AAlso, when watching me others go into dormancy, am I expecting to watch the entire lot die off? And, do I water less, or leave them sitting in their trays.
VFts and Sarrs wont die down completely..some leaves will stay greenish all winter, others will turn brownish..they dont look very good all winter!
basically a bit sad and worn-looking..but no, the leaves shouldnt die away completely. then in the spring, some of the leaves that remained green through the winter will help give the plants a photosynthesis boost while new leaves/pitchers push up from the rhizome..then you can cut away old leaves/pitchers/traps that are clearly dead and brown..
if your plants leaves turn completely brown/black in the winter, the plant is probably dead!
but thats unlikely in your climate..you shouldnt have enough prolonged cold to kill these plants..
(where I live, we can have temps of -20C to -5C for WEEKS at a time..sometimes months at a time..
+2C is an unusual winter heatwave..)
so yes, you should still see lots of green all winter..even though the plant isnt growing..
in your climate, I would mulch your plants in the winter..cover them with a layer of leaves, maybe 6" thick, to protect from frost, wind, and unusually cold snaps.
(its ok if sarr pitchers poke out the top, you are protecting the rhizome more than the leaves) then uncover them in early spring..
if the pots are small, like 4" diameter pots, you should leave them in the water trays..just so they dont dry out quickly..
if the pots are larger, like 12" diameter, you could probably take them out of the water trays and just pour some water on every few weeks or so..they should stay wet enough..although leaving them in water trays is safer, in case you forget to water..
personally I like my plants to be a bit drier in the winter..not soaking wet, but still damp..
but I wrap my pots in plastic bags all winter, which you wouldnt need to do..
I havent actually ever overwintered plants outdoors..(because I cant)
so I dont really know how people in warmer climes overwinter plants in pots with water trays..
someone else will have to chime in with ideas for that..
You are going into Autumn right now right?
My plants are coming out of dormancy TODAY!!
woo!
I will update the page soon: