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Carnivorous Plants/Wilting Pitchers
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Question
I have noticed that some of the pitchers on my Sarracenia just seem to wilt down before turning brown. Is there a specific cause for this, or could there be several?
Hi Greg,
Ooo! Not good. If a totally healthy pitcher wilts for no apparent reason, meaning it's not just an old one dying off, something is happening to the rhizome. Usually this is a fungal infection with Botrytis. Unpot the plant this is happening to. Carefully examine the rhizome where the dying leaves are attached. If you see any patches of mold, your rhizome is infected.
What you need to do is cut away any dead or brown material, cut off any dead leaves, spray it liberally with a fungicide, then repot in fresh media. Sulfur based fungicides work but a systemic is even better. Bayer Disease control is an example of a product than works well. The fungicide, tebuconozole, is also in the 3 in 1 product.
If almost all the rhizome is browning, say some final words. :( If some if it is still healthy, however, the treatment above will allow new growth to start.
If you unpot the plant and don't see any disease on the rhizome, the problem may be something else. Send me a photo and I'll take a better look at it.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
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Answers by Expert:
Sarracenia Northwest
Expertise
If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!
Experience
With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again.
Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.
No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.
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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION: We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?). Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?) For general plant care, please read our care sheets on our main website: http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets For business questions: http://www.cobraplant.com/contact |
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