Rotting pitchers in Sarracenia maroon?
Hi everyone!
I purchased an S. maroon from a garden centre last Wednesday, it wasn’t in the greatest condition but there was new growth coming and it was the healthiest of what was available.
I gave it the same treatment as the rest of my sarracenia (left in a tray of distilled water) but also quarantined it in the bathroom incase it was diseased.
A week later and the new growth has rotted from the base up.
Whilst the rest of the pitchers has gone brown and crispy at the garden centre, the new growth had gone soft and dark brown at the base.
Is this rot and is this salvageable? I’ve never had this happen to a carnivore before.
(Attached image is today, I forgot to take a picture before removing the rotted pitchers. The thumbnail for the tagged plant is from the day I bought it).
#Sarracenia #RootRot #CarnivorousPlants #CarnivorousClub
I purchased an S. maroon from a garden centre last Wednesday, it wasn’t in the greatest condition but there was new growth coming and it was the healthiest of what was available.
I gave it the same treatment as the rest of my sarracenia (left in a tray of distilled water) but also quarantined it in the bathroom incase it was diseased.
A week later and the new growth has rotted from the base up.
Whilst the rest of the pitchers has gone brown and crispy at the garden centre, the new growth had gone soft and dark brown at the base.
Is this rot and is this salvageable? I’ve never had this happen to a carnivore before.
(Attached image is today, I forgot to take a picture before removing the rotted pitchers. The thumbnail for the tagged plant is from the day I bought it).
#Sarracenia #RootRot #CarnivorousPlants #CarnivorousClub
3” pot without drainage
Last watered 3 months ago
7
Best Answer
@Kileskus It does sound like classic crown rot, unfortunately a common issue when Sarracenia experience stress or sit in overly humid, stagnant conditions (like a bathroom quarantine with low airflow). That new growth rotting from the base up is usually the telltale sign. The crispy pitchers from the garden center were already dying back, but the new growth going soft suggests the crown may have been compromised before you even brought it home…..You’ve already done the right thing by removing the affected pitchers! Now, let the soil dry out just slightly (still moist, not soggy), boost airflow, and give it bright light out of direct sun if it’s recovering. Skip fertilizers for now, and keep an eye out for any new healthy growth pushing from the crown in the coming weeks. If that happens, you’re still in the game! Sarrs can bounce back from rough starts, especially with your care. Don’t lose hope sometimes they just need a rehab season before they thrive
@JungleDreamer thank you for your response!
How would I keep the soil moist but not soggy? Would I just water it when needs be and not let it sit?
Also bubbles and a white foam have developed around the base of the pot
How would I keep the soil moist but not soggy? Would I just water it when needs be and not let it sit?
Also bubbles and a white foam have developed around the base of the pot
@Kileskus yep, aim to keep the soil moist, not soggy by watering only when the surface feels just barely dry and the pot still feels slightly heavy (not bone dry). And yes…don’t let it sit in water long term, just a light soak and drain. Now about that white foam + bubbles that’s likely a combo of anaerobic bacterial activity (from sitting water) and possible fertilizer or microbial buildup. Not harmful to you, but a definite red flag for the plant’s environment.
Hi! Just wanted to add a few things:
I noticed that the crown is below the soil. Only the very bottoms of the pitchers are showing. You want to keep the top of the crown above the soil. When its covered it can cause rot.
It also looks like it is in a pure peat moss mix, which can be bad especially indoors. I would add some perlite to add some aeration to the soil as well. While they do want a good water retentive mix, they still need to be able to breathe as well :)
I'll add a photo of the what im talking about with the crown. The photo is from this spring when my plants emerged from dormancy. But, you can see how the pitcher is growing from the crown, which is above the soil line. Yours might look a bit smaller as the example is from a larger plant, but really all you need to do it move the plant up a little bit 😁
I hope this helps & that your Sarracenia recovers !
I noticed that the crown is below the soil. Only the very bottoms of the pitchers are showing. You want to keep the top of the crown above the soil. When its covered it can cause rot.
It also looks like it is in a pure peat moss mix, which can be bad especially indoors. I would add some perlite to add some aeration to the soil as well. While they do want a good water retentive mix, they still need to be able to breathe as well :)
I'll add a photo of the what im talking about with the crown. The photo is from this spring when my plants emerged from dormancy. But, you can see how the pitcher is growing from the crown, which is above the soil line. Yours might look a bit smaller as the example is from a larger plant, but really all you need to do it move the plant up a little bit 😁
I hope this helps & that your Sarracenia recovers !
@Kileskus alright. What I would do is unpot it and check the rhizome itself. If it is mushy & brown then it is rotting/unhealthy. If its white & firm then its good :) When you put it back in the media, make sure you add perlite (a 1:1 mix of peat and perlite) and raise the crown more above the soil.
