Question
Hello, I live in New York City. I keep all of my plants in an unheated garage for the winter. They get some sunlight because they are right next to the window. Today we had unseasonably warm temperature (60 degrees F.) so I decided to put the plants outside to give them some ventilation. They all look healthy except I noticed a mold like growth on one of the leaves of the sarracenia purpurea. I quickly cut it off. Other than that it looks very healthy and colorful. I have a Sulfur Plant fungicide (active ingredient: Sulfur 90%), but I am afraid of using it. Will it kill the live sphagnum moss that is growing in the pot? Can I even use it when it's this warm? Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi Pawel,

You did the right thing.  Removing dead areas keeps mold from starting.

Sulfur fungicides tend to be very safe.  Just as an extra precaution for the sphagnum moss, cover the moss before you spray.  That way you can just coat the plant.  I do this sometimes when I use Orthene since it can kill sphagnum if too strong.  You can also just spray the crown of the plant, since that's the vital part to protect.  Also, 60's isn't too warm.  Some of the safety directions are talking more about mid-summer heat.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com