Spindly Flava

[jansonsmalling]

Hi all, I have had my Flava in direct sun of about 6 to 8 hours a day for a about a month and a half. It recently started sending up new pitchers, but they are all bent and spindly, and it seems that every time they get watered, the curl up a bit more. I know that it is not aphids or thrips, because I keep my plants treated with GardenSafe. I am a bit baffled because all of my pitcher plants seem to do this. I am trying to give them ideal conditions to give me those big, tall, beautiful pitchers, but for some reason, I don't think I will be getting those. Also, the little guy there, with the red head, is that a wrigleyana? I have been watching it, and I don't know how I got that. I bought a pot of either Judith Hindle or Rubra, and that little guy had no pitchers. But I am trying to identify it. Let me know your opinions. Thanks!!!

 

[seedjar]

First, can't see your pics. Or, at least, from you post I'm inferring that you meant to include pics. Please try again. As for your flava, I don't know much what to say... it sounds like you're meeting the light needs. Sometimes my plants put up oddly curved pitchers but they tend to straighten out enough before opening to capture prey. Are you certain that GardenSafe is OK for Sarracenia? That's the only part of your situation that I'm in the dark about. Do you know what the active ingredient is? What type of pesticide is it - a concentrate, aerosol, or powder? If it's a liquid, is it in a petroleum-based suspension? CPs can be picky about insecticides, and sometimes the medium used to disperse the insecticide can be a problem as well, raising nutrient levels in the soil and whatnot. But I'm still kind of green so far as pest-control goes; I'm certain that one of the vets like Bugweed or BobZ will have some better advice for you. Best luck.
~Joe

 

[jansonsmalling]

Hey, sorry about that!  LOL.  I forgot to put them on there.  Here they are.  And as far as GardenSafe, the active ingredient is Clarified Hydroponic Extract of Neem Oil. Oh, and it's a liquid spray. Spray to runoff.

 

[Alvin Meister]

It's hard to see your plants in those photos. Did the flava grow a crop of healthy pitchers at the start of the season? This species will grow decent pitchers during April - June and then grow phyllodiform pitchers and phyllodia from then on.

 

[jansonsmalling]

yea, it did grow some regular pitchers, the tallest being about 12 inches. Those pitchers are the ones you can see. The taller ones. Even they are twisted. The smaller, new pitchers are only about 4 inches tall, but are growing quickly. However, they, too are starting to twist.

 

[carnivorkid]

looks pretty healthy  to me mine looks like this too. Ya flavas only have an early set off nice pitchers. phyllodia usually is twisty looking.

 

[jansonsmalling]

cool, so nothing to fear. Thanks! How about that other plant? Is that Wrigleyana?

 

[Wesley]

It looks about as wrigleyana as it can look.