What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Underground Growth Point Help

joossa

Aklys
Hey everyone. Hope all of you are having an enjoyable summer.

I’m having an issue with one of my S. purps dealing with an underground growth point it seems to have. Back in February, I repotted the plant in question and found out that it had an additional growth point that originated on the underside of the rhizome. Its placement caused several pitchers to remain underground and never rise from the soil level.

This spring, a flower was produced from both growth points. However, now, it seems that both are physically hindering each other in their pitcher production. The superior point isn’t making anymore pitchers (at least not that I can see), and it’s not nice and typical. The inferior point is making pitchers, but they are getting squashed under the soil and under the mature pitchers from the superior point.


Here is the plant in February with the inferior growth point and the pitchers that remained underground.

P2140002.jpg



Here it is today. You can’t really see it, but there are several squashed pitchers just below the origin there:


P7150001.jpg


547.jpg



Have any of you experienced this before? Back when I repotted it, I expected the continuation of the problem, so I potted the plant as high as possible on the soil level. It seems like there’s not going to be a way around this until I can divide the plant..... right?
 
I would simply and carefully divide the plant.
I have done this for many years with a great variety of plants (CP's and garden plants)
and so I don't hesitate to try it as a normal care procedure.

Use a rooting hormone compound with fungicide if you have some,
(or fungicide alone if you don't), and cut carefully.
(Read a little bit about it if you have never done it before.)

If nothing else, you should be able to get your larger plant portion growing normally again,
however you may also get a second plant going from it also.

I myself would do this asap, so it has time to recover before dormancy, or you could
just wait until next year in spring. I personally would just go ahead and do it now,
but that is just me!

It seems the underground growth point is becoming the superior point and is now inhibiting the growth of the other.
Once it is removed, the other point should again become the main growth point.
[You could use plant hormones to attempt to make this dominance change also, but they cost money and are difficult to obtain and work with.]
Actually, doing a little plant surgery is great experience, and in your lifetime you will likely need to do something like this again anyway.
Success is usually difficult to estimate, as there are a lot of variables, but I wouldn't let any fears or worries stop you.
Leaving it alone and letting nature take its course is not in the best interest of the plant as far as I am concerned, and
as many plant growers know, this sort of thing is rather common and dealing with it is a normal procedure.
Again, I speak from experience with CP's AND various other house and garden plants.

Perhaps others have other options or ideas (or fears), however dividing or simple bud pruning is what I would normally do.
It is things like this that makes us experienced growers and plant experts down the line!
You and your plant both have an opportunity for growth thru this situation.

I wish you good luck and good growing!

Paul :water:

[PM me if you feel the need.] Again, good luck.
 
Last edited:
If it has roots pop it if and repot - just protect from sun burn.

Or just leave it be. It will either eventually emerge or waste away. Survival of the fittest and the lucky. This no doubt happens often enough and there is no one in nature to fret about it or take any action other than the natural growth processes.

I had several growth points on one plant (not S. purpurea) invert from crowding against the wall of the pot. The pointa were starting to curve towards the surface and the pitchers were emerging by the time I repotted.
 
Thanks guys. If it was on another plant (non-purp), I'd be less worried. Since it's, a purp though it doesn't get to make too many pitchers in the season. I would have divided it back in winter if the inferior point had roots. I don't know...

I'll probably leave it for now. If the pitchers keep mounting up under there over the next month, I'll just dig it up and take appropriate action.
 
Back
Top