Sarracenias are dry when pitchers inflate

[b.t.]

I'm rather new with sarracenias and most of the folks I've asked in person tell me that when the pitchers open up and inflate, there's water inside. All my sarracenia open up with dry pitchers so it infers I'm not doing something right.

May I ask for some guidance please? I keep mine tray watered and blast them with as much sun as I can. They're red and stuff but the pitchers open dry.

The original purp:

Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 at 2007-07-01

This one might be going to sleep: It started that ever since I started tray watering. It was fine before I tray watered.

Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 at 2007-07-01

Tall purpurea hybrid:

Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 at 2007-07-01

Lower purpurea hybrid:

Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 at 2007-07-01

Rosea, seems to only grow 2 leaves and then the older one dies off by the time a new one emerges:

Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 at 2007-07-01

Cant tell if this one is inflating wet pitchers or dry

Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 at 2007-07-01

 

[Clint]

The plural form of Sarracenia is Sarracenia. It's like 1 moose is a moose, and 100 moose are still moose not mooses or, God forbid, meese. The plural of all genera is the same as the singular form (multiple Utricularia are called Utricularia, multiple Dionaea are called Dionaea, multiple Nepenthes are called Nepenthes, etc. )

Sarracenia are stingy with their digestive juices, unlike Nepenthes. Your S. purpurea and S. purpurea hybrids will collect rain water, more so for the former, and that will act as a catalysts for digestion.

 

[rockstarcobain]

is that rosea growing in 9/1 perlite/lfs? That could be a reason for that particular plant. My purps and hybrids like it wet. That much perlite doesn't really let it be that wet. But then it looks like it is in standing water. I don't know, but I have never seen sarracenia grown in that much perlite.

Everything else looks normal. I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Sometimes my purps open dry. Sometimes they don't if it's driving you crazy, add some water to the pitcher. Till it's about half full.

 

[Alexis]

Sarracenia purpurea needs rainwater inside to catch prey. They always open dry.

The upright sarracenia and sarracenia psittacina (parrot pitcher) secrete their own juices, as will the purpurea hybrid. When they open they are dry inside, but once insects are caught, juice oozes up from the bottom and digests the insects from the bottom to the top. So when you peer inside it looks like the insects are inside, not being eaten.

By the way, your plants looks healthy and fine. The rosea looks ok. It only looks like a small plant so might take a while to get going.

 

[rockstarcobain]

Sarracenia purpurea needs rainwater inside to catch prey. They always open dry.

Wow, now I sound like a retard. Maybe I only thought mine opened with liquid occasionally because it rained before I saw them. Anyway, glad you got your answer!

 

[b.t.]

Thanks for sharing. My tall and low purpurea hybrids arent secreting any fluid at all rigth now. If the hybrids are supposed to secrete fluids then there might still be something not quite right with these two... (third and fourth photos)

 

[Alexis]

They won't secrete any liquid until they've caught something. And even then the liquid will be below the insects, so you won't see anything.