the plant during the period of active flowering, then removing the peduncles will help to save its strength and redirect them to the fight against the disease.

The healing properties and use of sundew

Dewdrop belongs to poisonous plants, and you need to handle it extremely carefully, but at the same time it has a lot of healing qualities. It is used in folk and official medicine. At home, sundew can be treated, but after consultation with a specialist and at a strictly indicated dosage. Choosing a treatment yourself is dangerous to health.

The plant contains a large amount of useful substances that help in the treatment of many diseases and their consequences. Both fresh plants and dry raw materials are used. On the basis of sundew, tinctures and ointments, decoctions and solutions for compresses are made. The list of diseases that sundew can cure include diarrhea, asthma, dysentery, tuberculosis, bronchitis, dropsy, whooping cough, fever and many skin diseases.

In folk medicine, all parts of the plant are used, as well as its juice.

Dewdrop is used:

• To relieve spasms and inflammation.
• For the treatment of the nervous system.
• As a diaphoretic and diuretic.
• To normalize body temperature.
• In the treatment of atherosclerosis.
• For the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract.
• In complex therapy in the treatment of colds, including cough and ENT organs.
• For the destruction of calluses and warts.

Despite the fact that the sundew is a very exotic plant, caring for it is quite simple and even a beginner grower can do it.

Sundew is a carnivorous plant-predator for insects (video)