Sarracenia flava Seasonal Decline and Lighting for Nepenthes

Question: My S. flava browned from the mouth downward, stopped halfway. New pitchers are thin, two look good. When will it produce large pitchers again? Heavy rain snapped a D. filiformis leaf; wind tilted S. flava, exposing roots—I covered with wet peat. Also, what cool-white tubes for N. Miranda?

Answer

Hi Abdiel,

S. flava is an early-season grower. Robust pitchers in May–June fade in summer heat, replaced by phyllodia. Transitional leaves may be half-pitcher/half-phyllode. All pitchers die by late October; new crop emerges next spring.

Stake plants during thunderstorms to prevent wind uprooting.

For fluorescents: simple 2-tube shoplight with 40W cool-white tubes. Sylvania "Cool-white Plus" has strong output. Avoid expensive specialty plant tubes—they're often dimmer.

Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
www.cobraplant.com