I'm Growing a Pitcher Plants but They aren't Doing Great. What May Be the Cause?

Can you identify any small insects attacking your pitcher plant?

Are the leaves on your pitcher plants stippled with yellow and is the foliage webbed?

Are the leaves on your pitcher plants deformed and with white specs?

Are the leaves on your pitcher plants distorted and sticky or covered with a cluster of tiny insects?

Do the leaves and stems of your pitcher plant have white, cottony clusters on them?

Are the leaves of your pitcher plant turning yellow and wilting, and is the plant stunted or are its stems twisted?

Are the seedlings of your pitcher plants dying?

Were your pitcher plants staying outside during cold winter days and nights?

Yellow flecks on leaves and webbed foliage are caused by spider mites. These tiny, spider-like pests feed by sucking sap from the underside of the leaves causing yellow flecking on the upper leaf surfaces. You can control spider mites by spraying plants thoroughly with water 2-3 times a day for several days. Insecticidal soap or neem oil will help control these pests as well.

Deformed leaves with white specs are caused by thrips. Thrips are tiny, yellow to black flying insects which tend to hide under the leaves of plants. Severely infected plant parts should be pruned off and destroyed. Insecticidal soap or neem oil will help control these pests as well.

Distorted, sticky leaves are caused by aphids. These tiny insects can be green, pink, black, gray or completely white. They cluster under leaves and on growing tips where they feed on plant sap. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Insecticidal soap or neem oil should be used with severe infestations.

White, cottony clusters on leaves and stems are caused by mealybugs. These tiny insects are covered with a fluffy white coating. They feed by sucking plants sap. They produce sticky substance honeydew which makes leaves sticky. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Insecticidal soap or neem oil should be used with severe infestations.

Pale stipples along leaf veins are caused by leafhoppers. These small, green or brown insects feed by sucking juices from leave undersides. Insecticidal soap or neem oil should be used with severe infestations.

The likely cause of these symptoms is a fungal disease - Fusarium yellows. Leaves of the infected plants will drop off and leave the bare stem. There is no cure for Fusarium yellows, so infected plants should be destroyed as soon as possible. Pots should be sterilized with a bleach solution and they should be filled with new soil when reusing them.

If your seedlings are dying, the likely cause is a damping-off disease. Damping-off is caused by various soil fungi. Damaged seedlings can't be healed, so the best course of action is to remove them. To prevent damping-off in the future, let the soil surface dry between waterings, thin seedlings to avoid overcrowding and do not add nitrogen fertilizers until the plants have developed leaves.

Your plants might have suffered freeze damage. Outdoor pitcher plants can survive some freezing temperatures with a thick blanket of mulch around the rhizome area. However, freezing temperatures that occur before the plant is fully dormant may kill the rhizomes.

Poor growing conditions and environmental issues might have caused your plant to look sickly. Keep the plant in a spot where it can receive at least three to four hours of bright sunlight per day. Water the plants only with filtered or distilled water as they don't react well to some minerals found in tap water. The soil must be well-drained and lightly fertilized with an acidic fertilizer.