Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 12:47:38 -0400 From: Tom Massey <massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3322$foo@default> Subject: RE: Introduction and Sarracenia question.
Gary:
There were a few comments on the list a while back regarding this problem.
We also discussed it briefly at our last CP club meeting here in Tampa. I
have seen this problem off and on over the years, altho in the past it was
usually limited to just a single plant. This year it has been worse for
me, as I have probably lost 4-5 plants. I have tried one fungicide that
does not seem to work (Captan) and will be trying a few more as soon as I
get some promised samples.
I too grow my plants in live sphagnum, but I have seen the same symptoms
(and had others describe the problem) in plants grown in other media. At
first I suspected our mild, very wet winter may have been a contributing
factor. -- Perhaps you can confirm if you have had a similar dormant
season for your plants?
For those on the list who did not read the earlier descriptions, I call it
rhizome rot and it seems to be characterized as follows (in order of ease
of observation): 1) the apparent sudden wilting of all or many traps in
quick succession which on inspection are found to have died at the point of
attachment to the growth crown, 2) the appearance of healthy roots with
actively growing root tips that may show rot at their point of attachment
to the rhizome, with roots eventually dieing from the rhizome out, 3) a
rhizome that has rotted, often from the growth crown back, without obvious
damage from boring insects or other pests. 4) a rhizome that often seems
to have rotted from the inside out, with the only living tissue being
fragments of the outer layer of the rhizome.
The only treatment that has been successful for me has been to zealously
cut away all the dead rhizome and replanting the remaining fragment and
treating it as a new cutting. This seems to work about 50% of the time if
a sufficiently large piece of the rhizome was unaffected. This also seems
to be limited to cases where the plant is caught as soon as pitcher wilt is
noticed. I believe the first obvious symptoms tend to occur after the
plant is in serious trouble.
I would be happy to hear if someone can provide additional information or
correct anything I missed.
Has anyone been successful with any of the different fungicides that are
blowing around?
Tom in Fl.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, October 19, 1998 7:38 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
(snip)
Which leads me to my question, I am having (and have had in the past) a
problem with Sarracenias dying very suddenly. One day they "look" fine,
but obviously are not, and the next the pitchers look like the plants
have wilted (plenty of water though). It appears to be a fungal
problem, the rhizome when cut (to remove the dead parts) is brown from
the formerly living parts back. The plants are all grown in pure
sphagnum moss and when growing well appear to grow very well. Its just
that I lose a few each year to this problem.
Sorry for the long winded introduction and question but any ideas,
suggestions, treatments would be appreciated.
Thank you all.
-- /*************************/ Gary and Mim Hart gmhart@powerup.com.au /*************************/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:31:37 PST