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Winter dormancy

During winter Dormancy, What can i do to make sure that my plant is still alive and not dead? I think i heard somewhere that during the winter you can put it in the refridgerator?? Is this true? Give me some Suggestions.
 
Hi Lofter

Welcome to the forums!
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We need a little more information to give you an answer. What type of CPs are you talking about? Not all of them need dormancy. Also it would help to know where you live. We are still a few months from dormancy but it IS coming.

Suzanne
 
That is were I stick my plants (refrig) for the winter, for about three months. I am thinking of doin' cuttings to avoid winter...if any of my plants die at least I have the cuttings.
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Travis
 
I live in New Jersey, And I am talking about Venus Flytraps.
 
You should be able to grow them outdoors year round, and they will go dormant naturally. GOOD LUCK!!
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As Lithopsman said, dormancy should be easy for you. For the most part, the people that use the fridge for dormancy are those who live in areas that don't get very cold in the winter (California, Florida, tropical countries, etc.). If you keep your plants outdoors, dormancy will occur naturally with no special fuss. General rule of thumb is that your plants should be in dormancy from Thanksgiving to Valentines Day. Of course, outdoors, they do their thing and grow or "sleep" according to temps and photo period.

Hope that helps.
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Suzanne
 
actually, most of NJ is probably too cold for a "natural dormancy" outdoors all winter..unless there are milder winters near the coast..but I think of NJ as being pretty much the same as central PA as far as winter goes..too cold!

many of use the "refrigrator method" because our winters are far too cold and too long! not too warm..(although too warm is also a reason to use the refrigrator)

In late October, prepare your VFT by cutting off all the leaves, leave the rhizome in the pot, and wrap the whole pot in a plastic bag..then just stick in the fridge until mid-february! thats basically it..

Scot
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (scottychaos @ Aug. 27 2003,10:49)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">In late October, prepare your VFT by cutting off all the leaves, leave the rhizome in the pot, and wrap the whole pot in a plastic bag..then just stick in the fridge until mid-february! thats basically it..[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Am I reading that right: You cut off all the leaves, even the healthy ones? I thought VFTs still needed some light and still did some Photosynthesis in the winter. I was planning to use my garage but I heard that they still need some light so I'm still trying to figure out what to do now.
 
That's true...it is colder in NJ. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of in a protected place outdoors. It gets down to single digits here (VA) at times and we get snow, sleet and freezing rain and my VFTs have weathered it all (including being frozen) with no special measures taken to protect them.

But yeah there are areas that would be toooo cold as well as too warm. Thanks Scot.
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  • #10
Outdoors in Calif? It rains pretty hard durning the winter time...wouldnt that screw up the pots and the vft's? I would have something that would protect them against the rain. I realize that vfts can handle rain in the wild but I am assuming these are in pots. I live in Michigan were it is to cold durning the winter to keep them out all winter all.

Travis
 
  • #11
I'm actually going to experiment this winter with putting one or two of the VFT's (and a sar or two) outside for the winter here in NY (about 1 hour north of NYC). It's gets pretty brutal here, so I am going to burry the pots and mulch the plants with pine needles/leaves/whatever I can find. I've heard that many people are successful doing this, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
'Course the rest of 'em will be up in the attic....
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  • #12
i have a question about this too- all my cp plants came from Lowes except my big mouth flytrap. i was told the sundew doesn't need dormancy - i know all the flytraps need it - but what about my cobra lily- tropical pitcher and another type of pitcher plant and my nep? do i put all those to sleep when i put the flytraps down in Nov-Feb? thanks
 
  • #13
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Nicholas_Bostaph @ Aug. 28 2003,09:17)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (scottychaos @ Aug. 27 2003,10:49)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">In late October, prepare your VFT by cutting off all the leaves, leave the rhizome in the pot, and wrap the whole pot in a plastic bag..then just stick in the fridge until mid-february! thats basically it..[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Am I reading that right: You cut off all the leaves, even the healthy ones?  I thought VFTs still needed some light and still did some Photosynthesis in the winter.  I was planning to use my garage but I heard that they still need some light so I'm still trying to figure out what to do now.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
yep! you read that right!
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if you are going to use (or need to use) the "refrigrator method", the plants go into a DEEP dormancy, the temps are just above freezing, usually around 35 degrees F.
the plants wont photosynthesize at that temp..and besides, its pitch dark inside a fridge anyway!
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leaving the leaves on only invites fungus to grow..cut EVERYTHING off! leaving only short green stubs showing above the surface..even you left the leaves on, those leaves wouldnt survive the winter anyway..all new leaves appear in the spring, so no reason at all to leave ANY leaves at all if using the fridge..
under a more "natural" dormancy, where winter temps are in the 40's and 50's..the yes, the plants can use their leaves..but leaving leaves in the fridge will only invite LOTS of mold to grow!

I have been doing it this way for 7 years in a row now..works fine! the only drawback is the potential for fungus to kill your plants..I always have some fungus growth over the winter, usually thin filaments growing on the "short green stubs"..but it seldom kills the plants..usually have about 95% survival..some years 100%.
someday I plan to have a "CP only" dedicated fridge for winter dormancy! then I would spray fungicide...I dont use fungicide now because the plants go into my regular fridge, along with all my food! so I dont want dangerous chemicals in my fridge..so the plants take their chances with the mold..but as I said, the survival rate is always very good...much better than it would be outdoors around here!

Scot
 
  • #14
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (jeffsz28 @ Aug. 28 2003,12:03)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">i have a question about this too- all my cp plants came from Lowes except my big mouth flytrap. i was told the sundew doesn't need dormancy - i know all the flytraps need it - but what about my cobra lily-  tropical pitcher and another type of pitcher plant and my nep? do i put all those to sleep when i put the flytraps down in Nov-Feb?  thanks[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
all sarracenia (north american pitcher plants) and venus fly traps DO need dormancy..

Cobra Lilly (darlingtonia) does need dormancy

All nepenthes (tropical pitchers) do NOT need any dormancy..

Drosera (sundews) depends on the species, some need dormancy, some dont..so with sundews, you need to know the species.

Scot
 
  • #15
With the dews you need to dew (dew - do, get it) a little research. Where is it from. Is there a winter where it originates from. Find that out and go from there.
 
  • #16
thanks for the heads up guys
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  • #17
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Copper @ Aug. 28 2003,4:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">With the dews you need to dew (dew - do, get it) a little research.  Where is it from.  Is there a winter where it originates from.  Find that out and go from there.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
ROFL...that was hilarious
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. Yeah, I love bad puns.


scottychaos, thanks for the tips. I'll probably be trying to keep my terrarium in my garage, which is similar to a fridge with temperatures from around 30-40 F. We'll see how it goes. Until I get my own house next year I'm limited on options, so wish me luck!
 
  • #18
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Travis @ Aug. 28 2003,08:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Outdoors in Calif? It rains pretty hard durning the winter time...wouldnt that screw up the pots and the vft's?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Hey Travis,
It doesnt normally rain any harder here than the summer thunderstorms that they get back East. I have heard of a lot of people who leave their plants out in that so I wouldnt think it is all that bad. I winter my VFTs outside under my awning. They get a couple hours of direct early morning sun and then shade the rest of the day and are protected from the rain. They do just fine like that. Our winters here are almost identical to the Carolinas as far as temps go, overnight lows generally in the low 40's and daytime highs of upper 50s and low 60s.

Steve
 
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