Question about flower stalk

[JohnC]

I just wanted to know when do they normally start coming out? And How long before they bloom?
I ask cause I bought 2 traps from Wal-mart about the end of Sept. and one is already showing a flower stalk. If anyone can help me thanks.

 

[jimscott]

Hi John and welcome to the forums! A flower stalk right now would be perfect for a VFT if this were Australia. Your (tissue culture) plant is cornfused as to what time of year it is. It should be in the process of hoing dormant. They normally come out of dormancy in late winter and flower in the spring, around April. I say cut the flower stalk off!

 

[JohnC]

Thanks will do. So then I should start preparing it for dormancy,right? I ask cause again some new traps are coming out as well. Also it's yellowing a bit. I put them outside in sunlight and water with distilled water then bring them in at night. The yellowing does it mean too much light? So, many questions but I am rather new to CPs and want to get everything right.

 

[jimscott]

No doubt your VFT's are from tissue culture, but I am no expert in determining how old they are, prior to purchase or what time of year they think it is. This is the time of year for VFT's to be in the process of going dormant and I'm not sure just what yours are wanting to do. When I took this hobby seriously, two years ago, I bought a VFT in June, and a trio in a pot in late August. I grew them open tray, on a window sill and let them naturally get reduced photoperiod and cooler temps, before I put them in the fridge for dormancy. I was rewarded with flowers in the spring. so my plants responded well from their late summer purchase, followed by a dormancy.

Where do you live? If it were me, I would acclimate the plant to outside and let it naturally get a reduced photoperiod and temperature. Once the overnoight lows are forecasted to be lower than 30 (they can take freezes), you could either mulch them up and attempt to winter them over, as some people in the North do, or you can the now asleep plant and put in the refrigerator to finish out its dormancy period.

Not sure why it is yellowing.

 

[JohnC]

I live in Texas where the weather right now is so confussing. It feels like Summer or Spring instead of fall. I am just starting out with VFT so I am not sure what to do. I may let them just go with the weather but I am not sure that's a great idea. We still get ninety degrees or more Here in San Antonio.

 

[jimscott]

VFT's come from N. Carolina, where it is naturally hot and humid in the summer and sees its occasional freezes in the winter. It more resmbles Houston, rather than Dallas, to give you perspective. You could probably keep a VFT outside for the next several months.