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Er, is this true.

I was just about to place an order for some more sarracenia when I saw this statement below one of the other plants, but the name is not given, neither is a photo, so I was wondering if there is such a sarracenia out there.

"Sarracenia low growing - 5 inch pot size $8.00 each Minimum 5
Great for winter as they don't go dormant"


What do you think; is it a load of bunk, or is there really sarracenias out there that don't go through any type of dormancy?
 
I dunno, when i went to the swapmeet, i saw some sarracenia. I asked him (the seller), it's winter isn't it suppose to be dormant? He did not know what it was. Since we live in California, the tempuratures dont get really low to frost to take off, brown some pitchers. The pitchers were green, and it looked as if it just came out of dormacy. Either that the people selling those sarracenia live in warm climates where dormacy is not obvious, or their lieing so they would get more sales. Well, this is my opinion, I really don't know.
 
requiem, as far as I am aware there is no such thing in existence, every Sarracenia requires dormancy during winter if it is to survive in the long run. Be careful of nurseries as MANY of them have no clue what they are talking about. I was told by the nursery down the road that the Judith Hindles' they had on display were 'vary rare and difficult to find'.... Upon hearing that I chuckled and left the store lol
 
I was just about to place an order for some more sarracenia when I saw this statement below one of the other plants, but the name is not given, neither is a photo, so I was wondering if there is such a sarracenia out there.

"Sarracenia low growing - 5 inch pot size $8.00 each Minimum 5
Great for winter as they don't go dormant"


What do you think; is it a load of bunk, or is there really sarracenias out there that don't go through any type of dormancy?

All Sarracenia experience dormancy in some form, and not every species leave much "above ground" at season's end (S. leucophylla certainly comes to mind). Forcing a dormancy-requiring plant to grow year-round will eventually stress and kill it -- also an all-too common error with Dionaea (which I often see for sale in California even in the dead of winter). Unfortunately, that seller is simply playing on the real lack of public knowledge when it comes to cultivating these plants and the further realization that few, if any, of those Sarracenia will survive a year under a customer's care. That buyer will simply chalk it up to error on his part, the predictable outcome of raising those "notoriously-finicky" carnivorous plants . . .
 
You have to consider that almost all the carnivorous plants available in nurseries are propagated through tissue culture. The tissue culture suppliers such as AgriStarts III pump these plants out year round so they can be sold year round. They may increase their output seasonally - there always seems to be a glut of CPs around Halloween time.

Regardless, these plants are grown in laboratory like conditions with strictly controlled temperatures, light and humidity until they are mature enough to be transplanted. They are then hardened off and sold to other wholesale nurseries which will then grow the plants to whatever size they want to sell - usually in pots from 2.5" to 5". These plants are grown in a variety of greenhouse conditions - some with controlled lighting and heating.

So it is not unusual to find a Sarracenia in a nursery during the dead of winter that is actively growing. Up until it was sold to that nursery it was probably growing in optimal spring like conditions. These plants are probably no more the 6-8 months old since being taken out of the subculture flasks.

If it says "no dormancy required" that is probably true if it is winter - for that winter only. The plants are not in sync with the natural seasons and for all they "know" it is still spring.

What do to with one of these? Well, if you live in a climate that you can grow them outdoors year round you can put them outdoors to take their chances. Or you can grow them as best you can indoors and then put them outdoors in the spring. Once they are outdoors they will eventually grow in synchrony with the natural season although it may take one or two growing seasons.

Forcing a plant into dormancy that is not ready for dormancy is probably more harmful (e.g. fatal) to the plant than skipping dormancy for one season.
 
well..to be fair they do talk about dormancy on the cultivation page:

http://triffidpark.com.au/htm_pages/growing_carnivorous_plants.htm

so at least they make people aware they go dormant..
but then they also say:

Sarracenia's require a high level of light. A window sill inside the
house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in winter is an
excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a terrarium,
greenhouse, glasshouse or porch and some growers grow them outside in
the full weather.

Venus Fly Traps require a high level of light. A window sill
inside the house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in
winter is an excellent position. Otherwise you can grow them in a
terrarium, greenhouse, glasshouse or porch and some growers grow
them outside in the full weather.

which is terrible advice..and prevents plants from properly going dormant!

"A window sill inside the house that gets morning sun in summer and afternoon sun in
winter" is not an "excellent position"..its a terrible position..and should be considered the last possible resort, used only if you have nothing else..

They should really remove that blub about "Great for winter as they don't go dormant" though..
since that one is CLEARLY not true..no gray area at all with that one..

Scot
 
This seller is not saying that the plants don't require dormancy. He's saying that the plants don't go dormant during winter. This statement could be read as "It doesn't lose its folliage during winter" an attribute that could easily apply to S. purpurea and a number of purpurea hybrids.

Besides, if you know better than this guy regarding sarracenia habits, what does it matter? Just ignore the bad advice and cultivate your sarras providing them the conditions that will result in optimal growth.
 
This seller is not saying that the plants don't require dormancy. He's saying that the plants don't go dormant during winter. This statement could be read as "It doesn't lose its folliage during winter" an attribute that could easily apply to S. purpurea and a number of purpurea hybrids.

No..I dont think so..
I dont see how anyone could interpret "Great for winter as they don't go dormant" as "seller is not saying that the plants don't require dormancy."

yes, the seller is saying the plants dont require dormancy.
I dont see how "they dont go dormant" could be interpreted any other way..

Besides, if you know better than this guy regarding sarracenia habits, what does it matter? Just ignore the bad advice and cultivate your sarras providing them the conditions that will result in optimal growth.

yes, all of us here know better..but people buying a new plant for the first time dont know better..they will believe what the seller tells them..usually thats not a problem, as most CP sellers give good cultivation advice...in this case, a CP seller is giving bad cultivation advice..
and thats irreresponsible IMO..CP sellers should give proper advice, so people know how to cultivate these plants correctly..

Scot
 
  • #10
Yes, all of us here know better..but people buying a new plant for the first time dont know better..they will believe what the seller tells them..usually thats not a problem, as most CP sellers give good cultivation advice...in this case, a CP seller is giving bad cultivation advice..
and thats irreresponsible IMO..CP sellers should give proper advice, so people know how to cultivate these plants correctly..


That was my earlier point exactly. Sure, tissue culture allows for the availability of exotic plants the year round and off-season, but offers little to the public at large in terms of solid cultivation practices.This forum and other sources aside, the average kid (or kid's mother) buying an "Octopus Plant" or "Cobra Plant" (as I once saw S. pupurea described at Home Depot) -- or whatever other silliness they market Drosera or Sarracenia as, has little to no clue about the odd plant in the "Lowe's Death Cube" and even less how to make it survive a season.

Adding improper cultural instructions and unrealistic expectations, only adds insult to injury; and it remains no mystery why carnivorous plants are still considered a queer novelty and are seen as difficult (at best) to maintain . . .
 
  • #11
No..I dont think so..
I dont see how anyone could interpret "Great for winter as they don't go dormant" as "seller is not saying that the plants don't require dormancy."

yes, the seller is saying the plants dont require dormancy.
I dont see how "they dont go dormant" could be interpreted any other way..

That's your interpretation. Having dealt with Sales for a long time, I can see how an argument could be made to state otherwise.

yes, all of us here know better..but people buying a new plant for the first time dont know better..they will believe what the seller tells them..usually thats not a problem, as most CP sellers give good cultivation advice...in this case, a CP seller is giving bad cultivation advice..
and thats irreresponsible IMO..CP sellers should give proper advice, so people know how to cultivate these plants correctly..

Scot

Irresponsible of the seller yes. Irresponsible of the buyer to get something on impulse before researching it first - also true. I consider both parties guilty of negligence.
 
  • #12
Hey guys, sorry, I didn't think that this would cause so much trouble. It wasn't my intention, but I did think it would be important for me to point it out at least to get an idea of what people think.

Not picking sides, but, I'm a PhD literary student and half of what I do involves analysing text and discourse and, though it may have not been the sellers intention, not matter which way you look at what he has said, the point he is trying to make remains the same; that is, these plants, what ever they are, do not experience winter dormancy which we all know is bunk. The problem is, he is the only person currently selling the species I want. Do I have a moral obligation to shun his service, or do I buy irrespective?
 
  • #13
Hey guys, sorry, I didn't think that this would cause so much trouble. It wasn't my intention, but I did think it would be important for me to point it out at least to get an idea of what people think.

Not picking sides, but, I'm a PhD literary student and half of what I do involves analysing text and discourse and, though it may have not been the sellers intention, not matter which way you look at what he has said, the point he is trying to make remains the same; that is, these plants, what ever they are, do not experience winter dormancy which we all know is bunk. The problem is, he is the only person currently selling the species I want. Do I have a moral obligation to shun his service, or do I buy irrespective?

Your choice, you do not have to listen to his growing instructions, and buy the plant and grow it your way. Hence the quote:
Really bad grower that tricks new growers into thinking their buying a year round plant. :) said:
Great for winter as they don't go dormant
.
 
  • #14
You have a moral obligation to buy as many of his plants as you can, propagate them and put him out of business. :D
~Joe
 
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