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Cobra Plant Dehydration?

lizasaur

Charlatan
So I've had my cobra plant for two or three years now. It's done well so far. I'm proud that I've kept it alive.
Anyway, I've noticed a few of their "heads" have become pruny. Like someone stuck a straw in them and sucked the life from them. I've never ever seen this before. Could this be too much heat (it's a small plant in a large white ceramic pot, airy media, and I water it with cool water twice a day or leave distilled ice cubes on top of the soil to melt over the day)
I treat my plants regularly with Green Light Neem II...so I don't think it could be pests.
My new S. Love Bug pitcher has also come out similarly retarded. All scrunchy and stuff.
I'll try to post pictures once it's day light.

After looking at it in the daylight, I saw that it's rotting at the base =\ I had to cut everything off. Here's hoping it can be saved.
 
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If we're talking last years pitchers their shelf life is about expired. Start trimming them off.

Otherwise regular sprayings of pesticide isn't going to get rid of root mealy bugs. If anything it will just drive them further into the pot or make them resistant to the spray. Check the little nooks and crannies at the bases of the pitchers for critters. Checking the roots wouldn't be a bad idea either.

If your pitcher sizes have stayed the same or gotten progressively smaller each year then your plant is declining and will probably check out to the Great Mulch Pile in the sky in a year or two.
 
No, I'm talking about this seasons new pitchers =\ The old ones typically just start browning from the tongue and up/back.

After looking at the pictures, I know I don't have root mealybugs. I was thinking it'd be one of the sucky insects, like mites or aphids, but the Neem oil should be destroying those, which is why I was initially confused.

This years were bigger than lasts. It's just all of a sudden, their hoods started deflating, and it showed to be rot. I think what happened is I buried the "rhizome" of it, and that might be what's done it. Or not. That's just my guess, and to be honest, I've no real idea what I'm talking about. The base where all the pitchers came up was soft and brown all the way through, and the brown was creeping up the base of the leaves.
 
i think you might have solved your problem, you said it's really hot? it's really important to keep the pot as cool as possible, either with running cold water or ice packs or something. cobras are really susceptible to overheating.
 
It's hot, but it gets watered with cool distilled water twice a day, with ice cubes left on the soil during the day. It's also a large, white ceramic pot. The soil is definitely cool, I just didn't know if the leaves themselves were susceptible.
 
ceramic pot's glazed right? seems like the rhizome is treated well-- maybe not enough oxygen getting to the roots/rhizome? sorry cant be of any better help.
 
Yes, glazed.
Maybe. After killing the first time, I went through great care to ensure this media was light and airy this time. I keep the soil wet and cool.
I've no idea what happened. I hope it comes back, as I can't find any for sale anywhere.
 
Lowes (usually) carries TC plants.
 
Yeah. That's where I got my Cube of Deaths. But the two in a 10 mile radius have NOTHING. I was so sad!
 
  • #10
No cobra lily?! Are they from like Jupiter or something?
 
  • #11
Well no one said this was an easy species to grow in your climate. It may not be impossible, just difficult. And it may depend on the clone you have. One article in an early issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter mentioned that Leo Song and others determined that this species had a maximum root temperature limit (I want to say 28C/82.4F). If the root temperature got above that the plants would die.

Availability from the West Coast nurseries is definitely cyclical. Two or three years ago these plants were as scarce as they are now. The next year there was plenty.
 
  • #12
They didn't even have a dying VFT in the back corner. No CPs period, and it's not like they were just sold out. No one's seen them. I was ready to cry!

I'm aware it's not easy. I feel up until now, I've done a great job, as it did live for a couple of years. I guess with the global warming thing this year was just too hot, even with ice cubes. I'll probably grow it on a windowsill, or under a light in our slightly cooler lanai.
 
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