Sun Pitcher is a hardy perennial that produces a lovely cascading greenery around your home. It is an attractive and easy plant to care for and grow. Sun Pitcher is a member of the Azalea family. Common mistakes and how to prevent them:
– Frost, cold, freezing and moisture
– Frost, cold, winter dormancy and too much sun. Does your Sun Pitcher plant gets full sun, enough water and adequate nutrients? Also, should you have your plant outdoors all year?. Sun Pitcher does very well in containers grown under the shade of a big deciduous tree.
– Frost. One of the best things about Sun Pitcher is that it is not sensitive to frost. This means it is a great plant for container gardens as long as there is not a lot of frost. However, most Sun Pitcher plant types are not native to colder climates. Most American Sun Pitcher plants were brought north from warmer regions to the cooler southern states to compete with the more native annuals.
– Aphids. Aphids, also known as “venomous,” are a minor problem for most African and Asian-Americans Sun Pitcher plants. Some species are susceptible to “greenfly” – an early summer fly that lays eggs on the underside of leaves, which usually then become food for the larger ladybugs that emerge late in the season. Greenfly is a very easy to control the pest with sticky traps and high-quality insecticides. You can purchase these products at most gardening stores or order them online.
– Lettuce. One of the most common pests in the spring and summer are the spider mite, also known as Lettuce Spider. This is a small, white silkworm that lives on the underside of leaves. Lettuce mites are difficult to get rid of because they develop a sticky, velvety trap on the leaf. This trap is what allows the Lettuce spider to suck plant juices to feed its tiny maggots.
– Spiders. There are only two true spider species that are commonly found on Sun Pitcher plants: Red Sulfur Ivy and Black Sulphur Web Spider. These two genera does not cause any harm to Sun Pitcher plants, but when they get into the traps, they create issues such as: excessive watering, disease and poor plant growth due to their sucking plant juices. There are several other types of predatory insects that may invade your garden, so it’s important to read up on the common invasions so you can prevent them.
Remember to give enough sun for your Sun Pitcher plants to grow completely through the winter. When spring comes, you will have a nice healthy plant ready for planting. Don’t wait until it’s cold outside to get started.
One of the easiest way to encourage the growth of Sun Pitcher plants is to provide enough natural predators for them to feed on. Predatory insects are birds, frogs and toads. You should be able to locate them easily by either leaving out the bird feeders or building a simple birdbath. Another predator that can be useful is the Red-tailed Deer. While it is not really a predator of the Sun Pitcher, it will keep the plant from growing too quickly and leaves behind many eggs.
As mentioned earlier, there are two primary predator species for the Sun Pitcher: birds and frogs. They aren’t the only carnivorous plants that can be used successfully in this way, however. Many native plants, both herbaceous and composite, can also survive well in the wild when controlled by predators.
Some insects will attract and kill other insects as well, and the most effective way to get these insects to come to your Sun Pitcher planting is by setting up a few traps. The main reason traps are used is because they are so effective in catching small insects that may be mistaken for other plant life. Examples of small insects that work very well as traps are mites, aphids, spiders, ground beetles and ants. All of these insects will either bore holes in the soil around your Sun Pitcher or enter your flower bed through tiny cracks in the bark.
To get the most out of your Sun Pitcher planting experience, do your research carefully. Not all species are the same, and some are much more difficult to find in the wild. For example, there are only a few species of chinchilla found in the wild, and they are quite shy. You might not see a chinchilla feeding on a Sun Pitcher in the wild, so it may take a little research to determine if you want to raise a Sun Pitcher for display or food in the winter. Just because a plant is considered carnivorous in the pet world doesn’t mean it’s suitable for your Sun Pitcher planting. Make sure you get expert advice from someone with much more experience than I.