Sundew: description, cultivation, planting and care, how to feed and how to transplant

Rosyanka is called a culture from the category of carnivores. This is one of the easiest plants to grow. This is due to the fact that the culture is able to secrete a sticky mass from its leaves and catch insects. This makes it easy to feed her. At the same time, the cultivation of a flower still has certain conditions. To get a strong and he althy 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. Florists appreciate their unusual appearance and ability to catch insects. Caring for sundew at home is easy. At the same time, she needs to recreate the natural habitat.

It is important to consider that sundews have a vast habitat - from tropical forests and swampy areas to a temperate climate zone. Each of the varieties adapts to specific parameters of humidity and temperature. Sundews that grow in cold climates need a dormant period. However, tropical varieties do not need it.

Appearance

Although sundew has many species, the structure of such plants is characterized by common features. 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 secret accumulates at their ends, which looks like dew.
Fragile small root system. In nature, culture grows in poor soil, which is not able to saturate it with a large number of valuable elements.
Tall peduncles. Thanks to this, insects are able to pollinate the crop without the risk of dying. Flowers form on the stem above the trap leaves in the first half of spring. However, they are cream, purple or pink.
Fruits without pulp. They form after flowering is completed and the petals fall off. The seeds of the crop are located under a thin skin.

Predatory habits

In the process of evolution, the fruit-eating flower has learned to attract and kill insects with the help of trap leaves. The larger the leaves, the more prey they can attract. It can be mosquitoes, flies, midges. Some plants are even 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 densely cover the top and edges of the leaves. An insect that is captured sinks into a sticky mass, and there is no way for it to get out.

After that, the sheet is folded. The plant produces food enzymes and dissolves the chitin of the victim's body, breaking down the insect to its simplest substances. Thus, sundew receives elements important for its development - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium.

How to grow a sundew

Rosyanka is considered an unpretentious plant. At the same time, its cultivation is distinguished by certain features.

Soil preparation

This crop has specific soil requirements. 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 soil that mimics marsh soil is considered a suitable option.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionFor growing sundew, it is permissible to use a ready-made substrate.Also, the mixture can be prepared independently. To do this, it is recommended to mix peat and sphagnum in equal parts, as well as add perlite there. You can also combine perlite, peat and sand in equal proportions. Another good option would be a combination of perlite and sphagnum. However, such a substrate has a high moisture capacity, which requires special attention to watering.

What should be the humidity

An important condition for sundew care is maintaining high humidity. The 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 a rapid drying of the foliage.

High dryness of the air becomes noticeable by reducing the size or complete disappearance of droplets on the cilia. To maintain the required level of humidity, a sundew pot can be placed in a tray filled with wet sand, expanded clay or pebbles.However, this is often not enough. Therefore, sundew is often immediately planted in a florarium or kept under a glass cap.

It is important to consider that spraying is strictly contraindicated for sundew. If moisture gets on the foliage, there is a risk of disruption of the synthesis of the adhesive substance. In this case, the culture loses the ability to absorb nutrients.

Lighting

Rosyanka needs long hours of illumination. In summer, daylight hours should be 14 hours, in winter - about 8. The flower does not withstand exposure to direct sunlight. Therefore, the culture should be grown on the western or eastern windowsill. In the cold season, with short daylight hours, plants can be illuminated with a fluorescent lamp.

Temperature

Sundews, which are of African origin, feel good in the warm season at temperatures above +25 degrees. Plants that develop in a temperate climate grow well at + 18-20 degrees.Many indoor flowers normally withstand temperatures at + 18-23 degrees. However, some species may have special performance requirements.

The plant is well tolerated by moderate temperature fluctuations day and night. Therefore, in the summer they should be taken out into the fresh air - to the veranda, terrace or balcony. The minimum temperature that a flower can withstand is +10 degrees.

One of the main challenges when growing a crop that requires a dormant period is to ensure optimal temperature parameters in winter. Such flowers should winter at a temperature not higher than +13 degrees. A partial exception is the Cape sundew. In winter, it normally withstands room temperature. However, daylight hours should be at least 12 hours.

What to feed the plant

Dews don't need to be fertilized because they can get the necessary elements from the insects they catch. Attempts to apply nutrients to stimulate growth cause the crop to become sick and possibly 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 flower feeding depends on the season. During active vegetation it 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 the culture with meat or egg whites. However, this is not recommended, since the plant is able to absorb only specific combinations of protein components. Therefore, other compounds can be fatal for a flower.

Sundew Care

If there is no experience, it is better to choose a variety that does not need a delicate approach. The Cape sundew is considered the most unpretentious, which easily withstands the increased dryness of the air in apartments.Other varieties are considered more demanding on the rules of cultivation. At the same time, it is important for the plant to provide competent care. In this case, it is recommended to take into account the following features:

The culture has a weak root system, so it needs a capacity of 10 centimeters deep. A suitable option for a sundew is an aquarium or terrarium. At the same time, a bed of moss should be placed on the surface of the soil, which helps to 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 batteries. It is important to control compliance with the temperature regime and ensure sufficient air flow.
Sundew should be watered regularly. It is important to constantly keep the soil moist. This requires the use of settled or distilled water. It is recommended to water the flower exclusively under the root. It is important to ensure that water does not fall on the leaves.
When lighting is scarce, culture needs additional lighting. In summer, the flower, on the contrary, needs to be shaded from the bright sun.
You can't use tap water to water the sundew. It is also not recommended to add liquid fertilizers to the soil. Nutritional deficiencies should be filled with dried insects.
The only parasite that a flower can't handle is the aphid. If a plant is affected by these pests, it should be treated with Fitoverm. To do this, mix 5 milliliters of the product with 1 liter of water. The culture needs to be sprinkled. After that, it must be wrapped in a bag for a day.
Under 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 peduncles together. You can also use a brush to transfer pollen. Some varieties of sundew produce pollen themselves.

How to transplant a carnivorous plant

Rosyanka is not recommended to be systematically transplanted. This should be done only when absolutely necessary, if the culture has outgrown the pot or the substrate has lost its properties. It is recommended to transplant 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 pull the plant out of the pot and try not to touch the working fragments of the leaves. The earth from the roots should not be completely removed, but only carefully shake off the excess.

Rosyanka has a small root system. She is fragile and superficial. Therefore, culture must be handled with the utmost 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 on the content. This applies to the composition of the soil, temperature parameters, humidity. Because such a flower is likely to die within a few months.

Rosyanka is an unusual plant that is considered a predator. This culture is very unpretentious, because it is quite acceptable to grow it at home. At the same time, it is still required to adhere to a number of rules of agricultural technology.