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brand new fly trap(s)

I'm not very familiar with Dionea, since I'm used to just growing Drosera. Got this tiny group of Akai Ryu vfts in the mail just over a week ago, and I've had it in the window, just going with the natural cycle of the sun for its Winter dormancy. The temperature in this terrarium has been relatively steady, maintaining a temperature during the day of approx 76 degrees F. Anybody who has more experience, do you think the new growth shown here (traps that haven't yet fully formed) would be indicative of it's coming out of dormancy, or is it still fine with the photo-period I'm giving it? And what do you think about this light? I've got it supplemented with a really bright LED bulb (which has kept my D. capensis happy) Is it too bright? Not enough?
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Im not an expert but if its making any new traps at all then its not dormant.
 
Well, what I've read is that new leaves during dormancy will be smaller and lay down by the ground. And active leaves will stand tall and be longer.
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70 f will not make it go dormant. 50s and low 40s are for sure dormancy.
 
I'll take your word for it, so what do you propose I do to give the plants enough light but not have them be too warm? One thing I read said that dormancy had more to do with light than temperature, but... I don't really know the reliability of the source.
 
Ive heard both, but I grow outdoors so I cant truly say for sure. Winter is almost over, so i would just say
keep them growing then dormancy them next winter
 
I always sealed mine in ziploc storage bags, then slip them into the refrigerator, for "dormancy". Several times I've just grown groups in sealable plastic sandwich boxes, then just snapped on their lids and popped them into the fridge for about three months. Once, my wife mistook one of them for her lunch salad. She took it to work with her and discovered what it really was when she opened it to eat it.

With enough room in a refrigerator winter can be any time you want it.
 
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Righto, but while we're on the subject of dormancy, I think I know how I can lower the temperature a bit (and give a bit better air movement besides.) If I crack my window, I can modify a pizza box and a length of tubing into something of a conduit to the terrarium, without moving it out of the sunlight. All I'd have to do then is block the rest of the window against the cold air and I'll be doing well for myself, don't you think?
 
You should just let your vft when it wants to come out of dormancy. It looks like its already waking up from its dormancy. When in dormancy they still make traps but grow extremely slow.
 
  • #10
When in dormancy they still make traps but grow extremely slow.

If it's making traps it's NOT dormant.
dormant -ˈdɔːm(ə)nt/ adjective (of a plant or bud) alive but not actively growing.
 
  • #11
You don't mention where you're located. If you can find a suitably sunny spot growing outdoors can make dormancy an automatic process.
 
  • #12
I'm in East Idaho. The only suitable place for my terrarium is my desk, next to a west-facing window in my bedroom. Live in an apartment, so I can't really do any planting :p
 
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