Fungus attacking sphagnum?

[Frogman86]

I have a Sarracenia purpurea from northern Wisconsin growing in a cooler. As far as I can tell, it is perfectly healthy. There are a few small Drosera intermedia and some non-carnivorous bog plants in the same cooler, also apparently thriving. This has all been growing well in there for about 14 months now in a medium of mostly peat with live sphagnum covering the surface.

In the last few weeks, I have noticed that some of my sphagnum has been turning white and apparently dying. This has happened to me once before in conditions where I thought the problem might be light. I pulled out the white sphagnum, covered the patch with live green clippings, and soon it grew back normally. However, I don't think light is the issue this time. I have four CFL fixtures pointed at the cooler, and the Sarracenia has nice red veins. Most of the sphagnum seems very healthy, but the whiteness seems to be spreading. The white sphagnum seems decayed; when I try to pull it out, the tips just come right off, whereas the green sphagnum usually sticks together much more.

Has anyone else had a problem like this? Is there a fungus or something else that commonly causes this sort of problem in sphagnum? Whatever the problem is, what do I do about it?

I'm not sure how well the different colors in the sphagnum would show up in a digital photo, but let me know if a picture would really help.

[peterhewitt]

A picture would help, the soft nature and the coming apart so easily reminds me of what Spider mites do to some of my consumption crops.
Have a look at the moss under a magnifier or Microscope, to spot any mites. Sphagnum moss is very resistant to disease. If your moisture is right, light intense, i would look for a critter cause.

[Frogman86]

The moss definitely has some sort of webbing on it. I took that to indicate fungus, but it certainly could be some sort of web-spinning critter, as well. I don't see mites, but I've never seen what one looks like, and all I have is a magnifying glass.

If it were mites, what would I do?

Also, I feel like an idiot, but I can't figure out how to attach a picture to my post.

[peterhewitt]

The webbing is a definite sign of mites. They are tiny little critters, but you should be able to see them under a Hand lens. You will need to use an effective Miticide to get rid of them.
as for posting Photo's
icps.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photos&action=display&thread=1401

[Frogman86]

Here are the best pictures I have been able to get. Hopefully, you can see the difference between the affected sphagnum and the normal sphagnum.

Do you, Peter, or anyone else have a preferred miticide? Or anything else to add?

[zhilin]

I guess there is some funguas. The problem I once met. Are yours more similar to those in the following pics?

[Frogman86]

Zhilin, that's not exactly what I've seen. The webs on my sphagnum don't form clumps like I see in your photos. The webs just seem to cling to the pieces of my moss. Also, it looks like you have a different species of sphagnum than I do. I don't know whether or not that matters.

[zhilin]

Well, if yours is the same to mine, then I know how to get rid of it. But now that we are in different situations, I have no idea what's that in your pot. Probably spider mites, as peter said. You can use pure neem oil to kill the insects. And keeping the moss moisture or wet can also prevent spider mites.

[Frogman86]

Zhilin, I will try the mite treatments you mentioned. But if I'm wrong and it turns out to be fungus, what should I do then?

[peterhewitt]

Neem is a good product for protection from a wide range of pathogens, it would probably work for Fungus too.
But more importantly, you need to look at what cultural conditions could be causing the problem. If its mites, cleanliness in the grow area could be a problem, if fungus, humidity could be too high and circulation too low.

[Frogman86]

Peter, I have a few questions. First, what do you mean by "cleanliness"? I know what that means in the context of a house or a person, but not a plant. Plants are always going to be dirty in the usual sense of the word. Is there something I should be keeping away from my plants?

Also, Zhilin mentioned that keeping the fungus wet might combat mites. My cooler was outside all summer, and it was periodically inundated with rain. The water level would actually reach nearly the top of the cooler, and I would have to drain some water out. I didn't have problems with my moss then. Now that the cooler is inside my dormitory, where I keep the water level around an inch below the surface of the moss, I do have these problems. Would it help if I just raised the water level really high once in a while?

[peterhewitt]

By cleanliness in the grow area, i mean the general spaces around the cooler, clean pots, clean floor. Do you sterilize or clean the outside of the cooler regularly? Do you have Fabric hanging around? Is the cooler placed on carpet or concrete?
A clean growing area generally will help reduce the incidence of pathogens and vectors for pests.
Flooding the moss periodically will probably also help, both the moss and the Purp, as this happens in "situ".
It could also drown the mites. But you must allow for a fluctuating water table, when you flood, you should let the water reduce right down before filling up again.

[zhilin]

Hi, I think peter has answered the question you asked me. To kill fungus, you can also use hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), as people once suggested to me. I tried it to kill fungus, and it was very helpful, and completely killed the fungus in one of my pots.

Here is the thread when I encountered the fungus problem:

icps.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=nepenthes&action=display&thread=4049