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Brief, condensed dormancy?

just a brief, 4 week dormancy? I know they are supposed to have at least 3 or 4 months of rest, but what happens if they are in a deep fridge dormancy for 1 month, then placed in direct sunlight?

This is for a 6+ year old, mature bulb.

(Does age of the bulb/plant even make a difference?)

Thank you!
 
Well all VFTs need the same dormancy from their second or third year onwards. The innate dormancy requirement is about 6-8 weeks. I don't know what will happen with only 4 weeks, but I think your plant will not be very happy.
 
Thanks for the reply! I guess I was wondering if that would be worse than having NO dormancy. ( a short dormancy as opposed to skipping one) Would you happen to know if that's worse?
 
It's hard to say. Plants do what they want, when they want. Last year my plant didn't get that long of a dormancy, but they definately slowed down for a while. Guess you'll have to keep an eye on it. If I really had to guess though I'd say the plant will do alright.
 
Hi fotki and welcome to TerraForums? I just had a mental image / flashback to college days and pulling allnighters - and then taking the tests. Not good. Even with caffeine, the synapses weren't firing. so maybe something akin could be happening with plants on an abbreviated sleep.
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Dammit, Jim! Your a researcher, not a psychologist! LOL!

Fotki, Your plant will survive. Mine have had quite a few abbreviated dormancies here, and they don't really seem to mind too much. A couple years of NO dormancy did them no good, but they will survive. They do have to sleep though, so at the very least, 4 weeks. Longer if the weather permits!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Bugweed @ Feb. 22 2006,12:00)]Dammit, Jim! Your a researcher, not a psychologist! LOL!

Fotki, Your plant will survive. Mine have had quite a few abbreviated dormancies here, and they don't really seem to mind too much. A couple years of NO dormancy did them no good, but they will survive. They do have to sleep though, so at the very least, 4 weeks. Longer if the weather permits!
Or.... "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!" Now whose line was that?
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DeForest Kelly, Bones on Star Trek, the original, the episode escapes me, but it concerned critters that went through rock like a hot knife through butter. Bones had to fill a wound on the critter as it had been injured, and used concrete. Good show. As good as "The Trouble With Tribbles!"
 
Very good! Yeah, he was asked to heal the 'Horta'. 'Tribbles' rocks! So does. "A Piece Of The Action" and "I, Mudd".

What was the original topic? It's Deja vu all over again. Now who coined THAT phrase?
 
  • #10
Yogi Bear, from Jellystone Park.
 
  • #11
Yogi Berra, Yankee Stadium! "If ya see a fork in the road... take it".
 
  • #12
Wow thanks for all your help! Great helpful people in here.
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This question also applied to 3 venus fly traps I bought from the local walmart.

I asked everyone when they got the plants in, got no answers (geez, cheap prices, but horrible ways of taking care of the plants) because I wanted to see if they were dormant yet or not. (At one point a worker there told me her manger wouldn't let her give distilled water to the plants because it was too expensive!!!!! I asked her, "why can't you move it to the sunlight"? and she said, "my manager doesn't agree with the visual establishment of that". I said "but they'll all die!!" and she said, "I know, and we're going to lose all the plants, I keep telling my boss that, but I guess we'll just lose them, and get a new shipment, or just stop carrying them in general)

I took the plant home but had sudden cold weather for an entire week. At first the plant looked healthy despite being at Walmart, but I think the sunlight I gave it kind of "fried" it, either that, or it entered dormancy when the freak cold week hit the plants (they were outside 24/7).
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I hope my plant will start up again, what a freak week it went through: from dark, dry walmart, to bright sunny backyard, and too-chilly nights.

talk about roller coaster.
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the leaves and traps all bent downward (as if avoiding the sun, OR, trying to huddle on the ground because it was too cold and dormant)

I have no digital camera, but I hope you know what I'm talking about.

How does a plant look when it has been "Fried" from too much sun? I kept a watering tray full with distilled water ALWAYS, and a venus fly trap I bought online somewhere else was doing completely fine all this time, which had confused me.

And, how does a plant look when it's dormant?

If you can throw general observations, that's fine. But judging from my description, would you guess my plant to be fried or dormant? (Not too green, almost pale and sickly looking, leaves look almost leathery, all the petioles bent down to hug the earth...)

thanks!
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  • #13
Basically, a dormant VFT can look like "death warmed over" - not unlike your description. However, what you describe can realistically be a plant that has been long neglected by a garden center as well. A fried VFT is one that goes from the neglected state to summer, outside light and heat, in one, fell swoop. A healthy, acclimated plant loves full sunlight.
 
  • #14
I'll second what jimscott said. Your plant is in shock from too many changes too quick. Garden Center plants tend to be "soft" and unable to handle the outdoors without being given time to harden up and adjust to them. If the growth in the center of the VFT is still green and healthy it should recover if given time and TLC.
 
  • #15
I have to disagree with the acclimatizing explanation. EVERY VFT I have ever had went from the too dark conditions of a nursery and straight into full sun. They adjusted beautifully. My wild ones never missed a beat.
 
  • #16
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Bugweed @ Feb. 25 2006,9:34)]I have to disagree with the acclimatizing explanation. EVERY VFT I have ever had went from the too dark conditions of a nursery and straight into full sun. They adjusted beautifully. My wild ones never missed a beat.
Could be your climate and location in your favor Bugweed. Your not much above sea level and I'm over a mile and a half above sea level (7,964 feet). Not as much air to filter out the sunlight up here so I have to adjust my plants to it gradually or they burn. Humidity is low most of the time also. It's been aound 25% to 30% most of the month so far. In the summer it can get up to 40% on a typical day. Plants I have got at garden centers tend to be used to a higher humidity and less intense light unless they are grown locally which my CPs aren't.
 
  • #17
Well that IS something to take into consideration!
 
  • #18
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Bugweed @ Feb. 25 2006,1:06)]Well that IS something to take into consideration!
Um.... having 4 decades worth of experience beyond us doesn't hurt either!
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  • #19
That still doesn't mean I know everything! I like the learning part the most. But not when the learning costs the plant its life, and you do all you can, when the answer was staring you in the face all along. You never forget it, and it does hurt sometimes! Always be open to learning something new, and knowing that books don't tell the whole story.
 
  • #20
No, I think you guys are better than the pros... well youARe the pros.

The same thing happened to me that happened to Carito, I saw her plant pics. I guess they'll become alive in about a month.

Those of you who grow plants year round outside, did you ever put them in the fridge for a dormancy? Or just left them outside? Because the winters in my place are warm, sunny, and bright. Summers are even hotter.

I have so many VFT that it would be a hassle to put the pots in the fridge.

What's the advantage of putting a VFT in the fridge as to being left outside? Can the dormancy be a faster, deeper sleep in the fridge?

Also, I know some folks trim their bulbs to stubs and put the bulbs in the fridge. Is this better than putting the whole pot, or whole bulb and traps in the fridge? I'm wary of taking my plant out of its tight, firm soil.
 
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