Question
Hi,

A few of my Sarracenia's are starting to brown around the lids of the pitchers, and in some cases, the lids can get splits in them. They are sitting outside and they get approximately 5-6 hours of full direct sunlight.  I am using tapwater, but I live in NYC and I read that it is softwater (somewhere around 10-40ppm) so I don't think it's a water issue. The only thing that I can think of was that I was on vacation about a month ago and they might have been slightly underwatered (along with the standard muggy nyc weather). Other than the browning around the edges of the pitcher lids, new growth is coming in pretty regularly. Have you seen this issue before? Thanks!

Answer
Hi Andrew,

Inconsistent watering could easily cause this.  If a pot gets a bit too dry the first sign will be pitcher lids drooping some.  When they rehydrate they can be a little damaged.  It's nothing to worry about.  As long as the the plant as a whole is growing well it's fine.  Also if the species is flava or oreophila, it is quite a normal part of their appearance this time of year.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com