Brown Splotches

[EdaxFlamma]

Hey everybody,

I'm sure some of you remember my "ventricosa bush" as I liked to call it, but recently I have had to take drastic measures...

This is what it used to look like. But even in this photo you can see the tiny problem that I too overlooked.

After trimming the plant back to one growing point hoping that the plant would be able to better fight off whatever this is, it still has been declining.

As you can see the undersides of the leaves have been attacked by something. I am not sure whether this is a fungus or perhaps a mite problem. Either way, I have sulfur and Neem Oil at my near disposal and I am wondering which would be best to use.

I have seen similar splotches on some of my other plants and after a treatment of sulfur it had all been eliminated (so I thought). But for this to randomly appear on one of my other plants and with such force as to cause some leaf malformations I wonder if I have another problem.

Whichever treatment is deemed best I plan on applying to all my other plants as well (a few other Nepenthes and several orchids including vanilla).

Any help would be greatly appreciated and all trades of mine have been postponed until I can treat this problem.

Thanks,
-J.P.

 

[MrFlyTrap2]

Seems similar to a mite problem...

but in the last few photos, the plants seem somewhat 'dusty.' Have you done a TDS check on your water lately? Seems like mineral buildup is being left behind after it evaporates.

 

[EdaxFlamma]

To be honest it probably is dust... haha. I haven't checked my water but it is RO coming from my chem lab so I would assume it is kept in check.

 

[SirKristoff]

As nate said above, it looks like a mite problem. I had some similar looking splotches on my plants when mites hit. Orthene, merit, neem oil, and a couple others work well on mites, as well as many other fungal and pest issues. Hope this helps

 

[EdaxFlamma]

Just as an update, I am still waiting for my Neem Oil to get here X.x but in the mean time I decided I'd try a "home remedy." On the ventricosa I applied a coat of "Germ-X" antibacterial hand sanitizer gel (the stuff you can get at the dollar store) twice a day and I have seen a huge improvement in the overall appearance of the plant. A Q-tip and a tiny bottle of that stuff go a long way and so far I've seen no ill effects. I still plan on using the Neem on my collection once it gets here to be safe but for spot treatment this hand sanitizer seems to work wonders.

 

[MrFlyTrap2]

Well just as a heads up, if it was a mite problem... the damage on the leaves wont go away. What's done is done. New growth should look better after treatment. If your spots are vanishing, then the culprit is something else.

-Nate

 

[EdaxFlamma]

The damage that was done is still present but as far as the visible red dots marching on the leaves and the weird sheen they had, they are almost gone. New growth isn't deformed like it was and other than old damage it seems to be "feeling better."

 

[DavyJones]

BTW, that GermX, and nearly any of that hand sanitizer stuff, is just rubbing alcohol, gel form.

 

[EdaxFlamma]

That's what I thought DaveyJones. That's why I thought it could only be so harmful. But just to be safe I ordered in Neem Oil and it is here but it is in concentrate. On the directions it says to mix 1.5 teaspoons of Neem Oil with 1.5 teaspoons of dish washing soap in one gallon of water. The dish washing soap being an emulsifier. Is there something I can use that is a little bit more Nepenthes/Sundew/Orchid friendly other than the dish soap or will it not pose any problem?

Thanks a ton!
-J.P.

 

[nightsky]

I'd also lean towards mites. My singalana was ravaged by those demons and looked similar to yours. It took several months for it to recover and pitcher again. I've had good results with neem oil, just be sure to get as thorough as coverage as possible, and I'd retreat again according to the directions.

 

[EdaxFlamma]

So is that a yes I need to add the dish soap to it? I just don't want to do any more damage.

 

[nightsky]

As far as the soap, I'm not any help. My neem came ready to spray, and I don't have any experience with soap.