Sundew, or the genus Drosera, is a type of carnivorous plant found on every continent, except for Antarctica because of that land's frigid temperatures and lack of insects. The genus features more than 180 species, several of which flourish throughout the United States, including California’s temperate climate. Sundews are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, but all of the plants have one common characteristic: Their leaves' ability to create a sticky sap when contacted with morning dew or moisture. This sap catches insects, which later the plants consume. Use the correct planting medium when repotting a sundew.
Locate a pot that is at least 2 inches larger than the sundew’s existing home. The larger pot will provide the plant enough room to grow without overwhelming its foliage.
Fill the pot with a mixture of 30 percent construction-grade sand and 70 percent peat moss.
Slip on a pair of gardening gloves, and carefully grasp the sundew plant with one hand. Lift the plant's original pot with your other hand, and carefully twist the pot until the sundew frees from the pot. If you have trouble releasing the sundew, gently pull it until it breaks loose from the pot.
Remove the excess original growing medium gently from the sundew before lowering the plant into the new pot. Remove excess growing medium in the new pot, if necessary, until the sundew sits comfortably inside the new pot. Ideally, the sundew should sit at the same height as it did in the original pot.
Fill empty spaces around the sundew with the mixture of sand and peat moss until the plant's root system is covered completely.
Spray the sundew’s leaves and growing medium with only rainwater or distilled water. Continue to spray the plant until the growing medium is moist to the touch. If standing water is on the plant, you’ve provided too much liquid, which could lead to root rot. To remedy that problem, gently tip over the plant pot, and apply gentle pressure to the growing medium to remove the excess liquid.
Display the repotted sundew near a window that receives full sunlight for one-half of each day, preferably the morning.
Things You Will Need
- Replacement pot
- Construction-grade sand
- Peat moss
- Gardening gloves
- Spray bottle
- Rainwater or distilled water
- Avoid watering the sundew with tap water because the minerals it contains are toxic to the plant.
- Construction-grade sand is available at hardware stores and home improvement stores. It underwent a filtering process to remove impurities, including salt.
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