Repotting Sarracenia - how often?

[PowerFlower]

Hi there,

usually I´m repotting my Sarracenia´s every year in spring to let them have good condition to grow. Now I have read, that this is not the best for them, every repotting disturbs their growing. After repotting a small seedling in autumn it stopped growing and producing tubes. I heared, that the right time to repot is only, when the plants are getting too large and needs more space. The problem for me is, that every spring, when I repot them, the peat at the bottom of the pot, that stands in water all the time, is rotted and smells like this. I can not imagine that this is healthy for the plants! And this is after 1 year, how does it look like after 3 or 4 years? I use only rainwater.

Please, could you help me with your experiences to help me with this?

Thanks a lot,

regards,

Mike

[Vartax]

I only repot if I see something wrong with the setup, the smell of the soil, the size of the plant or if the soil is very compacted.

[billynomates666]

Hi PF

You are correct in what you say, some plants do ‘sulk’ after repotting and loose their colour, particularly leucophylla and red flava’s, however other plants seem to benefit immediately from it in vigour. In general the less disturbance to the roots the better, that is not to say don’t repot at all, but when you do repot try it without cleaning the old soil off (unless it is infected or there is some other problem of course) and plant in a deeper wider pot to get the benefit of the new substrate.

As far as the smell goes, it sounds like it could be a stagnant water problem, the soil shouldnt smell rotten. How big is your reservoir, how deep do you fill it and how high up is that in relation to the pot size, what mix do you use? You needent stand sarracenia in water over their doormant period, keep them just moist and they will be fine and that will allow air into the substrate.

Cheers

Steve

[PowerFlower]

Hi Vartax, hi Steve,

thanks a lot for your answers! I have a lot of leucophyllas and the seedling, I had potted, was also a leuco crossing. My plants stay in trays, about 60 x 33 x 12 cm. I fill up water to 3 or 4 cm, pots size are about 7 - 12 cm high, mixture is 60% peat and 40% perlite, peat is very good quality, have searched a lot for it. In winter they are only moist, that couldn´t be the problem. My greenhouse is very sunny the whole day, after a while from spring to summer water turns green because of seaweed will start grow in there. I cleen the trys as often I can, but sometimes the whole surface area is closed with this seaweed. On the other side I grew Sarracenias on the outside in my garden a few years ago without a seaweed problem and also with rainwater, and I had this peat problem also! Question is, what others do different than I to have not this problem?

Hope this helps for more, thanks for your answer,

Mike

[Alexis]

Green algae and blanketweed in the water and whiffy peat is perfectly normal.

They'll never achieve full strength and growth if their disturbed every year.

[FredG]

I repot when the square pots turn round or diamond shaped. It's a lack of space thingy

[bux]

Hi Mike,

every repotting disturbs their growing

If you do it before they re-start to grow in early Spring, you won't disturb them. Remove the necrotic - black dead rhizome tissues if any.

the peat at the bottom of the pot, that stands in water all the time, is rotted and smells like this.

I agree with Steve, this is a lack of oxygen, reduce the watering during winter.

mixture is 60% peat and 40% perlite

I had better results with 100% peat or only 20% perlite. The more the peat, the better you keep a low pH.

Fabrice

Edited November 23, 2012 by bux

[mkmplants]

Hi, I for avoid the bad smells make fake rainings during the spring and summer.

The soil dren and clean with new water and not stagnant water.

It work well for me. I do many several time in a year. And looks really well.

Best regards