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VFTs after dormancy

Does anyone have any pictures of what their flytraps looked like after they came out of dormancy? I pulled mine out of the fridge yesterday and they don't look like they were doing so hot.
 
Does anyone have any pictures of what their flytraps looked like after they came out of dormancy? I pulled mine out of the fridge yesterday and they don't look like they were doing so hot.


Any pictures of your plants? I think they might have gotten too cold.
 
I don't have a camera, so I can't get any pictures, but they're rather brown if that tells you anything.
 
I don't have a camera, so I can't get any pictures, but they're rather brown if that tells you anything.


It sounds dead. VFTs are evergreens. If the plant is brown, it's probably dead.
 
Thanks for the info. That's a bummer. It was my first attempt at refrigerator dormancy so I think I'll have to come up with a different plan next year.
 
Isu, I wouldn't just count them out simply because they are brown. Pictures would be helpful. I can't pretend to be an expert, but many carnivorous plants will come back from the roots. Does the rhizome still feel sturdy or is it mushy?

Phil
 
When I took mine out of the fridge last year, they were mostly brown with some green bits. I would treat them like they are live plants for a few months and see what happens.
 
If I remember correctly the rhizomes weren't real firm, but they weren't complete mush either. I already put them back in the soil and they are in a south facing window. I am going to give them some time but I don't think I'll get my hopes up.
 
I lost one that was in the fridge this year. The rhizome was mush, kind of like the texture of a badly bruised apple...if that comparison helps. It literally fell apart in my hand. I've only had them rot a couple times, but each time it was obvious that they were rotten.
 
  • #10
Alright, I'm gonna give this a try then and see how they do in the window. Our days are relatively short here still, so hopefully I won't overload them with light right away. Also, I trimmed off all the traps because they all looked pretty dead and I didn't want mold to grow. Was this a mistake or a good idea?
 
  • #11
Usually I wait for the entire trap to turn black before snipping. But you should be good. Make sure to maximize the amount of sunlight it gets. During last winter I did the same by putting up some tin foil to reflect even more light on the plant. It might be good to do that in your case.
 
  • #12
If you dont see ANY green at all they are probably dead..
but if you see some green in the middle, where the leaves emerge from the rhizome, but the ends of the leaves are brown and dead..thats fine! and normal..

Here are dormant VFTs in November:

CP2008-080.jpg


they shouldnt look much different right now..perhaps even more dead blrown/black leaves..
but should still see a lot of green too..
it would be normal for them to be about 50/50 green/brown at the end of winter..

Scot
 
  • #13
Sorry Isu, but here is your problem:

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115233

We tried to tell you VFTs growing indoors cant just go straight into the fridge..
your plant wasnt dormant, at all, when it into the fridge..it needs to be fully dormant BEFORE it goes into the fridge..which you cant get with an indoor plant..which is why VFTs shouldnt be grown indoors..ever..

A non-dormant plant going right into the fridge will die from shock..which is probably what happened to your plant..

I would take the plant out, put it in a water tray..it might recover! you never know!
but if you dont see any new growth within 2 to 4 weeks..then sorry. :(

you will just have to start over..we have ALL killed plants!
it happens to everyone... (my entire Bonsai collection is now dead! :(

But if you dont have anywhere to grow VFTs outdoors right now..
then well..you simply cant grow VFTs right now..
they arent indoor plants..
unless you dont mind just growing them for the summer only, then throwing them out in the fall,
and buying new plants the following spring..that is an option..but personally I wouldnt enjoy killing VFTs on purpose..

im not trying to be mean! ;)
these are simply facts of nature..they cant be changed..

Scot
 
  • #14
Here's a few pictures of mine the first picture is my typical flytrap that's in my bog the other one is my cup trap both plants went through dormancy in my garage by the door. I sprayed them with fungicide and covered with pineneedles and just yesterday I uncovered them and took them outside for fresh air since it's been above freezing and is decent weather.

I hope your flytrap pulls through my flytrap from walmart had a rough winter last winter and after dormancy the top leaves were black, but luckily it grew back I guess it was still good inside the pot.

Sorry I put the wrong pictures this should be correct now.. :-))
 
  • #15
Hey Scot, while I respect your experience you must be awfully lonely up there on that soapbox all the time. Before you assume that everyone who grows a VFT indoors does it the same you should figure out whats going on first. In the fall I kept the plants next to an open window so that they would experience the declining temperatures. I know they experienced declining temperatures because I measured it with a probe in the soil that records a high and low, which I reset everyday after I checked it. I waited until the temperature was consistently between 30 and 40 for a week or two before putting them in the fridge. Now, that being said, my plants are probably dead and I screwed up somewhere. I know my method was far from perfect and your right that they would be better outside, but considering the circumstances I did the best I could to recreate the proper conditions. At this point I'm going to give the plants a few weeks in a south facing window to try to get them to bounce back. Sorry for the rant, but you can get awfully preachy and it does get obnoxious.
 
  • #16
Hey Scot, while I respect your experience you must be awfully lonely up there on that soapbox all the time. Before you assume that everyone who grows a VFT indoors does it the same you should figure out whats going on first. In the fall I kept the plants next to an open window so that they would experience the declining temperatures. I know they experienced declining temperatures because I measured it with a probe in the soil that records a high and low, which I reset everyday after I checked it. I waited until the temperature was consistently between 30 and 40 for a week or two before putting them in the fridge. Now, that being said, my plants are probably dead and I screwed up somewhere. I know my method was far from perfect and your right that they would be better outside, but considering the circumstances I did the best I could to recreate the proper conditions. At this point I'm going to give the plants a few weeks in a south facing window to try to get them to bounce back. Sorry for the rant, but you can get awfully preachy and it does get obnoxious.

dont shoot the messenger...
im just telling it like it is.. ???

I didnt create these rules..
if you dont like it, rant at God, not me! ;)

Scot
 
  • #17
Some people manage to do it and try to find out what they do. There are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong when growing any kind of plant indoors and those requiring dormancy can be especially tricky. Since my VFTs & Sarrs stay outdoors, I have no suggestions for how to keep dormant plants alive in the fridge.
 
  • #18
Thanks everyone. It looks like right now I just have to wait a couple weeks to see if they bounce back.
 
  • #19
The rhizome is the important part, should be white in the inside, dont throw it out just yet! If you need another one PM me i may have a few extras.
 
  • #20
Actually, if not for Scot, I would have probably killed my venus flytraps. I grow all of them indoors, but respect dormancy. Prior to putting them in the fridge, they went outside for about 2 months straight to experience a drop in temperature and photoperiod. When they were in the fridge I monitored them closely. Out of about 8 flytraps I have 0 casualties.

They CAN be grown indoors, but very, very special care must be taken to ensure they stay healthy. Of course the best environment is outside. But I can't help but smile when I have a B52 cultivar yawning with huge traps under good T5 lighting :)
 
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