What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

How do i put these babies to bed

How should i begin preparing my sarrs for dormancy?
 
Hi, April!! (My favorite troublemaker! LOL!) Trim all dead leaves off the plant, and put them in a garage or similar place where they won't totally freeze, and put them up. Make sure they are protected from freezing, and let them mud it out for the winter. Come the first warm days of spring, do with them what you usually do, and let them come out for the spring. FLOWER SEASON!!!!!!!
YAY!!!!!!!!!
 
Do they require low temps during dormancy? Winter temps around here are not much different than spring. But I have never heard of anyone putting Sarrs in the fridge.

-Rail
 
CCFC, Folks put them in the fridge all the time. Give it a try if you think your winters are too warm. However, S. alata lives close to you, and requires dormancy, and do it every year. Put them outside, and see what they do. If they are still growing in mid-November, put'em in the fridge----quick.
 
Here in Zone 6 CT, I dig a broad, shallow hole in a raised bed as a winter home for Sarrs, hardy orchids and various other things.  I set the pots in the hole so that the rim of each pot is at least an inch or so above ground level, putting extra dirt under the shorter pots and using dirt to fill in around the pots.

I cover everything with oak leaves.  Don't use maple leaves because they'll just mat down, losing their insulation value and suffocating the plants.  The best leaves are thick and curl a bit when dry.  I take a couple weeks to pile on all the leaves, adding a couple more inches every few days.  I end up with 12" - 18" of leaves and pull the Sarr phylodia and pitchers up through the leaves.

The last step is that I put a landscape fabric covered lean-to over everything, to keep snow off the leaf pile.  The first year I over-wintered Sarrs we didn't have much snow and everything was fine without the lean-to.  The next year we had the normal few feet and the snow would melt a little on warm days and the water would freeze down below.  By the time I thought about it, the plants and pots were encased in several inches of solid, leafy ice.  I lost some plants and began using a lean-to to prevent that problem.

The plants are frozen under the leaves, but Sarrs don't need to be protected from freezing.  They need to be protected from the most extreme cold and from repeated freezing and thawing.  My plants freeze once and thaw once.  They don't reach the -10F they'd see outside the leaves, but they must get pretty cold.  One year we never went below 8F and the phylodia and pitchers sticking above the leaf pile stayed green the whole winter.  They're tough plants.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (CopcarFC @ Sep. 04 2005,11:36)]Do they require low temps during dormancy?  Winter temps around here are not much different than spring.  But I have never heard of anyone putting Sarrs in the fridge.

-Rail
Last winter I put several Sarrs & VFT's in a fridge at the lab. They were in plastic trays, a little water, uncovered. In other words, open tray, in the fridge.
 
Did they pull through OK? I'm debating between shelves along my basement windows or the fridge. Even my garage is open to temps below 10F being by the lake.
 
The Sarrs did fine. The VFT's had mixed results. The previous year I did the same with the VFT's only and they did very well. Go figure!
 
  • #10
Greetings,

  I have some VFTs and Sarracenia that I have to overwinter here in Montana (zone 3, 4, or 5...depending on what mood nature is in).  I'm thinking of using my garage because it stays cool, but doesn't freeze.  
Are low light levels a problem during dormancy?  I could rig up an el cheapo fluorescent light to come on 5 hrs a day, but I don't know if it would be neccessary.


Brian
 
  • #11
Low light levels is part of the dormancy equation of:

Reduced photoperiod
+ Reduced Temps.
= Dormancy

A lot of people just put their plants into their unlit fridge.
 
  • #12
Plants do photosynthesize during dormancy, just at a very low rate. So low light is probably just just as good as strong light, but no light isn't. But plenty of people do the fridge thing and plants certainly survive.
 
  • #13
Hi, all....Thanks so much for your help. My plan was this..the more common sarrs I have, the S. purpureas(which are native to this area, anyway) I was going to put in my 18" inch deep covered window-wells with a maple leaf mulch, for the winter. The maple leaf mulch will be shredded, so it shouldn't compact as much as whole leaf mulch. I could also import oak leaf mulch, if you guys tell me it's better.

The rara avis I have are going to spend the winter in LauraZ5's garage. The oreophila, and the rubra gulfensis.

Bugweed, I gave up the trouble making for lent...unless someone really cheeses me off.....thanks!
 
  • #15
If those window wells are covered so water and snow can't get down there then even maple leaves are probably OK. But if wind can't get in there either, I'd put in a thick layer of packing peanuts. I've been wanting to try them but don't want to chase them downwind. What's at the bottom of the window wells - is it loose enough you can sink pots into it?
 
  • #16
The bottom of the window-wells is gravel, i don't know how deep, but I know toads hibernate down there.
 
  • #18
But that's too pessimistic about a Sarr's prospects outdoors in the north.
 
  • #19
[b said:
Quote[/b] (herenorthere @ Sep. 07 2005,9:19)]But that's too pessimistic about a Sarr's prospects outdoors in the north.
what is pessimistic about it?
I dont think it is pessimistic, it is simply realistic.
most Sarrs have little prospects outdoors all winter in the north. I have tried it several times..death is nearly certain.
the fridge gives FAAAAAR better results.

the only method that seems to work well for southern sarrs in the north is to have the plants *in the ground*, in a bog, because the ground provides much protection.
and super-heavy mulch over the bog, like a 3-foot layer of oak leaves and pine needles.
just pots, sitting outdoors anywhere north of say, Washington DC, is just asking for death..

Scot
 
  • #20
Mine go in the totally dark celler and are maintained as aquatics: pots totally submerged. Temps. are just above and just below freezing say 30-45F. Haven't lost a plant in 3 years. I do the Dionaea the same way. I lost more plants trying to keep the "just barely moist" dictate. My plants have been aquatic now for 3 years, and it sure saves me a lot of hassle with the watering schedule - there is none. No worries about mold either since it can't grow underwater. My advise is keep them wet, it works for me anyways.
 
Back
Top