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Sarracenia leucophylla

U

utricman

or in northern lattitudes.  

I have grown S. leucophylla for more than 15 years outside in the NY metropolitan area.  However, pitcher production for this species has never been optimum, and I have never obtained the crop of beautiful fall pitchers in the late summer/early fall.  This is the only species with which I have difficulty.  All others flourish, and sometimes suffer from indigestion...

At first, I thought that it had something to do with the cold temperatures in the winter (until I saw the plants outside at the NY Botanical Garden), and then I thought that it might have something to do with the medium that I have grown this species in (mine grow in 100% peat, but at the NY Bot. Garden they grew it in mostly sand).  

I am interested in hearing from any long term S. leucophylla growers out there that grow their plants outside, particularly those that grow it in the northern latitudes all year long.  What are your experiences? What media do you use, what do you do with them in the winter, how is pitcher production?

Any info would be helpful.  Thanks.

utricman
 
Leucophylla apparently likes it wet, so your sandy medium may not be as good as 100% peat, or peat and perlite. Also, leucophylla comes from a long way south and appreciates hot summers and cool winters.
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Alvin Meister @ Sep. 03 2003,7:53)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Leucophylla apparently likes it wet, so your sandy medium may not be as good as 100% peat, or peat and perlite. Also, leucophylla comes from a long way south and appreciates hot summers and cool winters.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I keep all my plants in 100% peat and rather wet. So, I don't think this is the issue. Summers are hot, but the winters are cold (with a good amount of time below freezing).
 
Well, this is my first summer with leucos, so I don't know what kind of autumn pitchers I'll get, but they're very productive so far. I have them in a highly LFS based medium, with some pete and perlite. My major issue is getting enough sunlight, but even so, they're producing some really nice pitchers.
How do you prep yours for dormancy outside? I live in the same (roughly) area as you do (hour north of NYC), so I'm interested in your approach.
 
What is LFS?

In terms of dormancy, I let nature dictate the terms. Plants should stop producing pitchers in the next month or so, and will most liklely last until the first frost.

Historically, I have cut all the pitchers off in December and covered the the growing area with shade cloth to keep the peat evenly frozen (which also prevents plants from being pushed out of the soil). I have lost a couple of S. psittacina's in the past in that manner. Growth usually resumes in April/May.

This past winter I kept the plants in pots in the garage (in a frozen solid state) and they survived without a problem.

It's just that I am noticing a trend that seems to be unique to my conditions and I am trying to figure out why.
 
lfs is either local fish store or long fibered sphagnum (I`d say were talking about the later&#33
wink.gif
.
 
I'm not a long time grower, but I'm heading into my third fall with my big S. leucophylla. And its fall pitchers are stunning, approaching 30" tall. I'd say they run 25% taller than spring pitchers, but more importantly, they're at least twice as wide or wider. Plus the white-red-green contrast seems much stronger.

The plant has been way off this year, probably due to being repotted and us having such a cool, sunless spring & summer. It only grew phyllodia (I forget the spelling) this spring, but is starting a new crop of what I hope are fall pitchers, not more phyllodia. I grow all my Sarracenias in LFS or LFS + lava rock.
 
You spelt phyllodia corectly.
smile.gif
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (herenorthere @ Sep. 04 2003,03:42)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The plant has been way off this year, probably due to being repotted and us having such a cool, sunless spring & summer.  It only grew phyllodia (I forget the spelling) this spring, but is starting a new crop of what I hope are fall pitchers, not more phyllodia.  I grow all my Sarracenias in LFS or LFS + lava rock.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
herenorthere,
Did you grow your plants outside in pots all year (i.e. even this past winter)?  
 
  • #10
Hi Utricman -

I am in Connecticut about 2 hours North of you.

My leucos are doing well this year. They are outside, in pots that sit in large trays with 3 to 5 inches of water. They get at least 5 hours of sunlight a day. I have noticed that the ones that have done the best are in LFS mixed with a tad of sand or perlite and are in deeper pots, some even in those 10 inch tall half gallon nursery pots.

On another note, I hope you can make it to our New England Carnivorous Plant Show on Saturday October 11. It will be at the greenhouses at Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island. Maybe some of you from the NY area could carpool. Our Prez., John Phillip, is trying to reserve a block of hotel rooms nearby. Also it will concur with the first night of the amazing Annual Haunted Pumpkin Trail at RWP Zoo - over 5,000 carved illuminated pumpkins on a 3 acre trail: http://www.rwpzoo.org/jackolantern/code/spectacular.html

WildBill
 
  • #11
You don't cut any green tissue off in December do you utricman?
 
  • #12
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (WildBill @ Sep. 04 2003,5:39)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I am in Connecticut about 2 hours North of you.

My leucos are doing well this year.  They are outside, in pots that sit in large trays with 3 to 5 inches of water.  They get at least 5 hours of sunlight a day.  I have noticed that the ones that have done the best are in LFS mixed with a tad of sand or perlite and are in deeper pots, some even in those 10 inch tall half gallon nursery pots.

On another note, I hope you can make it to our New England Carnivorous Plant Show on Saturday October 11.  It will be at the greenhouses at Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island.  Maybe some of you from the NY area could carpool.  Our Prez., John Phillip, is trying to reserve a block of hotel rooms nearby.  Also it will concur with the first night of the amazing Annual Haunted Pumpkin Trail at RWP Zoo - over 5,000 carved illuminated pumpkins on a 3 acre trail:  http://www.rwpzoo.org/jackolantern/code/spectacular.html

WildBill[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
You say that they are doing well, but have they produced the late summer/early fall crop of large pitchers? I am saying that because mine are doing well, but have never produce the large pitchers. IF yours are doing well, then maybe my lack large fall pitchers isdue to using 100% peat. My plants generally received about the same amount of light.

Thanks for the invitation, unfortunately I will be in Europe at that time.
 
  • #13
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Alvin Meister @ Sep. 04 2003,6:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">You don't cut any green tissue off in December do you utricman?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Usually by December the frost has killed of all the green parts and ther is none left. So in a word, no.
 
  • #14
Hey Utricman, I;m way north of you in Jefferson County NY. My S. leucophylla does good right about now...and it's right on schedule, Here's a pic of it's pitcher production in my greenhouse:
leuco.JPG
 
  • #15
My S. leucophylla does stay outdoors all year here in CT. But in late fall I sink the pot into a sheltered plant bed and cover it with > 1 ft. of pin oak leaves. But I pull the S. leaves and pitchers up so they are get more light. During the winter of 2001-2002, which never reached 0F, the plant stayed green through the winter, even in some of the exposed leaves.

We had a lot of snow last winter and I now know to keep the snow from piling up because it melts in the sun and refreezes in the leaves. That creates a suffocating mound of leafy ice and I lost one of my pots of Bletilla striata orchids and nearly lost my S. minor. I'll rig up some kind of awning over the area this winter to keep things drier. The area is shared by several Sarracenias, potted hardy terrestrial orchids, fruit tree root stock and whatever else needs a sheltered, but outdoor winter home.
 
  • #16
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nepenthes gracilis @ Sep. 04 2003,11:17)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hey Utricman, I;m way north of you in Jefferson County NY. My S. leucophylla does good right about now...and it's right on schedule, Here's a pic of it's pitcher production in my greenhouse:(image deleted)[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Nepenths gracilis,
Looking good. Looks like your plants are in some sort of plastic enclosure. What are your conditions, winter, summer, soil?  I am trying to gather as much info as I can so that I can compare this to my conditions...  Thanks.
 
  • #17
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (herenorthere @ Sep. 05 2003,04:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">My S. leucophylla does stay outdoors all year here in CT.  But in late fall I sink the pot into a sheltered plant bed and cover it with > 1 ft. of pin oak leaves.  But I pull the S. leaves and pitchers up so they are get more light.  During the winter of 2001-2002, which never reached 0F, the plant stayed green through the winter, even in some of the exposed leaves.

We had a lot of snow last winter and I now know to keep the snow from piling up because it melts in the sun and refreezes in the leaves.  That creates a suffocating mound of leafy ice and I lost one of my pots of Bletilla striata orchids and nearly lost my S. minor.  I'll rig up some kind of awning over the area this winter to keep things drier.  The area is shared by several Sarracenias, potted hardy terrestrial orchids, fruit tree root stock and whatever else needs a sheltered, but outdoor winter home.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
This is very helpful. Thanks.
 
  • #18
One thing I should have added is that I use pin oak leaves because they don't mat down. If you were to use maple leaves, for instance, they'd mat down and, not only lose their insulation value, but also suffocate whatever's beneath them. Oak leaves curl up a little in the fall and maintain that shape through the winter, so a pile stays pretty loose. I stir the pile up a couple times in the winter to keep the leaves from packing down.
 
  • #19
Utricman,

Winter conditions, slightly damp, and very cold hardy, was frozen down to -20F for a few days in a smaller pot than it is in now.

Summer conditions as hot as I can get it but under 95F. Soil is peat and lots of sand. I have repotted to a 2 or 3 gallon pot to accmodate root mass. Light is what NY state gets which isn't very much for Sarracenia's as you and I know!
tounge.gif
 
  • #20
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nepenthes gracilis @ Sep. 05 2003,4:39)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Utricman,

Light is what NY state gets which isn't very much for Sarracenia's as you and I know!
tounge.gif
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
New York state gets more sunlight (duration) in the Summer than Florida.

On July 1st the sun is up 15 hours in NY.
only 14 hours in Florida.

wink.gif

Scot
 
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