Question
QUESTION: Hi sarraecenia northwest, i have a butterworth that i just brought today in lowes in a dead cube (note I bought all the carnivorus plants that are in the dead cube!!! which cost me 100 bucks, i got that idea from the savage garden) but anywho the butterworth was fine untill it stated to shrivel and the leaf are all soft and wirnkle!!

could this be adaption or something is worng

i put it under artificial light 14 hours 12 inches away (to late to adape outdoors)
watered with R/o water
zone 8
i transplanted in sphagnum moss and peat moss
and can you tell me what kind of butterworth is, i mean the speacies.

ANSWER: Hi Aaron,

I didn't see any photos attached to your question, so I can't identify the species.  At some point, this will be important because only the North American species can be grown outdoors throughout the year.  The Mexican species are best grown as houseplants.

What you're witnessing with the shriveled leaves is an acclimation issue.  Your plants were growing in constant high humidity, and all of a sudden, they were thrust into low humidity.  It doesn't matter if the plants were carnivorous or not, all plants will experience some sort of shock if they were not properly acclimated.

Ideally the plants should have experienced a gradual decrease in humidity.  Usually this takes about two weeks.

Unfortunately, the damage is already done. The leaves will remain shriveled.  If the transpiration (moisture loss) was severe, you may lose the plants.  AT this point, it's a waiting game.  All you can do is give the plants time.  Within a week or so, you know if any of the plants survived the sudden change in environment.  You'll also have to wait for new growth before you see normal leaves again.

The soil you're using is also too wet.  It needs more aeration and drainage.  At the very least, equal parts peat moss and perlite will do the job.  An ideal mix is 1 part peat moss, 1 part vermiculite and 1-4 parts perlite.  The addition of perlite will provide aeration and drainage.  The exact proportion entirely depends on your watering style.  Use less perlite if you tend to water via saucers.  Use more if you prefer to top water frequently.

Before rescuing any more plants, gain more experience in growing healthy plants.  Whenever you rescue plants, you actually have more work to do.  If you don't know the steps of growing healthy plants, then you won't know the steps of reviving no-so-healthy ones.

I strongly recommend reading our ebook, Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants.  We cover issues of acclimation, lighting, soil and water.  We also have a troubleshooting section.  I also recommend  watching our DVD series, Grow Carnivorous Plants.  In volume 2, we focus on tropical sundews and butterworts.  We even show you the steps to properly acclimate plants to lower humidity.  This volume will be released in late November.

For now, read our general growing guide for Mexican butterworts on our main website:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacbo Farin


ADDENDUM:
I saw your second question with the photograph.  Your plant is Pinguicula primuliflora, a species native to Florida.  Watch episode of 4 of Ask the Carnivorous Plant Guys for more information about this species:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fMIi2f4KLA

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks but I have another question I heard the pinguicula is an anual is that true and I also heard that it produce new leafs in 5 weeks and is that also true? and also my nepenthes are not producing pitchers should I add fertilizer?

Both grow in artificial light 12 hours
zone 8
growing in peat,sphagnum moss.

Answer
Growers in zones 8 and warmer can easily grow this plant outdoors throughout the year.  The plant will come back in spring, so it's technically a perennial.  In zones 7 and colder, we recommend that growers treat it as an annual because it's very prone to fungus (from mulching) and isn't very tolerant of long periods of freezing temperatures.

Whether or not the plant produces a new leaf every 5 weeks isn't something I'm totally aware of.  The actual rate of growth is highly dependent on several factors, such as sunlight, watering, humidity, and temperature.  Obviously if the temperature is quite cool, growth will slow down.  Similarly, if the temperature is too hot, growth will also slow down.  Humidity will affect growth rate and size.  Don't worry about growth rate at this point.  Your main issue is simply keeping the plants alive.  You will need a lot of time and patience right now.  

With your Nepenthes, there are many factors that affect pitcher development, such as lighting, age, humidity, temperature and species.  Without knowing the species the approximate age of your plant and how long you've had it in those growing conditions, I'll be shooting in the dark.  You can try using fertilizers, but might only mask underlying issues, especially if you have a difficult species.  If you just got your plant, then you need to give your plant time to acclimate to its new surroundings.  So time and patience might be your main allies at this point.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin