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!

Limp rubra pitchers

I have a large S. rubra plant that has about 6 growth points. It's in a 14 in. pot with several other sarrs and some vfts. It started out growing very fast from all six points. There are about three 2-3 inch tall pitchers from each point. On two of the points the pitchers have all gone limp. The pot is under growlights until it gets warm enough outside. The plant is getting enough water because the rest of plants in the pot are fine. About 2 weeks ago when it got up to 70 out, i moved the pot outside into the sunshine. I only left it in direct sun for 30-45 minutes because i was afraid the plants would get burnt. Could sun have caused this? There's no sign of any pests. Does anyone know what could cause this??


-Buckeye
 
It could very well be that putting them in the sun at that tender stage of rapid growth caused the problem. But there may be other causes as well. If the transpiration rate exceeds the water intake rate, the leaves lose turgor pressure and wilt (become limp). This could be produced by sunburning, loss of roots, loss of vascular connection between pitcher and root or crown (mechanical damage, disease, insects), more leaf than the plant can supply with water (root/leaf ratio), etc. If it was recently transplanted at the time that dormancy was ending and new growth began, the energy stored in the plant would produce an abundance of new growth, only to discover that the plant could not support all of that growth during periods of high stress, such as suddenly putting it in the sun for 30 minutes.
 
Sometimes too, for undetermined reasons the rhizome will develop a "rot" and frequently that is the end for the plant affected.
 
The first growth of the year with a rubra is often phyllodial leaves, that is floppy almost-pitchers. Could it simply be that these looked like they would be pitchers, and ended up as these spring phyllodia?

Why am I hungry for baklava?

Steve
 
I'm not quite sure if they are phyllodia or not. They've kind of shriveled up and i'm just waiting to see what happens. I think there's new growth coming out of those growth points and it looks normal. I appreciate everyone's help and will post any changes.


Thanks
buckeye
 
Unfortunately PinguiculaMan was right, rot did set in. I might have saved one growth point by dividing it off but i'm afraid the plant's gone.



-buckeye
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (buckeye @ April 16 2003,04:40)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Unfortunately PinguiculaMan was right,  rot did set in.  I might have saved one growth point by dividing it off but i'm afraid the plant's gone.



        -buckeye[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Bummer.
 
Back
Top