Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 1/17/2012

Question
QUESTION: Allexperts,

The D. dichotoma - Giant Staghorn Sundew that I got a year ago from you guys.  Has come down with the fungus that the  D. Multifida Extrema got.  Its is an small white fungus that attacks the crown of the plant.  I was wondering if you have ever seen this before, or know the best course of action to get rid of it.   let me know if you need more information.  Thanks again.  Note this is how D. Multifida extrema looked before it went under.  Also there no Botrytis on this plant the actual pathogen is at the crown of the plant making it impossible to take a photo of it. Sorry.  I do know what Botrytis looks like. Know way does this look like Botrytis.  Let me know if there anything else I can do.  I treated the plant with sulfur and tebuconazole.  

Grow Data
lighting= 40 watt tubes on a 12 hour timer
water= distilled.
obtained from= Sarracenia Northwest
Soil= standard mix for Cp ( peat/perlite)
temperature = 68-70 degress

Sincerely,

Weylin

ANSWER: Hi Weylin,

If it looks like a fungus of some sort you need to treat.  In this kind of situation, sulfur will be of little help.  Sulfur is a good preventative (seeds, cuttings, etc...), however it isn't strong enough to be very curative is fungal hyphae have penetrated plant tissue.  Tebuconazole (like is found in the Bayer 3 in 1 product) is a systemic fungicide, so if you have that one, definitely use it.  From the research I've done, it appears that fungi can build up resistance to systemic fungicides.  If after a couple days you see no affect on the fungus from the tebuconazole, you may need to use something else.  I've had good luck with Daconil (Brand Name for Chlorothonil).  This substance is found in most garden centers in red bottles, and is an almost gel-like spray, so it stays where you put it.  I've found it very effective, it's just harder to use at times because of how thick it is.

Having said all this, I still am not totally sure what you have going on here.  The D. binata complex in our nursery is one of the easiest, and most disease free groups of sundews we grow.  We do a preventative spray on the root cutting when striking those, but once plants develop and we transplant, they are almost trouble free.  This is opposed to plants like D. adelae or D. prolifera that are quite prone to fungus.  That's why I wanted a photo that was clearer.  If you treat with the fungicides I mentioned, and you see no response, then you've got something else going on.

Good Growing!

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

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

QUESTION: Allexperts,

I was going to ask this in another question ,but this also might help.   When I did the root cuttings with the D. Multifida the plant root system was always intacted and thriving as though the plant was alive.  It just didn't produce any leaves.  The roots also start to produce plantlets.   I took roots 3 different times and the plant always had an abundance of roots.  Just for knowledge what else could be the problem?  Do you have any suggestions at to beat this.  As always thank  you for your time.  If you need more information please let me know.  

Sincerely,

Weylin

Answer
Hi Weylin,

To clarify what I mean by taking a root cutting, what we do is cut healthy roots into 1" pieces then lay them horizontally on the surface of peat moss in a propagating dome under lights.  In about 3 weeks little nubs form on the root, followed by the first set of little leaves unfurling with a white vertical root forming going straight down.  It sounds like you may have been placing roots vertically in the soil.  In that situation, you would see plantlets forming around the original crown.  It's also not unusual for these plants to occasionally have a crown die, just to have a new one form elswhere.  The roots of these plants are thick and fleshy, and can survive brief drought periods.  In a sense they are designed to withstand damage and then form new plants.

The only other thing I can think you may have going on is the plants going into dormancy.  Multifida doesn't usually go dormant, but dichotoma does.  Unlike American sundews, they don't form hibernacula, it just looks like they are dead.  In the past I've had customers throw them out not knowing about the dormancy.  You said you have the lights on a 12 hour day.  That's just about the point they might start trying to go dormant.  Bump it up to 14 hours and they won't.

Good Growing!

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