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So our high temperatures dropped below seventy degrees this week and it made me realize that fall is fast approaching. I've been growing CPs indoors for a few doors but put together a small outdoor CP garden for the first time this past spring. So this is the first time I've had to think about winterizing outdoor plants. I was hoping you guys might have some tips or tricks to share. :)

I live in a suburb about 10-20 miles South of Pittsburgh, PA; on the border between zones 5 and 6 (probably just inside of 6). The plants are each in a one gallon pot of pure sphagnum peat. Those pots are buried completely inside of a garden of pure sphagnum peat. So the ground should be well insulated. The plants in the garden are:

2 x D Filiformis
1 x D Capensis
1 x Typical VFT
1 x S 'Judith Hindle'
1 x Sar that I can't remember the name of

I know I've heard that the cold doesn't do as much damage as the freezing wind dehydrating the plant through its leaves, so snow is actually much better than clear winter days. I've heard of CPers dropping dead leaves over their garden for insulation. I've also heard something about cutting the pitchers to prevent moisture loss. No idea where I saw each of them or if any are true, though. Any thoughts? If anyone knows of a good online guide for winterizing plants that would be really helpful as well.

Thanks. :)
 
Nicholas,
the D. capensis doesnt need dormancy..winter would probably kill it.
you should take that one out and keep it indoors all winter.

As for the rest, an outdoor dormancy in your zone *can* be done, but its very risky.
I would give it about a 50/50 chance..I live in zone 6 (Rochester, NY) and IMO our winters are just far too harsh for a sucessful outdoor dormancy...just too dang cold.
I tried it once a few years ago, everything died.

But it HAS been done in the northern US, so it is possible.

If you want to try to keep them outdoors, from what I have read they key is DEEP and heavy mulching! I would put a 3-foot deep layer of leaves over the bog!
(Red or Black Oak leaves are good if you have them, because the sharp edges keep the leaves from compacting and keep lots of air spaces open)
but failing that, any leaves should work ok.
Pine needles would be good too.

IMO you would be better off using the "fridge method" of finding a place indoors that stays cool all winter but not frigid..like a garage or unheated room.
I keep mine in the basement stairwell that leads out to the backyard.
stays about 35-40 degrees in there all winter.

If you dont mind the risk, I say give the outdoor dormancy a try!
just realize it IS a risk, and your plants might die.
but with big pots buried in the bog, and a heavy layer of leaves for insulation, you might be able to pull it off!

Put a wire fence around the outer edge of the bog, and just fill it up to the brim with leaves..

Scot
 
Anything is possible! Read through this thread about dom123's bog garden that he has in Canada and how he winters his plants.

xvart.
 
Thanks for the advice. I know it's difficult, but I've read of others doing it so I figured there must be a way. Our winters are much milder than yours from what I hear, so hopefully this will go well. I can go out and look at buying a bag of bark/mulch soon; is there a specific kind I should get?

I tried wintering my dormancy plants indoor last year and they died. I just couldn't get the room I was using cold enough, and the lack of air circulation left a perfect humid environment for fungus. The garage gets no light so I don't think it would work either.



the D. capensis doesnt need dormancy..winter would probably kill it.
you should take that one out and keep it indoors all winter.
You sound just like my cat! Though he's usually licking his lips when he says it... ;)

I know I couldn't fit them all inside, but I'm sure I can find a safe place for at least one.
 
If you want to try to keep them outdoors, from what I have read they key is DEEP and heavy mulching! I would put a 3-foot deep layer of leaves over the bog! (Red or Black Oak leaves are good if you have them, because the sharp edges keep the leaves from compacting and keep lots of air spaces open) but failing that, any leaves should work ok. Pine needles would be good too.
[snip / snip]
Put a wire fence around the outer edge of the bog, and just fill it up to the brim with leaves..
I would strongly recommend against using leaves of any sort. By spring they compact down to a wet, impervious, anaerobic mass. IME, this mass smothers the live, hibernating plants and creates dead mush. (If there are folks who have successfully used this approach, please share your experiences). I have heard that straw or pine needles provide a better cover.

During the years that I maintained an outdoor bog here in NJ (zone 6A), I always had some losses. Most of the Sarrs came thru ok but it wasn't the average that mattered. Let's say I had 10 S. rubra & 10 S. leucophylla and 1 S. flava 'atropurpurea'. The atro would die & the others would be fine. For whatever reason, VFTs never consistently survived. I know others have had much better success. My takeaway was to keep only the plants I could spare out in the bog over winter. D. filiformis, D. rotundifolia & S. purpurea purpurea always survived.

Based on my experiences, I now overwinter my Sarrs in the garage (freeze solid most years - not optimal at all) and VFT's in the basement under lights (~40-60*F).
 
Yep, pine needles will do the trick, this from a Canuck (tho I live in the only part of Canada that supports Carolinian forest, which makes it a little less harsh than what Dom puts up with in Quebec)

You want the needles to be at LEAST 8" deep. A Friend of mine uses a very porous plastic mesh (like that "construction fencing style stuff), which he covers the bog with, then tosses the needles on- this makes removal much easier. Also do NOT give in to the temptation to remove the coverings prematurely, wait until ALL danger of hard frost is gone, and Ideally wait til the temps are staying above 5 degrees celcius (which is what, 40 F or so)

The plants you list should be fine. The D.capensis WILL die if you leave it out, and you D. filiformis- make SURE it's D.filiformis ssp filiformis and NOT tracyii or "California Sunset" or anything like that- those will likely NOT survive- again, that from experience

Good luck!!
 
I appreciate all the advice; thanks. :)

Not to ask a stupid question, but where would one get pine needles from?

Also, any advice on when to bring the Capensis in? Nights are in the low 50s right now, but should be warming up a bit next week. Anything I should watch out for when bringing an outdoor plant into the house (like bugs or pests)?
 
I'm not sure if Wildbill's topic on outdoor mulching (Connecticut) is sill around, but you can trying sending him a PM about how he does it.

As suggested by Ron Lane, a garage is another alternative. I have also successfully wintered temperate sundews / VFT's / Sarracenias in minibog buckets, placed as is, at a southern window sill, in the attic, here in Western NY. It gets cold, but doesn't kill them. And the sun cues the plants to waking up, amid the fluctuating temps.
 
  • #10
I use 1'+ of pin oak leaves, which stay light & airy all winter. Maple and similar leaves mat down and try to suffocate anything underneath. I've learned to keep snow off the leaves and to water if there's a dry spell in the early spring. Other than for those two issues, I've never lost a single plant under the leaves.
 
  • #11
I think I've decided to go with Pine needles for the winter. I'll probably go out this coming weekend to pick up the mesh and try to find the needles themselves.

When should I actually put them to sleep for the winter? Is there anything I need to do before putting the mesh down (like cut off the leaves/pitchers)? Should I try to suspect the mesh a bit above the plants or just lay it overtop?

Thanks. :)
 
  • #12
you shouldn't have to suspend it. Cutting a lot of the pitchers off is a good idea, less chance of any kind of rot or anything, but leave (no pun intended, serious) the phyllodia on there at least

I usually wait til late november to put it on, but that's cos my area is moderated by Lake Ontario, so basically as soon as night temps are getting a touch below zero and staying there, it's time to mulch

Pine needles are easy to find, just locate some pine trees and there's usually hordes of brown needles around the base (better to find "wild" trees for 2 reasons- they will not be cleaned up before you get them like they are in many parks, and there's NO chance of weird chemicals being accidentally sprayed on them- like grass fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides etc)

Hope this helps!!
 
  • #13
Yeah... you've got until November, or at least when the weather forecast indicates overnight lows that will be consistently be below freezing. Cut off all dead foliage, but leave the greenery.
 
  • #14
Looks like I have a little while then; thanks. :)

When I chop the pitchers should I leave them laying in the garden hoping for some new plantlets in the spring, or would there be no chance of propogation via leaf cuttings?
 
  • #15
Sorry, you have to make rhizome cuttings from Sarracenia. Those old pitchers would rot and could encourage fungi since they are filled with bugs.
 
  • #16
Amazingly last year all my plants were fine without protection and i live in zone 6.
 
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