Nepenthes in cultivation are often prone to fungal attacks. I consulted Todd Wuest (ToddsTropicals) when I was having issues with my plants, and he offered a wealth of information!
What follows is based on many conversations with him. Thanks Todd!
Why do Nepenthes get fungal disease? What does it look like?
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Nepenthes in cultivation are rife with fungal diseases, often due to being cramped in small, super wet growing areas. Preventing transmission is key to success. Many fungi spread via a motile, sperm-like stage, swimming from pot to pot in shared water trays. Some common symptoms of fungal disease are overall failure to thrive, bumpy or raised areas on the underside of leaves, small growth. Soft brown spots may be caused by phytophthora, the same pathogen that causes potato blight. It’s an oomycete, related to brown algae, though its lifestyle is very similar to fungus.
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Todd's Recommended Treatment Strategy for Collections:
- First remove all potential water routes of transmission (no shared water trays!). Now all of my plants sit on egg crate light diffuser and mesh over the top of 10x20 trays. Water flows through the egg crate and into the drip try, preventing any horizontal transmission.
- Start with all sprays at once for initial treatment, then stagger:
- sdhi+strobe/chlorothaloni/orvegol one week
- mefentrifluconazole/polyoxin/mefenoxam the next
- For most things, a spray is fine. For really sick stuff, drench with strobe + sdhi and mefenoxam.
- Should see improved growth in a month.
- When new growth looks clear and cuttable, it’s smart to take a cutting of the clean material and restart the plant. Otherwise the infection may be lurking deep within the sick plant, waiting to say hi again.
- Fun Fact: one of the oomycete spore stages is resistant to bleach! Use a butane torch to sterilize cutting implements between plants.
Recommended Fungicides & Wetting Agents
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