Sarracenia purpurea repotting

[gill_za]

The plant has been repotted into a bigger pot with 50:50 individually washed and microwaved silica sand : peat mix. But for some reason I decided to add a top layer of coarse sand (~1cm). Now I'm wondering if it was a good idea...

 

[carnivoure12]

I think you might've buried the rhizome too much... you should leave the tip of it exposed.

 

[mass]

I concur.. but the plant looks great!

 

[GrowinOld]

Indeed, in general, try to replant a plant at the same depth it was growing at originally.
However when a plant is growing in LFS or live sphagnum, it may often be grown slightly deeper than in other media, based on the LFS being so light and airy.

Live Sphagnum in particular can easily over grow a plant, burying the growing tip completely,

or even covering a plant and overwhelming it altogether. Not usually a good thing for the plant!

In your case, sand being heavy, I don't think it was a wise thing to do.

Good luck

 

[Not a Number]

The sand layer will prevent fungus gnats from infesting your pot. It can also prevent moss growth. I use a sand mulch against fungus gnats often.

The crown will grow out on its own, don't worry about it. Floods happen in nature that can cover the crown with sand or other debris.

I had some growing points pressed up against the wall of the pot so they were inverted and they eventually righted themselves making a "S" curve.

 

[cpman]

I use dried LFS. I wet the medium and place a ball of it around the root system, then plant the plant into a pot of wet LFS. The LFS once wetted helps the root system send out strong roots once you then place the potted plant in a saucer of water, then placed outside. You don't need sand, silica, peat or anything else. The other good part about the LFS is that it is bacteria and germ free. Use it and you won't lose it. My 200 plants swear by the stuff.

 

[gill_za]

Hmm I will remove the sand a bit around the crown and leave the rest. Hopefully it will spread itself evenly with time again and top waterings but there will be less of it. No pressure no weight .

I was also wandering what is the best way to prevent media (fine peat particles) from washing out from the bottom of the pot? This one has large holes and everytime i water it from the top, some of the peat washes out.. A layer of coarse perlite or dried LFS on the bottom perhaps?

 

[Not a Number]

A thin layer of either in the bottom of the pot will help to keep the peat moss from coming out the drain holes. Or a piece of fiberglass fly screen will work too. Things should eventually firm up, if not I suppose you could wet some long fiber sphagnum moss and stuff it into the holes from underneath.

 

[jimscott]

Personally, I would mix sand and peat and have a layer of LFS on top.

 

[gill_za]

Well I don't want to mess with it too much at this point, it was stressed as it is.
So most of the sand covering the rhizome and right around the pitchers was carefully removed. I have noticed that it produced two sprouts (hew pitchers i guess) under the sand and one of them I accidentally damaged (cut of the tip) while removing the sand with my makeshift spoon. I'll post the pics later today.

 

[gill_za]

Three weeks after repotting

 

[GrowinOld]

Looking good Gill!
Congrats!

 

[gill_za]

Thank you

 

[Fred]

I don't know if this has been mentioned earlier, but my opinion is that the plant will get the benefit of a good percentage of the light being reflected from the white sand, encouraging red coloration via increased light exposure IMO (this effect obviously depends upon the specimens genetics concerning pigmentation). The last picture shows that even if it is a little bit covered, the other leaves above ground are still going through photosynthesis, producing sugars, so even with the crown covered, other leaves will pop given time!

Great plant btw, love the colors!

 

[gill_za]

I thought I'd update on the growth of the plant
Pics were taken yesterday night:

Since the emergence of the new pitcher, two more pitchers popped out:

It looks to me that there are two growth points now, even though when I replotted the rhizome seemed inseparable.