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Carnivorous Plants/Strange growth on VFT
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Question
I have some small Venus Flytraps that all appear to be healthy, but they are beginning to develop strange growths that are worrying me. It's a hard, white crust that grows along the backside of newly emerging traps. If I were to remove it, it would have to be scraped; water only seems to fade it until it dries. What is this crust? Is it harmful for my plants?
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I sprayed the plants with Bayer's imidacloprid insecticide, but it didn't help, so I don't think it's a bug problem.
About the plants themselves: The plants were rescued from Lowe's and the Naval Commissary several weeks ago. I acclimated them but left them in the pots they came in, but I could see they were beginning to die. I then re-potted them in a soil mix of 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite. They are doing much better now, healthy and green looking, all except for these growths.
Sorry for the blurry photo, it's the best I could do, but you can still see the white residue along the top of the trap.
Without a clear photograph, I can't say for sure what it is, especially since it's a rescue plant. If you back away from the plant a bit, the part in question would be in focus since the back of the pot is in focus.
Based solely on your description, the most I can say is that it's probably residue from the perlite. Perlite is very brittle and crumbles very easily. The dust will sometimes form on the base of plants, especially after heavy rains. (I'm assuming you kept the plant outdoors.)
If it is perlite dust, you can simply take a damp cloth and wipe it off. You can also take a spray bottle and spray it off. The dust itself isn't harmful to the plant. It just makes it a bit unsightly.
If you don't think it could be perlite dust, please submit another photograph. The area in question needs to be clear if you want a proper diagnosis and recommendation. Keep in mind that we're here to help as best we can, but we can only do so based on the information you supply. Blurry photos are only useful for making educated guesses. Take a bunch of photograph using different settings and distances. Select select one that has a clear representation of the area.
But first, wipe off the material with a damp cloth. If it comes off and stays off, then it's likely perlite dust. If not, then I'll need more information to figure out what's going on.
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
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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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