Question
Well, maybe more than two! First, I have three sarracenia growing together in a porcelain pan, which sits in a deep saucer (Ladies-in-Waiting, leucophylla, and 'Dania's Delight'. All have done very well, and I know I will have to separate these into separate pots. Can I do it now (early Oct.) or should I wait until spring?
Second, on some of my taller sarracenia, such as flava, occasionally the phyllodes appear as if something has tried to chew its way out (or perhaps in?). Sometimes the hole is big enough for bug escapes. Is it okay to remove these damaged leaves, and is it okay to remove the dead bugs inside and feed them to some one else? I hate to see the dead bugs go to waste!
Missed y'all at the HPSO fall sale. Hope to see you there in April '09!

Answer
Hi Linda,

Yes, wait until early spring to separate and repot your Sarracenia.  If you break up the rhizome now, the plants won't have enough time to repair the damage before it's time to go dormant.  This sets them up for a serious case of fungal infection.  At our nursery, we do all of our division and repotting in March and April.  (If you want a crash course in Sarracenia rhizome divisions, give us a call!  We can always use extra labor during these two months.)

Sometimes wasps will chew their way out of the pitcher plant.  I've seen this on countless plants.  Sometimes they don't chew a hole that's large enough, so they get stuck!  But at least it illustrates their ingenuity.

It's not necessary to feed the leftovers to another plant.  If anything, they'll likely rot out if you place them in another plant.  The plants secrete enzymes when they sense proteins.  If the insects are already decomposed, then the plants will likely do nothing.  If the leftovers are not used by the plant, then they'll cause lots of brown spots on the leaves.  Besides, we're getting close to end of the growing season, so their growth cycle will enter a new phase in which insects are no longer necessary.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin