Question
Hi 4 weeks ago I found green aphids feasting on the new grouth and flower buds of my S.flava. So I bought insect killing soap with seaweed extract, from the Safer Brand. It contains potassium salts of fatty acids. I sprayed a little on my plant witch killed some of the aphids. Is this safe to use on my sarracenia. Also I bought daconil its a fungicide that kills over 70 diseasses. It contains chorothalonil.  

Answer
Hi Jesus,

We generally recommend avoiding soap-based insecticides.  The fatty acid compounds will sometimes "burn" the tips of new growth.  For this reason, you should never use it with sundews.  A one-time application on your Sarracenia is OK, and you most likely won't see any long-term side effects.  However, it's not an appropriate insecticide for long-term control of aphids, at least when it comes to carnivorous plants.

The best insecticide is Systemic Insect Killer by Ortho?or other types of systemic insecticides.  You can also use topical insecticides made with pyrethrin.  Just make sure that the insecticide is water-based (free of fatty acids).  As always, follow the instructions on the bottle.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin