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Starving Alata's

I have about 30 Alata sprouts that are starving for food but they are WAY to small to feed and I cant put them outside (To cold). All of them have stopped growing and some have started to die. The one Alata that did catch a little food is twice the size of the others, but even it has stopped growing. Is there any way to feed them? I dont want any of them to die.

-Rail
 
Why do you think they are dying of starvation? I doubt that is the case. Remember, these plants do not HAVE to feed on bugs. They have chlorophyll and grow just like any other plant. So lack of food should not be the reason they are dying...especially if they are very small seedlings.

What are the conditions you have these "sprouts" in? Substrate, temps, moisture, lighting, etc.? That info would help diagnose what the problem is.
 
They are gowing next to all my neps, sundews, and VFT's in my room. All the other plants are fine, including all my sundew sprouts I planted at the same time. I'm not sure what the exact temps and humidity of my room is but they are planted in strait LFS under about 200w of total light. All in all I treat them like all my other plants. They stay moist, get misted often, and have lots of room to grow. When they first started growing they took off, but now, nothing. Also the one that did catch a little food grew like crazy for a while then slowed and stopped.

-Rail
 
What light period are they under?

It's not unusual for sarracenia seedling to sit around not doing anything for a couple of months. As long as they are still green and look healthy, they'll be fine.
 
I think it's an inbuilt thing. With enough tissue for photosynthesis, they'll store up the sugars to increase the rhizome size.
I've got seedlings to maturity in year three without repots (just lifting out the existing peat block and placing it in a bigger pot).
 
OK I repoted them last night so I'll wait and see if they do any better. Thanks for all the help guys.

-Rail
 
Hi Rail -

I think Alvin's right on with the idea that the plants are just developing additional rhizome size, without developing any additional leaf structure. If the plants are getting plenty of light, then perhaps the leaves that are already there are sufficient to produce all the mass that the plants need to increase their rhizomes. Have you by any chance been keeping an eye on the rhizomes as well?

Mike
 
Its kinda like there is no bulb type ryzome. When I was repotting them the structure was roots, short stem, then pitchers at the top of the stem. Imagine a Sarra where the pitchers base is about 1/4" over the subtrate on a stem. Thats what the seedlings look like. That and they are all red. I'm still crossing my fingers and hopeing to see some new growth.
smile.gif


-Rail
 
  • #10
I wouldn't worry. It is their dormant time anyway. Keeping them warm will help to stop them dieing back but it won't necessarily make them continue to grow over the winter months. Once the spring is here in just a few weeks they will burst into growth again and now you have repotted, you will have given them the kick start they need to get them growing well.

I would make sure they get a proper dormancy next year though or they will eventually weaken.
 
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