Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 10:15:07 +1300 From: "Heather Frederick" <flytrap@ihug.co.nz> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3353$foo@default> Subject: Re: Sarracenia Problem
Hi Gary & Mim
> Thank you for your very thoughtful reply, your description of the
> problem is exactly correct. The "rot" seems to radiate back from the
> growing point of the rhizome. I have tried a number of fungicides over
> the years but none have been that successful, this year I am trying
> Mancozeb as a spray and dusting the cut rhizome ends with Sulphur
> powder.
> Here in Brisbane our winters are quite mild and often wet most years,
> this year it never really got below 6 degrees C at all and it was a bit
> wet. In a "good" year it may get down to 3 or 4 degrees C and be quite
> dry for a month or two. My plants though are under a clear
> polycarbonate sheeting roof so the rain did not affect them as in other
> years. One clue though, I have only early last month finished repotting
> the plants. Is this a coincidence or is this when you or others on the
> list have this rot problem.??
> I too would be very happy to hear from any others with experience with
> this problem, particularly with possible solutions.
This is a problem that is very familiar. One of our NZCPS Auckland members
had an infected plant analized and the result was phytophera (sp?). MAF
quarantined the collection for three months and the treatment was
alternate drenching with Ridomil and spraying with Alliette. Many plants
died. Prevention is much better. Cures are rare once a plant is infected.
If you cut the back end of the rhyzome of an infected plant it will be
brown and soft. Keep cutting and you will get to a point where the cut is
white with brown dots in a circle at the edge of the rhyzome. This
indicates the phytophera is working its way to the growing point. Keep
cutting, sterilizing your cutting instrument between each cut until you get
healthy totally white rhyzome then treat the cut with a fungicide before
repotting. Obviously it is far too late to try this treatment once the
pitchers are wilting as the infection has already reached the growing
point.
Prevention is better:
Never reuse potting mix. The phytophera lives in the soil and gets into
the plant through wounds.
Treat every cut and every wound when you are dividing and repotting your
plants.
If you water by the tray system, keep suspect plants in a separate tray to
healthy plants.
I have repotted about 500 Sarras this spring and have lost only 3, probably
because I was sloopy about treating the wounds or missed one where a root
had been pulled off.
Good luck
Heather in New Zealand.
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