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kinka_gw

First time buying plants online... need emergency help

kinka
17 years ago

Ok, as I have posted throughout the forums about my N. ampullaria, bicalcarata, and bicalcarata x ampullaria, I have solved all issues regarding space for them. In the mean time, my plants have just arrived today from Equilibrio and are not doing too well. For one thing, my ampullaria is in serious shock - brown growing tip, brown stem, and almost completely brown leaves (although there are a few green spots on it. The pitchers' tips are black, but the rest of it seams to be ok. My bical. x ampullaria looks ok, although there are a few red spots on the leaves (Should I be worried about this? I think it might be a fungi...) In addition, all of it's pitchers but one have been crushed during shipment. Surprisingly, my bical is doing the best. Only one leaf is yellow, with a few red spots, and the others are almost completely green (they do have a few red spots on the end however). Its pitchers seem fine, all but one. Its tips has turned brown, probably from shock. The plant even has a new pitcher, which seems very healthy!

In conclusion, what can I do to save my plants? Should I try and get a replacement for my ampullaria or just try and keep it growing?

I moved all three to a terrarium a few moments ago (I actually just received them in the mail 15 minutes ago) with extremely high humidity and a temperature around 80 degrees. I watered them with distilled water, around 80 degrees, and placed a cloth over the tank to reduce the light amount by half.

Comments (6)

  • nepenthesfreak_2007
    17 years ago

    The red spots could be sunburn or rust spot. Move the plants with red spots into a shadier place in the terrarium. If this doesn't work, treat with a fungicide. If these plants don't improve under your conditions after more leaves and tendrils and pitchers have been thrown out, you may have some kind of pest. However, this is very unlikely, so don't worry too much. It sounds like you got some really crummy shipping! Hope they improve.

  • kinka
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    The ampullaria is still in really bad condition. All but one of the leaves have turned completely brown, the growing tip has turned brown, and all of the pitchers have turned black. On the bright side, there is one little off shoot from the plant. The bicalcarat's leaves are still green (all but one, which has a bunch of red spots) and it has produced a new leaf. The odd part - no growing tip. o_o

    The bical. x ampullaria is ok - it's growing tip is producing a new leaf.

    The ampullaria has some fungus on it's leaves (tiny white strand looking things) - so I've just been spraying it a lot with water and increasing the circulation. Should I be buying a fungicide? If so, what would you recommend?

  • nepenthesfreak_2007
    17 years ago

    I'm using Savage garden here: according to the book, "fluffy dabs of cottony tufts" are a sign of mealybugs. I have absolutely no experience here, but I've heard reccomendations of "Ortho Systemic Insect Killer" as a good pesticide, particularly in wettable powder. It might just be a fungus, I don't know, does it look like a fungus or some insect material? Either way, i'd treat it with a fungicide or insecticide. watch the bical like a hawk, red spots can mean spider mite, and that's bad news. Give it a thorough inspection after misting. If you can see any webbing on the leaves, treat with an insecticide as fast as you can. If not, keep watching it, I was almost sure I had spider mite on my aristolochioides, but it's fine now, so hopefully yours is too. As far as I know, leaves turning brown aren't a sign of any pest, just stress. How are your conditions? I can't see why Ampullaria would be in stress, it's such a hardy plant, which leads me to believe it may still be in stress from shipping. Sorry I don't have too much experience in pests, I've only heard them described, so I'm not sure.

  • kinka
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    95% humidity (or so my hydrometer says), good air circulation, and frequent watering/misting with distilled water. I had to clip off all the leaves on my ampullaria but one, they turned completely black. o_o

    I doubt I have an insect problem in the tank...

  • nepenthesfreak_2007
    17 years ago

    If you don't think there's an insect problem, there probably isnt, again I have very little experience there. hopefully within a few months your plants will be looking fine. If you don't like the fulffy stuff I think you'll be able to wipe it off.

  • jonocross
    17 years ago

    I've had a little experience with meally bugs. Until you've seen one you'd never know that that was what it was. They are little white spots, sometimes flat against the plant, sometimes a bump and sometimes fuzzy. Best way I've found to get rid of them was dilligence with a pair of tweezers and I would think a 5 dollar magnifying glass would help. (I can't believe I just now got one LOL... where has it been all my plant growing life)

    There are insect killers you can use but my problems actually cleared up once I had picked all the ones I could find off.

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