Need help!

[PlantAKiss]

Having just discovered the problem with my nidiformis is mostly likely a fungus, I was wondering if any other growers out there have had this same problem. I've never had a fungus of any type on any plant before so this is a new thing for me. And sadly, I recently noticed my biggest d. spath not looking too good either and read that the same fungus can cause the same problems with spaths as well. sooooo....looks like i got two plants in trouble. Waaaaaaahhhhhhhh!! The fungus turns the drosera all red and the dew dries up. :-(

SO...for anyone who has had this problem before:

1) Would anyone know exactly what KIND of fungus this is?? 2) Was it hard to find the chemical to treat it? 2) How do you treat it? Spray the plant itself or the soil? 3) Do you lose (or have to cut off) all affected parts of the plants or do they recover with treatment? 4) Will the fungicide hurt the plant and mess up its "digestive system" (dew) rendering the plant useless? 5) Will fungus spread to other plants? (should the sick plants be isolated) 6) What *causes* this fungus? 7) Is the fungus dormant in the soil until triggered by something like heat or humidity?

I know thats a lot of questions but surely some of you long-time growers have experienced fungus before. Not that i hope you have. I hope nobody gets a fungus! :-( Fungus is as nasty as the name sounds.

I'm totally fungus illiterate. :-( But I'm devastated two of my beautiful plants are so sickly looking so I need some help.

Thanks for ANY tips/suggestions.

Suzanne

 

[Dionaea Enthusiast]

John Brittnacher is the the only other person I know besides you to be cursed with this fungus. The best thing to do would be to email him(his email address should be on his site, which I believe you've visited).
I can only try to answer your questions from what Brittnacher posted on carnivorousplants.org.
1) I don't know. Something dreadful.
2) J.B. says Clearys 3336 is the most effective treatment. I think PetFlytrap still sells it. I would thoroughly spray the plant, the soil, and the pot.
3) You probably shouldn't snip off the affected areas. They should completely die on their own when the plant recovers.
4) It would cause it to lose its mucous and it wouldn't reappear for at least several days. At least it wouldn't be dead.
5) I think sick plants should definitely be isolated, and shouldn't return until after being treated with fungicide.
6) Cruel fungal spores that don't give a care how much you like a plant they've picked to kill. This fungus could occur even in ideal (at least as ideal as conditions get indoors) conditions.
7) No idea.
I hope that was reasonably helpful to you until you contact J.B. or someone who has actually had this fungus notices this thread.
Good luck!
Chris

 

[PlantAKiss]

Thanks for the help Chris. I just got some fungicide and I'm going to mix it up tomorrow. The fungus has now gotten my prettiest spath....so now 3 infected. :-( But from what I've seen, only certain sundews are susceptible to it. I'll try to contact John Brittnacher and see if he has any info. I just hope my plants can recover.

Suzanne

 

[unknownclown]

Hello

Since I just got a sendew I dont consider myself to be all that knowlegeable on the subject but while I was reading up on what I was about to get I came across this that might be of some help.

And heres what he said about fungicide....
Orthene (insecticide), Kelthane (miticide and general nuker), Captan (fungicide), and Bayleton (fungicide) were not effective. I found sulfur and Cleary's 3336 (fungicide) to help. That sulfur helps isn't much of a clue. Sulfur is useful to combat mites and fungus.
I hope this helps

(Edited by unknownclown at 11:13 pm on Jan. 18, 2002)

 

[Dionaea Enthusiast]

What a lovely sundew! Yuck! :shocked:
I've had big fungus problems before, but never anything that disgusting! Thanks for the pic.
Chris

 

[unknownclown]

No prob

it is pretty darn gross lookig aint it? BLECH! and hey if Cleary's 3336 can clear that up its just gotta be good!

 

[PlantAKiss]

Yep...that is what it looks like. I've seen that pic. Note in the pic that the leaves to the left are red and dry with tentacles turned in. The leaves to the right of the pic are normal and dewey.

The fungus (on a sundew) causes the plant to turn red, dew dries up and tentacles turn inward. I've been doing A LOT of surfing and I believe the fungus to be *Botrytis*. It seems its fairly common (in rosetted sundews and lots of other plants including houseplants, roses and even grapes in vineyards). It looks a bit different on the other plants of course. I've heard Botrytis can be a problem in nurseries with sundews. It tends to appear in the winter. High humidity and poor air circulation can encourage it.

I am going into battle, armed with a fungicide. I am determined to save my plants!!! I will NOT toss them out. I've had my prettiest sundew ruined. (cry!) But I'm going to get it back on its feet if at all possible.

Thanks to everybody who helped with information on this. I hope this post will alert others to the possibility of Botrytis in their sundews (it can attack sarras and other CPs as well, but looks different).

Suzanne

 

[RICHARD UK]

The fungus in the above picture is NOT botrytis. When you get botrytis its very thick, gives off spores in grey clouds and literaly rots the plant matierial beneath it.

I often get the above fungus in winter. It seems to grow on the surface of the peat or moss in the pot. I don't apply fungicide and find that the plant sufers little harm. It is quite normal for the dew to dry up on sundews in winter under certain growing conditions. My plants always return to healthy growth as the daylight hours lengthen.

 

[Dionaea Enthusiast]

I saw your signature Richard, and thought, huh? But you're also a Trekkie! I'm glad the Borg don't share that slogan with PFT!

So the fungus pictured is triggered by low light?
Chris

(Edited by Dionaea Enthusiast at 11:35 pm on Jan. 21, 2002)

 

[unknownclown]

Hi again

I went back to where I got the pic and the fungus is fungal hyphae.

 

[PlantAKiss]

Hi Clown

If I'm understanding correctly what I've read, hyphae isn't a type of fungus but a visible part of some fungi.

Richard, its entirely possible the fungus isn't botrytis. But again, from what I've read, botrytis manifests itself a little differently depending on the plant (grapes, roses, sundews). It's definitely not just a 'dew drying up. I've looked hard for an identification of the fungus but all I can find is a description of what happens to a sundew (turning red, drying up, curled tentacles). One person told me he loses sundews to this fungus every winter. In The Savage Garden, D'Amato says botrytis affects rosetted sundews (like mine) and "occurs in greenhouses mostly in winter" and appears as a "grey, fuzzy growth" which I think is the hyphae (which looks almost like fibers...see photo).

I dunno...I wish I could find more specifics but while there are tons of info on fungi, its not often related to CPs. I'm trying a fungicide, so I will see what happens. They will get close scrutiny tomorrow...Saturday mornings are "plant time" (as well as laundry time, taking out trash time, washing stuff in sink time....). I'd rather just play with the plants.

Suzanne

 

[RICHARD UK]

PlantAkiss, Botrytis is one of those things that strikes fear into all CP growers hearts and before I had a case of it I used to think that all fuzzy growth was it! Trust me! Once you get it you are not gonna mistake it for anything else! You dont see it until it starts to produce spores, then its usually too late. Its very thick grey/white and sreads rapidly. (One of my Drosera Filliformis has got it. i'll try to take a photo). If you have ever seen a really mouldy piece of bread with the great smelly tufts of mould with the little dots on the end, That is what botrytis looks like!

 

[RamPuppy]

well, I haven't had any fungal problems (My current war is with Aphids on my peppers) but I tell you what, Clearys and Banrot smell like death to me... I can't imagine any fungus surviving if you dunked the entire pot into the mix and let it soak for half an hour... that is just me though...


and as far as Aphids go... I got about 1500 lady bugs on the way... (When I get the job, hopefully on MOnday!)

 

[PlantAKiss]

Richard,

It was my nidiformis that I first noticed getting sickly. Then my large spath clump and then a smaller rosetted clump (my best one... :-( . On the large spath I started noticing these long bristly hair-like things surrounding the crown. This is what I assume is the hyphae (from what I've read). But I haven't seen anything that looked like mould or sporish. The plants are in treatment now...isolated in the new "sick ward". All plants appear to still be growing so I'm anxiously awaiting to see if the new leaves look healthy. I'm crossing my fingers!

Suzanne