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cephalotus - powder-y pitchers ?
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Wolfn
Agent of Chaos
It's either fungus or mineral buildup from water. You may need to repot the plant into fresh soil and/or increase light.
If it's fungus, higher light and more air circulation will help clear it up. If it's mineral buildup from water, you may need to repot the plant because the soil might be full of minerals.
Where do you get your water?
If it's fungus, higher light and more air circulation will help clear it up. If it's mineral buildup from water, you may need to repot the plant because the soil might be full of minerals.
Where do you get your water?
My water is RO. Same water I've been using for a few years. This pot is outside in open air on a south facing balcony, this is the only one with the powder stuff.
I noticed the Tarnok thread after posting this. Towards the end NaN has posted a photo of his plant infested with mealy bugs; that one looks a lot like mine. Will treat that portion and see if that's it...Weird, I haven't seen that pest in years.
I noticed the Tarnok thread after posting this. Towards the end NaN has posted a photo of his plant infested with mealy bugs; that one looks a lot like mine. Will treat that portion and see if that's it...Weird, I haven't seen that pest in years.
Yes, it appears to be powdery mildew or fungus. You should clean off as much as you can with a cloth, small brush or cotton swab dampened with a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Dilute 3% hydrogen peroxide or 70% rubbing alcohol at least 4 to 1. You want the solution to evaporate quickly so don't apply a lot. Trim off any dead leaves and pitchers.
Then treat the plant with either a Neem extract or sulfur based fungicide. Sulfur is best used on powdery fungi and acts as a preventative killing new spores on contact - until the sulfur is washed away.
A systemic fungicide like Benamyl or Cleary's 3336 work very well with Cephalotus. Benamyl is no longer available in the Western Hemisphere but you may be able to get it in Turkey.
Oils and sulfur should not be used in conjunction as oils will stop the effectiveness of the sulfur. The instructions typically warn not to use within 30 days of oil application. Neem extract is a low persistance oil and usually dissipates in 3-7 days so applying sulfur a couple weeks after Neem should be ok.
Be sure to follow the instructions on the labels.
As far as cultivation goes what works best depends a lot on your environment, experience and skills. For the most part for beginners a quickly draining media mixture with a good amount of coarse sand, pumice or perlite works well. Avoid long periods of standing water and provide plenty of air circulation.
Some growing tips:
http://culturesheet.org/cephalotaceae:cephalotus:follicularis
http://www.foxoles.dsl.pipex.com/index.html#
Then treat the plant with either a Neem extract or sulfur based fungicide. Sulfur is best used on powdery fungi and acts as a preventative killing new spores on contact - until the sulfur is washed away.
A systemic fungicide like Benamyl or Cleary's 3336 work very well with Cephalotus. Benamyl is no longer available in the Western Hemisphere but you may be able to get it in Turkey.
Oils and sulfur should not be used in conjunction as oils will stop the effectiveness of the sulfur. The instructions typically warn not to use within 30 days of oil application. Neem extract is a low persistance oil and usually dissipates in 3-7 days so applying sulfur a couple weeks after Neem should be ok.
Be sure to follow the instructions on the labels.
As far as cultivation goes what works best depends a lot on your environment, experience and skills. For the most part for beginners a quickly draining media mixture with a good amount of coarse sand, pumice or perlite works well. Avoid long periods of standing water and provide plenty of air circulation.
Some growing tips:
http://culturesheet.org/cephalotaceae:cephalotus:follicularis
http://www.foxoles.dsl.pipex.com/index.html#
I am completely baffled. My balcony is quite windy (5th floor), receives about 8 hours of sun during summer. Of course it's much less now since it's winter but still...I have never run into this problem but I am not as experienced as the most of you; my oldest cepha just hit 2 years old.
Attaching a few pics of my balcony. Problem plant is to the back with two divisions on the left and right.
I am using two types of mix for cepha; one is Charles Brewer's Mix and the other is a basic peat + perlite with more perlite than peat, topped with live sphag...The problem plant is peat + perlite mix and the problem growth point is at the back of the raised mound, receiving the least amount of direct sunlight. I will rotate it and see if it gets better.
Thank you for the replies, this was an awesome help for me. I have treated it with rubbing alcohol for the moment and will look into getting the other supplies.
Attaching a few pics of my balcony. Problem plant is to the back with two divisions on the left and right.
I am using two types of mix for cepha; one is Charles Brewer's Mix and the other is a basic peat + perlite with more perlite than peat, topped with live sphag...The problem plant is peat + perlite mix and the problem growth point is at the back of the raised mound, receiving the least amount of direct sunlight. I will rotate it and see if it gets better.
Thank you for the replies, this was an awesome help for me. I have treated it with rubbing alcohol for the moment and will look into getting the other supplies.
Ah, the mysteries of life. I have two Drosera paradoxa side by side in the same tank, one is growing wildly producing flowers while the other appears to be going dormant.
Check again closely for aphids, scale or mealybugs. Powdery fungus are often a sign of these pests and the hairs on Cephalotus make it hard to spot them. A few sources say the hairs prevent such infestations. Don't believe it.
Our resident emtomologist says you may be able to smell a sweetish scent like honeydew melon in bad infestations. Don't let your friends or family see you sniffing your plants
Very nice collection by the way.
Check again closely for aphids, scale or mealybugs. Powdery fungus are often a sign of these pests and the hairs on Cephalotus make it hard to spot them. A few sources say the hairs prevent such infestations. Don't believe it.
Our resident emtomologist says you may be able to smell a sweetish scent like honeydew melon in bad infestations. Don't let your friends or family see you sniffing your plants
Very nice collection by the way.
dionae
sarracenia lover
thez_yo
instigator
Mine kinda look like that right now too. Bayer rose insect killer got rid of the mealies that were hanging out on them, but the white stuff remained somehow. After spraying down with neem though the white stuff went away. Not sure what it was/is, but I get the feeling I'll be battling it for a long time to come
Probably that waxy stuff mealybugs produce. Immiscible in water but perhaps miscible with Neem oil or the surfactants/emulsifiers in the Neem solution?
One home remedy for mealybugs on Sarracenia that some people use is 1 part 409 cleaner, 1 part rubbing alcohol and 4 parts water. The 409 dissolves the waxy coat and the alcohol kills the mealybugs. Not enough soap to cause much damage but flushing your pots a week or so later wouldn't hurt.
One home remedy for mealybugs on Sarracenia that some people use is 1 part 409 cleaner, 1 part rubbing alcohol and 4 parts water. The 409 dissolves the waxy coat and the alcohol kills the mealybugs. Not enough soap to cause much damage but flushing your pots a week or so later wouldn't hurt.
gill_za
Never Knows Best
I had something like that growing on my Spatulata. Plant formed a large tight clump and the fungus started to grow in between individual plants and on their leaves.
Bought Trichoderma strain from ampac biotech, made the solution and sprayed the hell out of the plant (plant, soil, everything). Even injected the solution directly between the plants via pipette. I was afraid I'm going to kill poor sundew like that but it was OK. Infection disappeared within days and now it is growing strong again.
Bought Trichoderma strain from ampac biotech, made the solution and sprayed the hell out of the plant (plant, soil, everything). Even injected the solution directly between the plants via pipette. I was afraid I'm going to kill poor sundew like that but it was OK. Infection disappeared within days and now it is growing strong again.
...
Our resident emtomologist says you may be able to smell a sweetish scent like honeydew melon in bad infestations. Don't let your friends or family see you sniffing your plants
...
I don't care about humans... Who needs mocking relatives when you have the terrifying hooded crows !
Whenever they see me handling a pot more than usual, the next morning I find that pot knocked down with the plant completely unrooted somewhere or thrown off the balcony. They also do it when I put aside a pot away from the group. I think they suspect crocus bulbs in this season, they just love stealing that stuff
So yeah, no intimacy allowed, I am being watched by beady little eyes and huge beaks.
I'm going with the pest scenario. My aroids and succulents got infected by a crazy wave of aphids last month. They even took out a drosophyllum seedling. They are gone now (ddvp) but some may have remained on the poor cephie, I'll keep a close look in the following days.
Ah, I saw the CD hanging there and was wondering if it was effective in keeping birds away. Apparently not. Crows have taken interest in my pots too, as well as the California scrub jay. The jays bury peanuts that neighbors feed them. Squirrels and crows like to dig them up. I've found many of my Sarracenia seedlings uprooted earlier this year. I place bamboo cooking skewers with the pointed ends out at various angles in pots around which seems to be keeping the jays and crows away. I just have to be careful not to skewer myself.
Oh, interesting idea with the skewers...Simple and practical. I will try it.
CDs definitely keep the sparrows, doves, pigeons and other small-ish birds away; those ones love cutting and taking away drosera flower stalks. I am using one but people usually hang 3-4. They also use light grocery bags that make noise in the wind.
However, it definitely doesn't work with the intelligent crow bunch...They will come if they feel like it.
CDs definitely keep the sparrows, doves, pigeons and other small-ish birds away; those ones love cutting and taking away drosera flower stalks. I am using one but people usually hang 3-4. They also use light grocery bags that make noise in the wind.
However, it definitely doesn't work with the intelligent crow bunch...They will come if they feel like it.
