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  • #21
Since it seems that there isn't going to be anymore hard freezes where I live, I took out all the temperates from the garage. Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day, right?? :-O Luckily, they all seem fine and ready to wake up. No visible flower buds on the Sarrs yet...

Unfortunately, I didn't finish dividing all the ones I wanted to as it took longer than expected. One 'Judith Hindle' I got from Trader Joe's a while back was massive.
 
  • #22
Dormancy is almost over...Can't wait. I can just see the flower buds wanting to pop out.
 
  • #23
I thought it was halloween to valentines day... im just waiting to take them up a little bit before march, when the snow clears up(no time soon)
Im putting them under a diffused light porch, then slowly moving them out to not shock them into too much light(no light during dormancy)
 
  • #24
So far my Sarracenia flava has sent up 2 flowers, one of them which should open within 2 weeks. The others are very close, and some of them are sending up their first pitchers.
 
  • #25
This is normally the weekend I take my plants out of dormancy..
but I think im just going to wait an extra month this year!
because I have a new plan..

in past years, I would take them out in Mid-February and stick them in windows indoors, like this:

http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/CP/page5a.html

but thats a pain, because I dont really have good indoor spots..and they dont get enough light.
but they cant go outside for another 2 months! until mid-April..until night-time lows stay above freezing..
thats still a long way away..

I have never really been happy with that plan..because its not a healthy Spring for my plants..
its far too warm and dark being on windowsills indoors for 2 months..the spring growth is all floppy and weak, then it burns when they go outside..

So I think this year im going to try something new..
im going leave them alone for another month or so..just leave them in the cold stairwell..
(unless its gets unusually warm..which isnt likely anytime soon.)
For most of March and early April, its above freezing during the day, but below freezing at night...so..

In Mid-March, I will remove my plants from the stairwell, place all the pots on a wheeled wagon in the garage..they will get wheeled outside in the morning when I leave for work..now they can break dormancy *outside* instead of inside..and enjoy those sunny 35-45 degree March days..
then, if its going to be below freezing at night, I can wheel them into the garage for the night!
I will do this for a month or so, until they can go back on the deck for good..usually around mid-April..

This is better, because they get the direct sun from the start, and it more closely mimics nature..
(I would prefer to just keep my plants outside 24/7/365..but my winters wont allow that)

So thats my new plan for this year..I will let you know how it goes!

So my plants are not coming out of dormancy yet..they are remaining dormant another 3 or 4 weeks..
which means my plants will be getting a FOUR month dormancy! but I still think it should be better than bringing them out of the stairwell right now..we shall see..

Scot
 
  • #26
which means my plants will be getting a FOUR month dormancy! but I still think it should be better than bringing them out of the stairwell right now..we shall see..

I know that growers up in Canada on the OCPS forum who leave their bogs outside all year round have no problems with this... even VFTs and non-native Sarrs don't mind the 6 months of dormancy (under snow and mulch). You shouldn't have too many worries, Scot.
 
  • #27
I agree with PM. I used to live in Michigan and would put my plants in the garage in November and leave them there until mid to late April (about 5 and half months) with no problems at all. They would even freeze solid in the garage for about 3-4 weeks during Jan-Feb but I never had a loss. You'll be fine Scotty but I would wait even longer. Wheeling them in and out of the garage on a daily basis sounds like a pain in the arse!
 
  • #28
Good luck with yours, guys! Today, I did some more dividing and repotting. The birds were chirping and flying wildly today. Also, there were tons of flying queen ants all over the place!

Some more pictures... I found (what seemed to be) some slime mold in one pot that had massive growth of moss.
 
  • #29
I agree with PM. I used to live in Michigan and would put my plants in the garage in November and leave them there until mid to late April (about 5 and half months) with no problems at all. They would even freeze solid in the garage for about 3-4 weeks during Jan-Feb but I never had a loss. You'll be fine Scotty but I would wait even longer. Wheeling them in and out of the garage on a daily basis sounds like a pain in the arse!

im not really worried about the length of the dormancy..
and wheeling them in and out of ther garage shouldnt be a big deal, because I will have the pots on a wagon! ;)
so it should be rather painless..

I wouldnt mind just leaving the plants in the stairwell until April!
until they can go out on the deck "for the season"..but I think there would be a problem with that idea..

because my plants are in the stairwell..when it begins to warm-up through March and April, im afraid it will get warm enough (40's-50's) in the stairwell that the plants will attempt to break dormancy..but they will still be in pitch-darkness! which wouldnt be good..
If I could keep the plants at 35 degrees until April 15th, it wouldnt be a problem..
but that probably isnt possible..

So thats why Im considering the "wagon method" for March 15 - April 15..

maybe they would be fine until April 15th in the stairwell!
I honestly dont know, because I have never tried it..

another reason i like the "wagon method" is because the exact date theycan go "on the deck for the season" is never absolute..sometimes its early April, sometimes it late April..it can vary by 2 or 3 weeks from year to year..but if I have the plants on the wagon, its a non-issue..I can easily bring them back into the garage for any unusually cold nights..

thoughts?

Scot
 
  • #30
You can use the cut pitchers in a bouquet - that's what my stepmom did. Looked nice, if any of you guys have wives that like to decorate.
 
  • #31
Personally, I am going to try to take them out on March 1st or anytime it gets warmer now(all the 3 feet of snow melts) during the day and bring them in at night till it gets above 39 at night. A few of my sarrs are sending up pitchers, no buds yet though. Hope the snow melts soon(for their sake, not mine)(i love the snow)
 
  • #32
I just checked and I have some pitchers starting to emerge from the growth points and another flower being sent up by my Sarracenia rubra wherryi 'Chantom Giant.' So far my Sarracenia flava and Sarracenia alata are sending up pitchers.
 
  • #33
The sign for me to move my plants outside was when my flavas started to send up buds. I always waited for them and there were no windows in the garage. They always started in the dark. There were plenty of days in March/April when the sun would heat up the garage to 50/60 F. I would always try to open the garage door (if I was home) to cool it back down. This worked for me for many years and my plants never suffered. I never wanted to take them out too early and worry about frost because once I moved them…that was it. I had too many plants to keep moving them in and out. The photo below is of a shot in Michigan some years back. This was the pot I always waited for before taking everything out of the garage.

sflavaornata3750x564.jpg
 
  • #34
The sign for me to move my plants outside was when my flavas started to send up buds. I always waited for them and there were no windows in the garage. They always started in the dark. There were plenty of days in March/April when the sun would heat up the garage to 50/60 F. I would always try to open the garage door (if I was home) to cool it back down. This worked for me for many years and my plants never suffered. I never wanted to take them out too early and worry about frost because once I moved them…that was it. I had too many plants to keep moving them in and out. The photo below is of a shot in Michigan some years back. This was the pot I always waited for before taking everything out of the garage.

sflavaornata3750x564.jpg

Nice flavas. Assuming this snow wont melt soon, ill have to wait till may(although i hope it does, and if it doesnt by march 15, Snow meet blowtorch)
 
  • #35
still incredibly jealous of you warmer-zone growers, the only thing here breaking dormancy are my temperate dews, i can see that some of my sarrs will definitely be flowering....other than that its tulips and daffodils coming up now....and hyacinth. no sarrs or flytraps yet....
 
  • #36
still incredibly jealous of you warmer-zone growers, the only thing here breaking dormancy are my temperate dews, i can see that some of my sarrs will definitely be flowering....other than that its tulips and daffodils coming up now....and hyacinth. no sarrs or flytraps yet....

I know Kris. Now that i'm out in CA, things wake up pretty early. Almost all of my sarrs are sending up buds already. That photo above was taken in the month of June in Michigan. I had to wait that long to get nice leaves. Now, I get them in March and April. :)

Here is the same plant the very next spring (In Michigan, May 15th) about 3 or 4 weeks after coming out of the garage.

51207004750x564.jpg
 
  • #37
Here it's still snowing so I have a little ways to go before I can put the plants out again.
 
  • #38
Fred....That picture is sickening to see right now...I'm about to take the flamethrower to this snow.
BTW let me know what real estate goes for down there, I think I've found my next location to move to. :-))
 
  • #40
Guys (and ladies), don't forget the photos above were taken in Michigan 8 years ago in the months of May and June. My plants here in CA are not that far along (however many of them have 3 inch flower stalks).

And Yann, the real estate here is crazy. CA is in their own bubble of unrealism.
 
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