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Speckled Sarracenias

Lil Stinkpot

Lucky Greenhorn
I have a friend watching my Sarracenias for me until I find a better place. He just e-mailed me some pictures, asking what's going on, and frankly, I'm not sure either. I think it's either a chemical burn or sunburn from water droplets. The pitchers are all new and soft, and theyv'e been getting part su, so maybe.... What do you guys think? He said he just used an organic pesticide, one that he uses on his Sarras (not llamas) without issue. There might have been a mixing error with the pesticide. All I know is that whatever it was happened very fast, and is kind of all over. It doesn't look like a pest attack.

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hmm..that is unusual!
doesnt look like sunburn (sunburn would only be on one side, and only on areas that directly face the sun..
not likely that sunburn would extend all the way down the stalks like that.)
Are the spots even placed on all sides of the pitchers? if yes, it isn't sunburn..

and "sunburn from water droplets" is a myth..it doesn't happen, ever..
ask yourself this..when you were a kid, and you went swimming, how many times did you come out of the pool
into direct intense sunlight with drops of water all over your skin? (answer: all the time)
How many times did your Mom say: "quick! towel off the water droplets before the drops on your skin act as magnifying glasses
and burn little spots on your skin!" (answer: never)..because it doesn't work that way.

How many times in the summer is there a summer rain storm, then the sun comes out immediately after the rain, while water drops are still all over tree leaves and garden plant leaves..(answer: all the time) How many times have you seen burn marks on tree leaves or garden plant leaves? (answer: never..because it doesn't happen, because its a myth! ;)

In order for water drops to "act like magnifying glasses and burn the surface" the drops would have to hover in mid-air
so that they can focus the suns rays..drops *on* the surface don't burn things..ever.

So..I dont know what it is!
but im pretty confidant it is not (1) traditional sunburn or (2) water droplet burns..
two new theorys:

3. Bugs of some sort.
4. Are there any viruses that effect sars?

Scot
 
Looks like herbicide or pesticide damage. I highly doubt that a pesticide for llamas is approved for use on plants... Maybe he or his neighbor used an herbicide on something else nearby and it drifted? That's the only thing I can think of that would cause something like that. Hope they recover.
 
I've never seen this kind of damage before on Sarracenia, and I have literally 100s of them (with apologies to Grue from "Despicable Me"). I think you identified the most likely culprit in your description -- pesticide. Can you find out what it was and post it to the forum? Jeff Dallas (Sarracenia NW) has posted some good videos on Youtube on which pesticides and fungicides to use and -- more importantly -- not to use -- on CP. Sarracenia are less sensitive to chemicals than, say, Drosera or Pinguicula, but there are some definite things you should stay away from.

In future (with the optimistic assumption that your plants will be just fine), you (or your plant sitter) may want to use what I use for CP pests (I get aphids in the spring and mealybugs/cottony scale pretty much any time of year): a systemic insecticide called imidacloprid (I find something on the shelf that contains this as the only active ingredient) -- that I use as a drench, and sulfur (wettable powder I mix into a water suspension) for powdery mildew and other nasty fungus-type thingies.

Hope this helps!
 
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oh! I completely missed the pesticide angle! 'doh!
yeah..that seems likely..

so wait, this guy is spraying pesticide on the sarrs on purpose?
yeah, tell him not to do that! its almost never necessary..

that is 99% likely to be the problem..
the plants will probably be fine..if new pitchers dont show the problem, then he will know..

Scot
 
and "sunburn from water droplets" is a myth..it doesn't happen, ever..
ask yourself this..when you were a kid, and you went swimming, how many times did you come out of the pool
into direct intense sunlight with drops of water all over your skin? (answer: all the time)
How many times did your Mom say: "quick! towel off the water droplets before the drops on your skin act as magnifying glasses
and burn little spots on your skin!" (answer: never)..because it doesn't work that way.

How many times in the summer is there a summer rain storm, then the sun comes out immediately after the rain, while water drops are still all over tree leaves and garden plant leaves..(answer: all the time) How many times have you seen burn marks on tree leaves or garden plant leaves? (answer: never..because it doesn't happen, because its a myth! ;)

In order for water drops to "act like magnifying glasses and burn the surface" the drops would have to hover in mid-air
so that they can focus the suns rays..drops *on* the surface don't burn things..ever.

Scot

After all if this myth were true wouldn't sundew plants be burning themselves to death or starting countless wildfires?
 
Looks like sun scald to me.

I've learned over my 40 years of gardening that some oil based pesticides contain photo-reactive ingredients that should never be applied to plants while the sun is shining on it. The oil causes a reaction on the plants that is called "sun scald"
The Sun heats the oil in the pesticide that litterally cooks the leaves while the pesticide is still wet.
Oil based pesticides should only be applied after sundown so it will have time to dry before morning.
Also, to avoid contaminating bees.
Unfortunately, the sun scald damage is irreversable. Care must be taken in the future.
 
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This guy is an avid Sarra grower. He's dipped his plants in this stuff before. Still, we think it might have been a mixing error. I'll ask. I'll also ask if there is any way spray could have gotten over the fence. I'll also ask if it's on just one side. We sprayed them for mealies, light brown apple moth, and thrips.

Llamas? Where did llamas come in?
 
  • #10
I have a friend watching my Sarracenias for me until I find a better place. He just e-mailed me some pictures, asking what's going on, and frankly, I'm not sure either. I think it's either a chemical burn or sunburn from water droplets. The pitchers are all new and soft, and theyv'e been getting part su, so maybe.... What do you guys think? He said he just used an organic pesticide, one hat he uses on his llamas without issue. There might have been a mixing error with the pesticide. All I know is that whatever it was happened very fast, and is kind of all over. It doesn't look like a pest attack.

It is definitely not sun scald though.
 
  • #11
Stupid phone.

Sarras, short for Sarracenias.


All the damage is on the east-facing sides of the plants (not llamas). He uses a mix of water, soap, alcohol and oil. He's used it successfully on his Sarracenias, so we're leaning toward a botched batch of mix.
 
  • #12
ah ok that makes much more sense now :-))

I think the pesticide is a safe bet.
 
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