This spring marks 20 years that I have been growing CP's!
I started my collection in the Spring of 1994, I was 25 years old and had just moved to Rochester for a new job..
Some of my VFT's, and a S. leucophylla or two, are probably those original 20 year old plants!
(I have no idea which ones though..)
But the main point of this post is:
Longest..dormancy...ever!
For 20 years I have been using "The Fridge Method" to overwinter my plants..
using an actual fridge for many years, and for the past 8 years using a cold stairwell..
For many years I brought the plants out of dormancy in Mid-February, after a 3 and a half month dormancy,
(which is all they need, based on their native climate)..but then the plants would have to sit indoors for another 6 weeks
before they could go outside in April..(they go into their dormancy spot around the 1st of November)
For the past several years, I have been trying just leaving the plants in dormancy until they can go outside..
usually in early April..My criteria for bringing them out is "a forecast that has 7 to 10 days with nightly lows *above* freezing"..
or at least 30F (-1C)..
Welll..this April hasnt had anything close to that yet! We hit 18F (-8C)just a few mornings ago!
So finally today, April 20, 2014, my plants came out!
Thats 5 months and 20 days in dormancy! only 10 days short of half a year!
but! the plants look totally fine! :grin:
they look the same as they do every Spring..
so, looks like no problem! they havent started to grow at all, they have remained cool and dark until today..
photos!
The white fence is to keep our cats from drinking the "tray water"..for some reason they love it, even when its dirty and peaty..
I have to do a full repot on the whole collection this Spring, I do a repot every 2nd year, and this is the year..
I will probably do that next weekend..
Scot
I started my collection in the Spring of 1994, I was 25 years old and had just moved to Rochester for a new job..
Some of my VFT's, and a S. leucophylla or two, are probably those original 20 year old plants!
(I have no idea which ones though..)
But the main point of this post is:
Longest..dormancy...ever!
For 20 years I have been using "The Fridge Method" to overwinter my plants..
using an actual fridge for many years, and for the past 8 years using a cold stairwell..
For many years I brought the plants out of dormancy in Mid-February, after a 3 and a half month dormancy,
(which is all they need, based on their native climate)..but then the plants would have to sit indoors for another 6 weeks
before they could go outside in April..(they go into their dormancy spot around the 1st of November)
For the past several years, I have been trying just leaving the plants in dormancy until they can go outside..
usually in early April..My criteria for bringing them out is "a forecast that has 7 to 10 days with nightly lows *above* freezing"..
or at least 30F (-1C)..
Welll..this April hasnt had anything close to that yet! We hit 18F (-8C)just a few mornings ago!
So finally today, April 20, 2014, my plants came out!
Thats 5 months and 20 days in dormancy! only 10 days short of half a year!
but! the plants look totally fine! :grin:
they look the same as they do every Spring..
so, looks like no problem! they havent started to grow at all, they have remained cool and dark until today..
photos!
The white fence is to keep our cats from drinking the "tray water"..for some reason they love it, even when its dirty and peaty..
I have to do a full repot on the whole collection this Spring, I do a repot every 2nd year, and this is the year..
I will probably do that next weekend..
Scot
Last edited: