[Richard Hole]

Hi

What is the best and easiest way to remove dead growth off Sarracenias during dormancy? I thought it would be best to wait until the pitcher fully dies down to the base and then pull it off without cutting it. That way all the dead growth would be removed including near the base. If I cut it, then a short piece of the dead growth would remain attached to the crown and this could cause fungus. However, someone suggested I would need to be careful when pulling the dead leaves off so as not to expose much tissue on the crown as this could cause fungus. What would be more likely to cause a problem such as with fungus? A small amount of tissue ripped off on the crown to expose living tissue underneath or a small piece of dead leaf attached to the crown?

Would the best option be to pull dead leaves off only if they pull of easily and if they do not rip off easily then cut them as close to the base as possible?

If the leaf is dead on the top and still green on the bottom, is it much of an advantage to only cut the dead half off the top and leave the bottom green half attached? Or would it be best to cut the entire leaf off during dormancy when the first half dies? Or should I wait until the leaf fully dies so that the entire leaf could perhaps be pulled off right at the base? It would be less time consuming over all if the entire leaf was removed at once without having to cut half of it off and then the rest later and possibly pulling the rest of later again.

Your help would be appreciated
Regards Richard.