FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I started using neem oil a few days ago. I don't know if I applied it properly.
I sprayed it while it was raining. And I actually sprayed it again a 2nd time the next day. I was told to spray before rain or at night. IDK
Does the neem oil need to stick to the pitchers?
This is highly concentrated 70% neem oil. The black spots get worse after rain, so I wonder if it is aphids? In one picture I can see tiny white spots. The spots are isolated to one tray for the most part. But it is spreading. It has been very dry. This one tray was moved from more direct sunlight into a shadier spot also, so I wonder if it is a fungus, maybe the sunlight is keeping it knocked down on the other Sarracenia seedlings? I feel like they need to be less wet and be in more sunlight?
It has been raining for days. That's why it's so wet

No idea what the black spots are or if neem is an appropriate treatment. I can only comment on the use of neem oil as I recently ran into pest issues. I ended up mixing 3 cc of 100% neem oil in 1 liter of distilled water and did not add any soap. Many articles recommend using soap to help the oil and the water mix, but some articles that are specific to carnivorous plants indicate that plants such as sundews hate the soap. No soap just means you have to shake the spray bottle every time right before you start spraying. In your case, the neem oil and the water may mix more easily as I'd assume that the 30% "other ingredients" in your neem oil contains an emulsifier. If you're worried about a plant's tolerance to neem oil, you can always test spray a leaf and wait a day or two. Once it's mixed, neem practically looks like water, so you don't need to worry about whether the oil "sticks" or not.

mcgrumpers wrote:No idea what the black spots are or if neem is an appropriate treatment. I can only comment on the use of neem oil as I recently ran into pest issues. I ended up mixing 3 cc of 100% neem oil in 1 liter of distilled water and did not add any soap. Many articles recommend using soap to help the oil and the water mix, but some articles that are specific to carnivorous plants indicate that plants such as sundews hate the soap. No soap just means you have to shake the spray bottle every time right before you start spraying. In your case, the neem oil and the water may mix more easily as I'd assume that the 30% "other ingredients" in your neem oil contains an emulsifier. If you're worried about a plant's tolerance to neem oil, you can always test spray a leaf and wait a day or two. Once it's mixed, neem practically looks like water, so you don't need to worry about whether the oil "sticks" or not.

I am using the neem oil because it was recommended.
Avid and Bayer 3 in 1 is also recommended.
I am not having good luck with the neem oil. But the sunshine is back and I drained the swamp and I am moving the seedlings into more sunlight. I am going to spray them again tonight. We have had heavy rain

Looks like it could be blight/antracnose caused by fungus. Doesn't look like thrip damage. Wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up some fungicide.

xanthoparmelia wrote:Looks like it could be blight/antracnose caused by fungus. Doesn't look like thrip damage. Wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up some fungicide.

The neem oil says it is a fungicide.
I might have to get some more toxic stuff

Thanks everyone for the help. Seriously.
The flava are mostly dead at this point.
The Purpura and possibly minors are growing in a separate pot and seem to at least be doing ok. A few are dead, but they don't have the spots all over them.
I have sprayed them with neem oil per the instructions and I am going to wait.
I moved the flavas out into a more sunny spot. And a few have one new pitcher. Maybe they will survive.
My adult Sarracenia and my Purpura seedlings seem to be fine.
I have had very recently a ugly brown cricket infestation. They are everywhere after the rain. Not camel crickets!!
Ugly brown gross bugs. I imagine they drop brown juice and gack on the Sarracenia. This might be the problem. It's the only tray the nasty bugs can get into.
I did isolate the problem tray.
So we wait.

Be careful with the neem -- it can cause phototoxicity problems, even on non-sensitive plants, if you use it in direct sun. I've never used it on carnivores, but I've definitely seen damage caused to plants treated with neem and left in the sun afterwords.

Always grow your sarracenia seedlings in as much sun as possible. Shade+moisture+pitchers full of bugs=fungus.

I think all things considered, the soil and depth were wrong. First I am going to start the seedlings in deeper soil. And use a peat/sand and I don't know what else. I think that soil type will not hold as much water, thus, not incourage mildew etc.
I currently have all of my Sarracenia in lfsm. I think it's keeping them too wet.
The older plants seem to be ok, but still one of those is looking funky