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Dormancy

Wesley

God must have an interesting sense of humor
I have a v-trap, purple pitcher plant, n-vintricosa, butterwort, sundew adalea and spathulana,(I don't think I spelled those right.) and a cobra-lilly. First: Which ones need to go dormant? Second: When do they need to go dormant?
Third: Will they come out of dormancy on their own if they are in a terrerium next to a window? Fourth: If they don't go dormant what will happen?
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Hey Wesley,
Here are the ansewers to your questions:
1) The VFT, Purple Pitcher Plant, and the Cobra Lily need to go into dormancy. (D. Adalae, D. Spathlata, and N. Ventricosa are all tropical plant and don't need dormany.)
2) Set the plants out when Halloween arrives from their mother nature will take car of them.
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If they are outsiide get. The whether will get colder and leaves the VFT, PPP, CL will eventually stop as they enter dormancy.
3) If the plants are in a terrarium, they will not into dormancy especially set in tropical terrarium. ou need to bring the plant out and set them in to cool whether.
4) If the plants are set in cool whether there's nothing to could go wrong unless it is still in a tropical terrarium.

Hope this helps.
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Hi Wesley, I'm sorry I can't offer much in this dept. But maybe I can help a little...:
Anyone who reads this forum: It seems that most of us "newbies" are assuming that the VFT's and other plants can just be suddenly popped into a fridge for dormancy (if they're being kept indoors in a terrarium). But from other inquiries I've been reading, this is a bad idea. To help Wesley out a bit more, maybe someone can help with specific instructions? Like if the plants need the temps. and lighting to be dropped gradually to keep the plants from going into shock?
Besides, I'd be curious too! My new VFT's are coming soon, and I don't want them to die on me!
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As a matter of fact I would like to know how to send them into dormancy. I also live where it gets pretty cold in the winter sometimes below 20 farenhite.
 
Same here, actually common below zero temp here is approx. 15 in winter. Sometimes in winters lately though frequently closer to below 30! Hopefully we'll get an answer soon...
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I also hope we can get an answer soon. And I want to know what to do about my butterwort.
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Actually, under general discussions there is a discussion going on about "my plan for dormancy". You may be able to get some answers there if you check it out. Seems like there may be some answers there!
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Thanks!!!!!!
 
I have a question concerning dormancy as well.

My place is always warm and kinda tropical actually (the plants LOVE it and so do I
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) but I'm worried about dormancy. Obviously they won't go into dormancy, so eventually I will do the refridgerator method.

What it be too brutal to pop it into the fridge straight away. Do they have to get used to the cold? I'll keep it in the firdge for two months and then take it out again

any ideas?
 
  • #10
Hi Fugazi! They seem to be discussing this in "general discussions" under the topic "my plan for dormancy". That forum may have some answers for you, as we're lost with that issue as well! From what I've read there so far, it sounds as though a gradual introduction to cooler temps. and gradually reducing the photoperiod (time exposed to direct light) seems to be the best way to go to keep your plants from going into shock.
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  • #11
thanks carniverous newbie! I'll check it out
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  • #12
No prob! I haven't been able to have very many answers for anybody here yet...I'm still too "green". HA! So it's nice to be able to help some way if I can.
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  • #13
Dormancy in temperate CP is induced by the gradually decreasing photoperiod. Plants grown in terraria and under artificial light need to be encouraged into dormancy by reducing the length of time the lights are on in stages. Plants grown in natural light (with no additional light after dark) will go dormant without any action on your part.

Temperate Droserae will form a tight knot in the center of the plant. Sarracenia will form small spikes in the plant center vs developing pitchers. VFT stops producing leaves and the traps often turn black.

Once these conditions are met, and the hibernacula are formed, the plants may go into the fridge, If you can do this in stages so much the better, but I have never lost plants if they were dormant when they went into the fridge.

The plants should be just moist, and should be placed in a ziplock bag. If fungicide is available, dust the material before placing it in the bag. I keep my temperate Drosera almost dry, just enough moisture to keep the hibernacula from withering. All lose their roots upon entering dormancy and no water uptake happens until spring.

All temperates can take occasional freezes, but avoid prolonged freezing. The critical factor is the photoperiod, not the cold. I have overwintered most of the temperates at room temps, but with a photoperiod of less than 11 hrs. Cold conditions are more optimal though, and there will be fewer losses using it.

Plants will emerge from dormancy when the daylength increases in the spring. I bring most of my plants out of dormancy in early March by placing them outside when the days are above freezing with only occasional light frosts at night.

If in the fridge, remember to occasionally check the plants for fungus, which is the main factor leading to plant loss during dormancy. If white fungus is visable, use a systemic fungicide. If not available, a light misting often discourages the fungus, but keep it very light, and check with a follow up.

Seedlings can often do without a dormancy for the first 2 years, but once they approach flowering size, the dormancy is a must, and is not optional. Plants will weaken and die without it.

Indoor gardeners should be cutting back the lights now. I reduce my lights by 15 min. every wk. starting Aug. 1st.
 
  • #14
Thanks, but all my plants are in a terrarium as listed in very first post. I live in North Carolina and should I take the ones requiring dormancy out of the terrarium or the ones not requiring dormancy out of the terrarium?
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HELP!!!!!!
 
  • #15
Wesley, I personally keep my terrarium quite tropical in conditions, so what I've done is seperately potted my plants and surrounded them all with soil to give the illusion that they are planted together. My plan for dormancy is to take the ones out that require it as it will be easier to move them around than moving around my terrarium. That way nothing in my terrarium ever has to change, and anything needing the dormancy goes to it's own area (fridge or in my case I'll be trying the unheated laundry room window).

Hope this is of some help!
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  • #16
Thanks a million that does help. I think I will try that next year.
 
  • #18
Schloaty and I have been talking about my buuterwort(sorry this has nothing to do with v-traps) and because I could not figure out what kind it was and I had no way to post a picture of it we went to a site and decided that it was a P. crystallina ssp. hirtiflora. Does anyone know much about them? If so HELP!!!!!!!!!!
 
  • #19
Wesley,
 I think you'll have better luck if you repost your last question in the Ping forum.

Best wishes
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Ping = Butterwort
 
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