Diagnosing Discolored Pitchers on Sarracenia 'AF Venosa'

Mineral Buildup or Root Issues in a High‑Light Indoor Setup

With distilled water, T8 lights, and 5:3:2 peat/sand/perlite, discolored pitchers on a Sarracenia 'AF Venosa' suggest root‑zone problems—likely mineral accumulation from consumer‑grade peat.

Action Plan

1. Unpot and inspect roots: white = healthy; black tips = trouble.
2. Repot in fresh professional coarse‑grade peat mix (lighter color, low salts).
3. Weekly flush: top‑water until runoff to leach salts.

Peat Brands to Avoid

Greensmix, Lakeland (recent batches), and most big‑box “sphagnum peat” are high in minerals. Switch to a CP‑vendor mix or OBC Northwest coarse peat.