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darkdes

malformed leaf on giant stag sundew

darkdes
17 years ago

My giant staghorn sundew that i got from cobraplants.com last week has sent up a malformed leaf. Its not oddly shappen its just smaller than it should be. I'm using the tray method for water and it sits in windowsill where it gets sun for most of the day and has a florecent bulb on it for the rest of the day. I dont have a top over its container but from what i hear humidity isnt as important as i once thought plus it will eventually get fairly big. It is in the same pot it was shipped in an u have done nothing to the soil mix. So which of these would be the problem: too much light, water (about 2 in deep most of time), or not enough humidity? This is the first time i have had problem with miny leafs on a cp. Btw the stem of the leaf in regular size the tentacle area is the problem

Comments (13)

  • floral_mystique
    17 years ago

    I grow Drosera Binata along with others in a terrerium, which is a very close relative to the staghorn. mine was under a 15 watt buld and it's petioles grew extremely long and wirely and had really small miss-shapen traps, that were really green. once I moved up to a 90 watt compact flourescent day light and and 2 40 watt soft light bulbs, the new leaves started to come out red. I cut off the wirey leaves adn ended up cutting the leaves back to it's base so that the new leaves can come threw red intead of green, my suggestion is cut off the bad growth and play with the lighting. mine haven;t ever had a humidity problem so I can't really help you out on the aspect, just offering what I've done threw with mine.

  • petiolaris
    17 years ago

    If the plant is dewy and putting out new leaves, I wouldn't worry about it.

  • darkdes
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    the new leaf finaly formed and it isnt dewy at all. Should i try growing it outside for the summer?

  • floral_mystique
    17 years ago

    No Dew Usually means low Humidity, at least that's what I've experienced. my Opinion is up the light and up the humidity and it should recover.

  • darkdes
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    i moved it outside to share a table top with my vft where it gets intense sunlight all day and it is fairly humid where i live so i think it could do good outside. After about a day outside here is how it faired: its malformed leaf got some dew and its old leaf lost a bit. It seems to have made a turn for the better

  • floral_mystique
    17 years ago

    What I did with the Binatas that I had in my terrerium was I cut off all the new growth that had developed in what I called "the period of bad lighting" Its petioles were ridiculously long and it's traps were small and difformed. now that my lighting is a ton loads better,5 of my binatas are flowerinf and thier new growth is getting redder. I trimmed off most of the leaves that were there because it looks like a bramble, so now there is more energy for the flowers and after they are done the newer more condense growth can come in with a nicer darker color. You probably don't have to worry about that though since you're not lmiting your space with a terrerium.

  • darkdes
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Good news, my GSS made a full recovery and is at a 150%. This thing must love columbus georgias climate cause its drooling dew and starting new growth. Do these plants produce seed or are they sterile? I hope so cause if it does it would make a great plant for a bog garden i am planning in the future and would love more than one gss in it

  • petiolaris
    17 years ago

    I tend to think that the best route to propogation will be to take leaf cuttings and place, dew side up, on moist media... or place in vials of water... or in a tray of water... or...

  • darkdes
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Mine is not at flowering maturity yet. It will be when it starts growing 4 point leaves. But does it produce seed in cultivation or is it sterile

  • petiolaris
    17 years ago

    AFAIK, it is self-sterile. But leaf cuttings is an incredibly efficient way to propogate them.

  • doowop_6116
    15 years ago

    Hello Darkdes ..And to all .Ty for posting this . I have both Giant D.Staghorns . I was curious .Can the petiol's be used as well in leaf cuttings ? I reseved my plants from Hawiian Botantical's In Ritchmond hill Bc on July 26 th . I took both leave and root cuttings . Using diffont methods of propigation tech.'s . Although I've read it's best to take leaf cutting's from new leave's . Can use dieing leave's to propigate from ? My Binata Dichotoma is producing at least 6 new leaves . It has an older leaf that was developing when I first got it .It;s trapped quite a few insects . My d.multibal extreama seems to have recovered .This plant is sprouting a new plantlet . Also it seems to be sending up a flower scape . I now I know to cut it off .Ty .So the plant will recover and grow new leaves .I think frow what i;ve read here it takes two to four years to mature to an adult plant . These plants must send up alot of leaves .I find a lack of dew on the oldest leaves exept one ,The unfolding leaves are dewy .I find in the cooler early morning hours all my drosera's are quite showy .Some lose their moisture . However the dewpoint content on the newer leaves of drosera's Capensis amd D.Filliformis tracia are dewy . . Seem's besides strong light being responcibal for dew content . Seems condesation in the air .As cool night air seems to do the same trick as high humitity . Good luck and happy growing .Scott

  • petiolaris
    15 years ago

    These:

    {{gwi:555543}}

    were the result of this:

    {{gwi:555544}}
    {{gwi:430410}}

    A dying leaf isn't very likely to produce plantlets. My leaf cuttings seem to need a full year to be mature. This was a young plant when I got it and within a year it flowered.


    {{gwi:555545}}

  • paul_
    15 years ago

    LOL! Petiolaris, your second pic looks like something out of a sci-fi movie or X-files show! One of the ones with all the alien "embryos" in glass tanks. :D

    You've got quite the 'farm' there!

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