I'm in the Pittsburgh, PA, area. So it will get below freezing for weeks at a time here.
I have:
I'm afraid I'm going to lose my first plant with improper care this winter (never lost a plant yet! unless you count mama adelaes, but I have their babies to show for them).
VFT
All Pitcher Plants Other Than Nep ventricosa
D. adelae
N. ventricosa
P. primuliflora
I also need to repot my S. rubra, Scarlet Belle, possibly my redbugs, and my butterwort. I'd like to put my adelaes into bigger pots, as well. My understanding is that it's best to repot the plants requiring dormancy in the spring. Would this be before or after they start to "come alive"?
Does special care need to be taken when moving a plant from outside to under artificial lights inside? Matching the photoperiod, or intensity...?
Please, help me.
I have:
- VFTs from Lowe's
- S. rubra from Lowe's
- S. purp from Lowe's
- Scarlet Belle from Lowe's
- D. adelae from Lowe's
- Redbug
- Sar x catesbaei
- N. ventricosa
- Butterwort from Lowe's, I've been told it's P. primuliflora
I'm afraid I'm going to lose my first plant with improper care this winter (never lost a plant yet! unless you count mama adelaes, but I have their babies to show for them).
VFT
I understand these need dormancy. Mine have been living outside since early spring, and the lows at nights have been getting into the low 50s, but tonight will be down to 39F. My understanding is that this is okay, and it's not until it's below freezing that I need to do something, but I'm not sure what I'll do. Fridge? I have limited south-facing unheated window space. (Still warmer than outside temperature, because it'd share a wall with a heated room.)
All Pitcher Plants Other Than Nep ventricosa
Mine have been living outside since spring. My understanding is that it's pretty much the same as VFT for winter, but that these pitcher plants are hardier.
D. adelae
No dormancy needed is my understanding. But mine have been living on a dresser by a window that only receives morning sun. From reading, I think the photoperiod may get too short in winter for these ( < 10hr/day in December).
I already have a setup in my basement with six 5000K 54W T5 bulbs growing VFTs and other sundews from seeds (going to let them stay under there through winter---just planted them in late June---I think the sundews aren't growing, but that's another post....). I could put my D. adelae on the shelf beneath them, which shouldn't be too intense (I think?) for the adelae, which likes less sun than other sundews. I also have some 5000K 32W T8 bulbs that I could get a fixture for to hang over the D. adelae if needed
. I already have a setup in my basement with six 5000K 54W T5 bulbs growing VFTs and other sundews from seeds (going to let them stay under there through winter---just planted them in late June---I think the sundews aren't growing, but that's another post....). I could put my D. adelae on the shelf beneath them, which shouldn't be too intense (I think?) for the adelae, which likes less sun than other sundews. I also have some 5000K 32W T8 bulbs that I could get a fixture for to hang over the D. adelae if needed
N. ventricosa
This has been living outside since spring, also. I've been bringing it in when I see the low at night is under 57 or 58F. I brought it in last night and put it in a south-facing glass-block window in a heated room. The high is mid-fifties for a few days, so I won't be putting it back outside yet. The same goes for this as D. adelae, I guess. Photoperiod will be getting too short to just keep it in a window. I could put it on a shelf below my seedlings under the T5 fixture, or put it under a T8 fixture.
P. primuliflora
I was told that this needs dormancy, as well. So, in my mind, it's just the same story as VFTs and my Sarracenias.
I also need to repot my S. rubra, Scarlet Belle, possibly my redbugs, and my butterwort. I'd like to put my adelaes into bigger pots, as well. My understanding is that it's best to repot the plants requiring dormancy in the spring. Would this be before or after they start to "come alive"?
Does special care need to be taken when moving a plant from outside to under artificial lights inside? Matching the photoperiod, or intensity...?
Please, help me.