RE: various
Michael.Chamberland (23274MJC@MSU.EDU)
Thu, 01 Jun 95 23:32 EDT
> > From Loyd.Wix@URCGB.SPRINT.COM
> >
> > 1. Wilting Sarras - another possible cause is the conditions
> > over winter. I have noticed this as have other friends in
> > the UK. Typically inorder to reduce the risk of fungal
> > disease, the plants are grown quite dry over winter. If the
> > conditions are too dry then some damage/death of the root
> > system occurs. When the plants spring into growth, they get
> > so far before the damaged root system cannot keep up - hence
> > wilt occurs. Another possibility for everyones
> > consideration.
>
> Good point. That's why my Sarr's stay wet, well I mean frozen, over
> the winter. As long as you have some thatch covering the rhizome it'll
> be alright.
Hmm. Since Saracenia are not succulent, they have little in the way of
stored water supplies. I'd imagine that Sarracenia would require
operational roots in spring if they were to grow at all (got to suck
up some water to hydrolyze rhizome starch for that spring growth spurt).
On the other hand, if spring root growth occurred mostly in lower quarters
of the pot, and this pot was too wet, stagnation might set in. That
could cause catastrophic death of the actively growing roots, resulting
in the inability to uptake water, and thus wilting would be observed
(classic symptom of "overwatering").
Michael