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Carnivorous Plants/Sarracenia help
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Question
I have enjoyed my first Sarracenia (leucophylla x rosea) for almost a year now. I was perplexed about the dormancy period because I was afraid it would dry out if I left it outside, so I haven't given it a dormancy period. It's still in it's original pot and grew very well last year with the pot kept in a bowl of water by my front door. However last winter in my windowsill I missed putting water in the bowl and now the tips of the pitchers are brown and dry. There are a few pitchers still in good shape and the plant seems to be growing ok. Should I cut off the pitchers that are brown on the ends, or just leave them alone? The brown dry part doesn't seem to be traveling down the stem like I thought it would. I'm going to try to include a picture.
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Hello Kathy,
It looks like you might have caught the dry pot fast enough to save the plant. Just keep watering the plant frequently to keep the tray 1/4 to 1/2 the pot depth in standing water and it should be fine. You can clip off the dry parts if you want to. That decision is mostly one of esthetics. If you dont like seeing the brown sections, clip them off.
Be mindful that the plant will require dormancy and might decline in a few months or perhaps by the end of next winter due to missing a dormancy period. If it survives, keep it where it can feel cold temperatures in winter next time and it will go dormant as the daylength of sunlight decreases in Fall. Sarracenias really do not need anything special in winter outside the normal care a temperate plant gets in winter. Since it is in a pot, you will need to ensure it does not dry out simply by keeping a little water in the tray over winter and by keeping a plastic tarp or some mulch around the plant during freezing, windy weather. Simply placing the pot in a bucket with mulch around the pot and over the plant would insulate it well enough for light frosts. Colder weather would require rather more mulch or more layers of insulation of some sort, like a tarp or plastic bag over the plant in addition to the mulch. Every so often, uncover the plant and water it and ensure mold is not attacking it during dormancy then recover it until spring arrives, then uncover it for the growing season and let it grow again. If only intermittent freezing weather occurs in your region, simply cover the plant on the days you expect such weather. It can remain uncovered in anything over freezing.
Christopher
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| Comment | Thank you so much, Christopher. This is the first time I've used this site and am so pleased that you have answered my question so well. I hope it survives. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Christopher Littrell
Expertise
I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.
Experience
I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.
Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.
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