dormancy?

[dfalkanger]

I was wondering, and just wanted to make sure that when I put my pitcher plant into dormancy that I do it in the correct manner. Is it the same way you would put a VFT into dormancy or do I have to do anything different with a pitcher plant? Does it need a warmer or colder domancy temperature? Should I use fugicide? Is refrigerator dormancy ok on a pitcher plant? Thanks

[Statik2426]

Sarracenia dormancy should be dealt with the same way as you would as for VFT's.
Where do you live?
What Sarracenia do you grow?
Sarracenia such as S. Purpurea ssp Purpurea are from northern United States and need a longer dormancy.
I strongly recommend you use fungicide, you don't want to take any chances.

[dfalkanger]

I live in northern Illinois, and I have one of the Judith hindle pot thingys. The plant is doing excellent right now I just wanted to know if dormancy is different with the pitcher than a VFT? Longer?

[Shauntell]

That's a good question. I have a purp adn a rubra. Do they need the same as a vft? I hadn't even thought about it until I read this post. Do you put em' down the same time? When do you pull em' out including vfts. It always says thanksgiving for putting em' down but never when they should be taken out. Is there an easy to remember holiday for that too. Easter maybe, valentines day? I don't even know when those are but I could figure it out. http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[dfalkanger]

They say Thanksgiving to Easter http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Mike King]

Do you guys have a greenhouse or a cold frame?

[dfalkanger]

I have a small greenhouse that I keep my plants in http://www.**********.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Mike King]

Then that would be the best place to overwinter your plants. I imagine it gets quite cold where you are, you could put bubble wrap insulation inside your greenhouse and plants like Sarracenias and VFT will be fine out there. Our Winters are more mild than yours, but we still get temps down to 15f and without heating are fine. The good thing is your plants will get a good dormancy.

[dfalkanger]

It does indeed get cold around here in the winter. The only thing that I would worry about is the plants freezing solid, I heard that this will kill them?

[swords]

My plants will stay potted for dormancy. Is light an issue?
If not I can store my plants in the garage but like dfalkanger mentioned of his area, my pots might freeze solid in Minnesotas winter (about -30*F max.) and how bad is taht for the plants?
A cold frame would do the same here if I needed to have the "dormat" pots recieving some light.

thanks for any info!

[dfalkanger]

I have heard that if CP's freeze solid that they will eventually die. That is a good question about the light though, I didn't even think of that. I am thinking that I might just put my plants down in my basement for dormancy, where it is a little colder, and maybe give them a little bit of artificial light once in a while, would this work?