Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 9/17/2011

Question
Last December, I bought a Judith Hindle with a flytrap in the same pot with it from you guys. It looked good when I received it from you but I wondered about putting the two plants right next to each other. I grew it outside exposed to the full intensity of the Oklahoma sun. I was surprised to find that the flytrap flowered in spring and I cut the stem a little late at 3 to 4 inches tall. After that the plant made very few traps and those it did make would often emerge with the tip(which would turn into the actual trap) black and soon after, the entire leaf would die before the trap had even opened. Why? Despite the flytrap's troubles, the Judith Hindle flourished and expanded from just one growing point to five or six. Right now the flytrap has died back entirely with all foliage dead as though it has given up on life, all while the Judith Hindle grows like a weed. Should I try to repot and disentangle the roots to put them in different pots now or should I wait until winter. Or should I do nothing and hope that the flytrap comes back next spring and is not in fact being choked out by the Judith Hindle?
Thanks for your help.

Answer
It's very unlikely that it was choked by the Sarracenia.  These plants can grow side by side, and we have numerous display plants with flytraps and Sarracenia growing in the same pot for many years.  

From what you've described, it seems that the problem is most likely with the bulb of the flytrap.  In most instances, if a plant declines shortly after spring growth, it's usually from winter damage. Remnants of the plant will continue to grow, but if the healthy material isn't enough to sustain full growth, it will simply run out of energy and wither.  It's difficult to determine what caused it to decline in health without knowing a bit more details about your winter care.  Suffice to say that while flytraps can withstand freezing temperatures during winter dormancy, they need a bit more protection from dehydration than Sarracenia.

If your Sarracneia is growing well right, you don't need to repot it.  Whether to do so or not is mostly up to you right now.  It won't hurt the plant to keep it in the same pot, and it hurt it if you decide to repot it.  However, repotting it won't affect the outcome of the flytrap.  It's definitely a goner.

Make sure to watch our monthly podcast for important tips as we enter the fall season.  
http://www.cobraplant.com/videos

If you want details about winter care, watch Volume 1 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series.
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD

Good growing!
Jacob Farin