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Sarracenia seedlings in the rain?

Mmk, so, to make room in my terrarium, I decided to put my four seedlings outside. Well, today, it was all gloomy and seemed like it would rained I thought what would happen if they were out in the rain. The seedlings are still pretty young. They still have a little stem so I don't want them to get damaged. I know they probably get showered in the wild, but I'm still too worried. It's too late now to fit them in the tank because of the utric pot. So, do you think they'll be safe if they get rained on?
 
I've read (though never done it myself) that you can grow sarracenia seedlings for up to 3 years in terrariums before they start their downhill path due to lack of suitable 'rest' period.
Though true that sarracenia are exposed to the elements even as seedlings, the rate of attrition in unprotected seedlings is probably much higher than those in controlled environments.

There is no right or wrong answer to your question: If it's pouring cats and dogs out there, protect them somehow. Otherwise just let them be.
 
I was planning to keep them inside, but I thought they'd get better lighting outside than inside, plus it's not really cold here, although, it's going to get cold in the next few days. Pretty unlucky. :/ Either way, I just think it'd be better since they're still sun-loving Sarracenias...And the fact that some of mine are waking up this early. :blush: I was really hoping this winter would be better here in Florida.
 
Florida?

Florida is the southernmost range of Sarracenia. As far as the temperature goes, it's not going to adversely affect the sarracenias. The rain is a different story - use your head and don't put it in a place where it's going to be deluged upon.
 
Well, most of them went dormant around early/mid November, so it wasn't really long. The plants that I do know that had a good dormancy was my S. flava var. rugelii and D. filiformis. So when next winter comes around, I'm thinking of maybe putting it on my window or hopefully a second terrarium. But right now my only concern is rain. And, I don't have much of a choice of where to put my outdoors CPs, otherwise the sprinklers will get them and I'm 100% sure it's not safe.
 
How old are they? If they were germinated this year, you can probably take them inside safely, but I'd still give reduced temperatures and a short photoperiod. If they sprouted last Spring and spent Summer outdoors, I think they should stay out. My seedlings have never seemed to mind the rain. But, I suppose the rainstorms are a little more violent in your neck of the woods.
You could always add some more peat or sphagnum around them. If the base of the plant is slightly buried, it still does fine - so long as the leaves can grow high enough to get light. Can you put the pot someplace that it isn't directly exposed to the rain? In your situation, I would use a transparent box lid and prop it over the pot, to shield it from the rain without restricting airflow. Windowscreens and shade cloths also work really well for this purpose - I use fiberglass windowscreen to keep the peat from falling out of the drainage holes in my pots, and in a pinch I use the spare sections of screen as shade and rain cloths for my plants outside.
~Joe
 
How old are they? If they were germinated this year, you can probably take them inside safely, but I'd still give reduced temperatures and a short photoperiod.
I believe they germinated in August/September.

You could always add some more peat or sphagnum around them. If the base of the plant is slightly buried, it still does fine - so long as the leaves can grow high enough to get light.
Orly? That's good because the stems are more then half buried, but kind of still show. I ran out of peat, so I gues Spahgnum will do.

Can you put the pot someplace that it isn't directly exposed to the rain?
Unfortunately, no.
In your situation, I would use a transparent box lid and prop it over the pot, to shield it from the rain without restricting airflow.
I was thinking the same thing, but I don't really have a completely transparent, just clouded tubberware. I do have a clear plastic container, but I use it for watering and such.
 
Semi-translucent tupperware will work fine. This time of year, light intensity isn't critical. If it got direct sun before, direct sun filtered through tupperware will be fine for the winter. Just don't restrict the airflow - some types of rot like to grow in cold, stagnant, wet environments.
~Joe
 
Semi-translucent tupperware will work fine. This time of year, light intensity isn't critical. If it got direct sun before, direct sun filtered through tupperware will be fine for the winter. Just don't restrict the airflow - some types of rot like to grow in cold, stagnant, wet environments.
~Joe

Well, it's kind of warm and bright year-round. Plus, it was never outside, it was in my terrarium under CFLs.
 
  • #10
Of course they'll be fine in the rain!!!

sleucophylla,blackwater.jpeg
 
  • #11
Wow. That's pretty cool. I guess your right. xD So far, they've faced a few drizzles and they seem good. The only bad part is is that there's a cold front and I'm not sure if they'll go dormant or not outside.
 
  • #12
They won't go dormant unless it's cold for a long period - I think it would take them at least a week to realise that it was cold and start adjusting to it.
As for rain... I don't think the rain would be an issue, unless it was sleet/hail/really cold sort of rain, or rain that was so heavy it snapped their leaves. The only other issue would be their soil getting water-logged.
 
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