Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 4/6/2010

Question
QUESTION: I grow under CFL light in the closet, my other neps from around the world seem to do fine except for the N. Ventricosa which started developing these strange brown spots and the undersides of the leaf have turned red. This happens on all the leaves about 4 nodes down and beyond. None of my other plants are reporting this odd behavior. No roots were harmed in the repot as far as I know. The odd thing is after the repot and Maxsea, it put out two basal shoots at the same time though and bigger pitchers. Is my plant ok?

On a good note, N. x Miranda is developing a pitcher that is about the length of my hand after one round of Maxsea at 1/3rd strength after a nice repot. Thanks for the advice earlier on repotting, all my plants look great now in their new pots and soil!

Also what is with my N. Talangensis close by? It grows rather slow considering everything around it seemed to explode into growth this month. I bought it about three weeks ago at CC, and it's healthy but really taking it's time for me...

http://imgur.com/wSs5p.jpg
http://imgur.com/yxHqa.jpg
http://imgur.com/XMnGN.jpg

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

Thank you for supplying the photos.  That helped me diagnose the problem.  You might have a pest issue, such as thrips.  The pest is usually very tiny, so you won't always see them.  However, this type of spotting on the underside of the leaf is usually from some sort of bug bite.  The red dots are called rust spots, a harmless fungal infection that starts when a part of the leaf is damage.

As a precaution, spray your plants with a systemic insecticde, such as Bayer® Disease Control.  You can find it at most garden centers.  You may also use a topical application that contains pyrethrin.  Safer® makes a good prepared solution of it.  As always, follow the directions provided by the manufacturer.  

Some species are prone to pests, while others are a bit more resilient. To be on the safe side, you should also spray your other plants.  Keep in mind that this treatment won't reverse the leaf damage. It will only prevent the pest from further damaging your plants.

Talangensis is a true highlander.  It grows slowly and really needs a drop in nighttime temperature.  You'll need to give your plant more time than 3 weeks, more like three months!

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I haven't found any pests, I did find little droplets of sticky clear liquid and it's definitely coming from the plant. I've been using Bayer 3-in-1 and the new growth has no signs of damage, what do you think happened?

I did see some mites, they were white in color and they were roaming the soil and nowhere to be found on the plant. They're toast now though.

Answer
Hi Chris,

The insecticide killed the bugs!  Everything you described sounded like Thrips like Jacob mentioned.  I've always found that I can't see Thrips with the naked eye.  I have to use a hand lense.  Scale insect can also create the same symptoms, including the little dewdrops.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com