Sundew is a culture from the carnivorous category. This is one of the easiest plants to grow. This is due to the fact that the crop is able to secrete a sticky mass from its leaves and catch insects. This makes feeding her easy. However, growing a flower still has certain conditions. To get a strong and healthy plant, you need to follow a number of rules of agricultural technology.
Description of the plant
Perennial herbs from the Rosyankov family are grown as ornamental plants.Flower growers appreciate their unusual appearance and ability to catch insects. Caring for sundew at home is easy. At the same time, she needs to recreate her natural habitat.
It is important to consider that sundews have a wide habitat - from tropical forests and swampy areas to temperate climate zones. Each variety adapts to specific humidity and temperature parameters. Sundews that grow in cold climates need a period of rest. However, tropical varieties do not require it.
Appearance
Although sundew has many species, the structure of such plants is characterized by common characteristics. These include the following:
- Rounded or elongated leaves forming a basal rosette. They can range from 50 millimeters to 50 centimeters - it depends on the variety. There are hairs on the surface of the leaves. A sticky secretion accumulates at their ends, which looks like dew.
- Small fragile root system. In nature, the crop grows in poor soil, which is not able to saturate it with a large number of valuable elements.
- Tall flower stalks. Thanks to this, insects are able to pollinate the crop without the risk of dying. Flowers appear on the stem above the trap leaves in the first half of spring. Moreover, they come in cream, purple or pink.
- Fruits without pulp. They are formed after flowering has completed and the petals have fallen. The seeds of the crop are located under the thin skin.
Predatory habits
In the process of evolution, the frugivorous flower learned to attract and kill insects with the help of trap leaves. The larger the leaves, the more prey they can attract. These could be mosquitoes, flies, midges. Some plants are generally capable of attracting dragonflies and butterflies.
The flower produces a thick secretion that attracts insects. Droplets of a paralytic substance accumulate at the ends of the glandular hairs. They thickly cover the top and edges of the leaves. An insect that is captured is immersed in a sticky mass, and there is no way for it to get out.
After this, the sheet is rolled up. The plant produces food enzymes and dissolves the chitin of the victim's body, breaking down the insect into its simplest substances. Thus, the sundew receives elements important for its development - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium.
How to grow sundew
Sundew is considered an unpretentious plant. However, its cultivation has certain characteristics.
Soil preparation
This crop has specific requirements for soil composition. The plant is planted in a low-nutrient loose substrate. At the same time, it should be quite acidic and have a pH of 3.5-5. A suitable option is soil that imitates swamp soil.
What should the humidity be?
An important condition for caring for sundew is maintaining high air humidity. Optimal parameters should be 50-70%. Moreover, the higher the temperature in the room, the more humid the air should be. A drop in this indicator leads to rapid drying of the foliage.
High dry air becomes noticeable by a decrease in size or complete disappearance of droplets on the eyelashes. To maintain the required level of humidity, a pot of sundew can be placed in a tray filled with wet sand, expanded clay or pebbles. However, this is often not enough. Therefore, sundews are often immediately planted in a florarium or kept under a glass cover.
It is important to consider that spraying is strictly contraindicated for sundew. If moisture gets on the foliage, there is a risk of disrupting the synthesis of the adhesive substance. In this case, the crop loses the ability to absorb nutrients.
Lighting
Sundew requires long-term illumination for many hours. In summer, the duration of daylight should be 14 hours, in winter - about 8. The flower does not withstand exposure to direct sunlight. Therefore, the crop should be grown on a western or eastern windowsill. In the cold season, when daylight hours are short, plants can be illuminated with a fluorescent lamp.
Temperature
Sundews, which are distinguished by their African origin, feel good in the warm season at temperatures above +25 degrees. Plants that develop in temperate climates grow well at +18-20 degrees. Many indoor flowers can normally withstand temperatures of +18-23 degrees. However, some species may have special requirements for indicators.
The plant tolerates moderate temperature fluctuations day and night. Therefore, in the summer they should be taken out into the fresh air - onto the veranda, terrace or balcony. The minimum temperature that the flower can withstand is +10 degrees.
One of the main difficulties when growing a crop that requires a dormant period is ensuring optimal temperature parameters in winter. Such flowers should winter at a temperature no higher than +13 degrees. A partial exception is the Cape sundew. In winter, it can easily withstand room temperature. However, the duration of daylight hours should be at least 12 hours.
What to feed the plant
Sundews do not need to be fertilized because they can obtain the necessary elements from the insects they catch. Attempts to add nutrients to stimulate growth lead to the fact that the crop becomes sick and may die.
The only source of mineral and organic elements that sundew needs are small insects. In the summer, the problem can be solved by exposing the flower to fresh air. There he can catch insects himself. In winter, sundew food can be purchased at a pet store.
The frequency of feeding the flower depends on the season. During active growing season, he needs 2-3 flies once a week. In winter, it is enough to feed the flower once a month. Sometimes they try to replace the natural food of a culture with meat or egg whites. However, this is not recommended, since the plant is able to assimilate only specific combinations of protein components. Therefore, other compositions can be destructive for the flower.
Sundew care
If you have no experience, it is better to choose a variety that does not require a delicate approach. The most unpretentious is the Cape sundew, which can easily withstand the increased dryness of the air in apartments. Other varieties are considered more demanding in terms of growing rules.In this case, it is important to provide the plant with proper care. It is recommended to take into account the following features:
- The culture has a weak root system, so a container 10 centimeters deep is enough for it. An aquarium or terrarium is considered a suitable option for sundews. In this case, a moss bedding should be placed on the soil surface, which helps retain moisture.
- The container with the plant should be placed away from direct sunlight. In winter, it is not recommended to place it near central heating radiators. It is important to monitor compliance with the temperature regime and ensure sufficient air flow.
- Sundews need to be watered regularly. It is important to constantly keep the soil moist. To do this, you need to use settled or distilled water. It is recommended to water the flower only at the root. It is important to ensure that water does not get on the leaves.
- When there is a shortage of lighting, the crop needs additional lighting. In summer, the flower, on the contrary, needs to be shaded from the bright sun.
- Tap water should not be used to water sundews. It is also not recommended to add liquid fertilizers to the soil. Nutritional deficiencies should be replenished with dried insects.
- The only parasite that a flower cannot cope with is aphids. If a plant is damaged by these pests, it should be treated with Fitoverm. To do this, you need to mix 5 milliliters of the product with 1 liter of water. The culture needs to be sprayed. After which it must be wrapped in a bag for a day.
- In indoor conditions, the average lifespan of a sundew is 3 years. Therefore, it is recommended to separate young shoots in advance to form new bushes.
- To pollinate plants without the participation of insects, you need to rub the flower stalks against each other. You can also use a brush to transfer pollen. Some varieties of sundews produce pollen themselves.
How to replant a carnivorous plant
It is not recommended to systematically replant sundew. This should be done only if absolutely necessary, if the crop has outgrown the pot or the substrate has lost its properties. It is recommended to replant a carnivorous plant at the end of the dormant period. This should be done in February or early March. The procedure should be carried out with rubber gloves.
It is recommended to carefully remove the plant from the pot and try not to touch the working fragments of the leaves. The soil from the roots should not be completely removed, but only carefully shake off the excess.
Sundew has a small root system. It is fragile and superficial. Therefore, it is necessary to handle the culture with extreme care. After moving to a new pot, the flower should be at the same depth as before.
It is important to consider that digging up wild sundews is not recommended. This is a rare plant, which is often listed in the Red Book. In addition, wild flowers are considered more demanding in terms of maintenance. This applies to soil composition, temperature parameters, and humidity. Therefore, such a flower will most likely die within a few months.
The sundew is an unusual plant that is considered a predator. This crop is very unpretentious, so it is quite acceptable to grow it at home. However, it is still necessary to adhere to a number of rules of agricultural technology.
