Want to make sure I do dormancy right!

[NaRnAr]

I want to make sure I do this dormancy thing right so I have a couple questions:

I have an outdoor closet on my balcony (im in an apartment), do you think this would be a good place to house them for the winter? Im not sure what the temps will do inside it, Ill have to get a temp gauge I suppose.

Should I cut off what is left of the VFTs (and sarrs)? and then bag them up?

Now this next week we dip for into 25-30...I am assuming this means dormancy should start this week as far as putting them "to bed"?

Thanks for the help!
~Nar

 

[mmlr38]

Does your outdoor apartment get light? If not, then you might as well use the fridge or a cool windowsill.

I see that you're in Denver. I'm up in Boulder. I've already moved my plants to an unheated south facing porch for the winter. I did it the first night that temps got down near freezing and we got frost. They'll stay there until the chance of frost is gone in the spring time, which didn't occur until May this year.

If you decide to go the fridge route, here's a good tutorial that I rewrote on my website from a person in Canada:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-dormancy/fridge-dormancy-tutorial.html

 

[jimscott]

I would also check out this thread for a couple more good approaches:

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111701

 

[NaRnAr]

mmlr38, yea im out in Lakewood...I did bring them in that first nasty frost and then they were out a few days later when it went back up to 70. Since then we havent had any frost or anything else thats been too cold. But I think its suppose to dip tonight, so I think Ill bring them in and stash em in the fridge. The storage closet doesnt have any light, but a friend of mine said they will not retain any heat during the winter....he put a 6 pack of beer out in his thinking it would be fine last winter and it got cold enough they exploded....so! lol, I think the fridge will do just fine

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[mmlr38]

Lakewood, huh? You're not too far from me. I know what you mean about moving them outside. I thought about doing the same thing because the weather has been awesome this fall, but I just have too many plants to keep moving them in and out. They're on the porch and that's where they'll be until April or so.

I have never tried the fridge method, but it sounds like it worked well for the person in Canada that wrote that tutorial I posted a link to above. I think he said he wintered 40+ plants last year (and is doing 60+ this year) and didn't lose any. I think the key is to check on them regularly (every couple of weeks) and catch any fungal growth early. Be sure to use a good fungicide to start with too and treat them every so often while they're in the fridge.

Good luck!

 

[NaRnAr]

really? Im at Colfax and Kipling (I was in Northglenn but we moved a week or so ago). you must be in the closer to Denver side of Boulder?

Ive only got two small containers to do this year, next year will be more though! ive got two VFTs and then one sarr for sure ...the squirrel wrecked havoc on my other sarr so im not sure if it will come back up come spring. We shall see

The weather has been unusually nice this fall perhaps our 40mph winds today will blow that storm sitting on the mountains in! Im in serious snow withdrawl...id just like a dusting of snow, that would tide me over.

Ill be bringing them in today I think...in hopes that the forcast of snow is right for tomorrow. Ill let you know how it goes

 

[mmlr38]

Well, I consider anywhere on the western side of Denver pretty close to Boulder. I live basically in downtown Boulder. I think it would only be about 30 minutes by car from my place to yours.

Those squirrels are a pain in the a$$. I had to build a cage for my plants to keep them out.

In terms of snow, I am the opposite of you. I am dreading the day that we get the first snow. I'm not really into any snow sports and the snow on the ground makes it more treacherous to run and bike. I really don't like it. That's the main reason we are planning on moving next year to somewhere more temperate.

Let me know how the move indoors for your plants goes.

 

[NaRnAr]

Welp they were moved inside Thursday night, right before the snow that night and Friday. They are in the fridge, the one pot looks like it was already dormant, I didnt have to cut much. They are in the vegetable drawer covered and "sealed" with plastic wrap. Hopefully all goes well!