Post by killerkobra on Aug 15, 2023 17:53:38 GMT -5
Hi! So I'm reaching out to the forum to figure out if anyone has ever seen this before in Sarracenia. I received some plants from someone last winter who couldn't take care of them anymore. They were extremely neglected. In repotting the numerous plants, I have four community trays from that person. They spent all winter in my greenhouse near each other. I noticed at the start of the season, after I brought all of them outside, that one of the four trays was was not growing well, as the growth was starting to wilt/turn brown/get spots on it before it even opened or hardened off. A few tried to flower but then the flowers wilted and died.
I then isolated the plants about 100 ft away from any of my others and they haven't done any better all season long. The other three trays remain fine, with just typical insect indigestion spots. I have attached pics I took yesterday of the problem tray. I would say thrips, except whatever it is isn't attacking new growth, at least not right away. It seems to wait until the pitcher opens and/or hardens off before really setting in. The brown spots seem patterned, and start almost exclusively on the 'wing' of the pitcher which reeeeally bothers me. A couple of growers said it just looks like drought, but I didn't think so because I hadn't treated them any differently than the others, and because the spots are too regular; and they kept showing up on the growth. Also I kept them damp/wet the whole time. The plants don't even get the opportunity to color up at all before the brown spots spread and kill the pitcher top! When I planted them, there were no signs of disease, but a lot of slug eggs and stuff to get rid of, so I'd stripped them down and blasted them with a garden hose before potting them in community trays to give them the best head start.
To make matters worse, I recently planted a perfectly healthy throwaway division of Judith Hindle in this problem tray (to test if it was contagious), and it started getting the same spots within about 5 days. So whatever it is apparently has the capability of spreading. Or is it the tray? The tray is enamel-covered steel with no drain holes except near the top. Just as a note, I never flood the tray. I have sprayed the whole tray once with neem oil about a month ago but nothing seemed to happen in particular. A few plants have been weakened to the point where they have now contracted a secondary mold infection and died.
I uprooted a spotted specimen to check the roots only to find new white healthy roots, which confused me too. I re-cleaned that uprooted division really well, blasted off all the soil, and submerged the whole thing in a neem oil solution for a few minutes, then potted it separately. Immediately after, some of the growth continued spotting, including around the wound where I cut off the old infected growth, so I thought I failed. However now weeks later, it has two new-ish pitchers that have opened, started to color up, and have NOT yet started spotting. I'm crossing my fingers and waiting but we'll see? So I really don't know what to say. I will update this if I see spotting again.
Another grower has told me to throw them away to prevent any spreading of whatever's going on, and I think I'll do just that, but I wanted to see if anyone could identify this so I know what to look for in the future (or maybe just for the peace of mind of knowing).
None of the rest of my collection appears to have contracted this (and I sure as heck hope it doesn't!!); I'm just so confused but really worried for my special clones. I'd like to know what it is. I have kind of ruled out bugs, but maybe I'm wrong, I just don't know why they wouldn't show up on my other plants then, which are literally 100ft away. Maybe nutrient toxicity? Fungus? Bacterial infection or virus? Any help is greatly appreciated. Pics below.
I then isolated the plants about 100 ft away from any of my others and they haven't done any better all season long. The other three trays remain fine, with just typical insect indigestion spots. I have attached pics I took yesterday of the problem tray. I would say thrips, except whatever it is isn't attacking new growth, at least not right away. It seems to wait until the pitcher opens and/or hardens off before really setting in. The brown spots seem patterned, and start almost exclusively on the 'wing' of the pitcher which reeeeally bothers me. A couple of growers said it just looks like drought, but I didn't think so because I hadn't treated them any differently than the others, and because the spots are too regular; and they kept showing up on the growth. Also I kept them damp/wet the whole time. The plants don't even get the opportunity to color up at all before the brown spots spread and kill the pitcher top! When I planted them, there were no signs of disease, but a lot of slug eggs and stuff to get rid of, so I'd stripped them down and blasted them with a garden hose before potting them in community trays to give them the best head start.
To make matters worse, I recently planted a perfectly healthy throwaway division of Judith Hindle in this problem tray (to test if it was contagious), and it started getting the same spots within about 5 days. So whatever it is apparently has the capability of spreading. Or is it the tray? The tray is enamel-covered steel with no drain holes except near the top. Just as a note, I never flood the tray. I have sprayed the whole tray once with neem oil about a month ago but nothing seemed to happen in particular. A few plants have been weakened to the point where they have now contracted a secondary mold infection and died.
I uprooted a spotted specimen to check the roots only to find new white healthy roots, which confused me too. I re-cleaned that uprooted division really well, blasted off all the soil, and submerged the whole thing in a neem oil solution for a few minutes, then potted it separately. Immediately after, some of the growth continued spotting, including around the wound where I cut off the old infected growth, so I thought I failed. However now weeks later, it has two new-ish pitchers that have opened, started to color up, and have NOT yet started spotting. I'm crossing my fingers and waiting but we'll see? So I really don't know what to say. I will update this if I see spotting again.
Another grower has told me to throw them away to prevent any spreading of whatever's going on, and I think I'll do just that, but I wanted to see if anyone could identify this so I know what to look for in the future (or maybe just for the peace of mind of knowing).
None of the rest of my collection appears to have contracted this (and I sure as heck hope it doesn't!!); I'm just so confused but really worried for my special clones. I'd like to know what it is. I have kind of ruled out bugs, but maybe I'm wrong, I just don't know why they wouldn't show up on my other plants then, which are literally 100ft away. Maybe nutrient toxicity? Fungus? Bacterial infection or virus? Any help is greatly appreciated. Pics below.