Getting upset

[scottychaos]

Move the plants!
The problem here Scotty is that you are underestimating the Ca sun ...especialy the high desert one wich is very very strong. I'm shading my vft now but lost a few due to extrem heat. Having them in bigger pots might help...the small pots just heat up in a second. Vft can take lot of heat but when you're talking temps over 100-110F every day it's just not going to work.
Try it for yourself!

perhaps..
I admit I dont understand the California sun and heat..
(I also admit that in this case, I havent been considering sun PLUS heat!
I have been talking about sun only..yes, extreme heat is obviously bad..
but still, I also believe they can deal with that too..)

there is plenty of evidence of CP's thriving in southern california!
so its a known fact the plants can handle it ..
as long as they have plenty of water (deep trays!) they can handle the California sun just fine..

In Spintix's case, its probably not a bad thing to move them where they get less sun..
especially during the hottest days of summer..
the only point im trying to make is that its probably also not strictly necessary..
if in doubt (even in California) I would still say "the more sun the better"

also in Spintix's case, im not really saying he shouldnt move them!
im just saying "pick a spot and stick with it!"
as long as they get *enough* sun, its fine..
I would define "enough" as at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sun a day..
and more is better..
if some protection needs to be made for extereme heat..
well, thats really a seperate concern from the amount of sun alone..

actually, that should be: "pick the BEST spot and stick with it!"
for most people "best spot" means "the most sun..period"
but thats not always going to be true..especially in extreme climates..
in this case, if "best spot" means less sun, in the interest of less heat..then ok then..
as long as its still a good amount of direct sun..

and thats also seperate from the whole "acclimate slowly, or not" discussion..

Scot

 

[mark.ca]

Vrey true on your comments. They love sun!
In his case i would build a small wood structure ...a frame...cover with a shade cloth and also mount a misting system. I think they would do great this way.
Also want to mention that the SoCali climate is very variable depending on your location. On the coast it's perfect for cp's, more inland it's acceptable or good, in the hills or valleys it's hot and in the high or low desert it's hell! It's a 35-50F difference in max temps between the coast and the desert.

 

[Spintix]

Ok so for the record. I have 3 choices right now. And its ben in te high 90s lately. 1st choice = where they were on the southside getting the hottest sun of the day starting at 11ish to -7 at sunset. 2nd= the northisde of the house getting sun at 6am with the sunrise until 5 when it disappears behind the house (also under a large tree). 3rd = along the east side of the house in the dog run, where all my sundews are (getting moring sun fron about 9 to 2

 

[D_muscipula]

the typicals were from a hardware.. the others were half from california nurseries.. and half from the east coast in a greenhouse

I'm guessing the california nurseries didn't specialize in carnivorous plants.
When you buy from places that don't specialize in carnivorous plants, it is likely that they are ignorant about the plants needs and are giving them less than ideal conditions.
Then when you buy them and give them ideal conditions the plants get burnt and crispy.
It would be like keeping you inside a dark chamber for a few months
(because we didn't know better) and then making you spend an entire day naked on the beach. You wouldn't look to great either!

 

[joossa]

You guys are making this too complicated. I live further inland than Santa Claritia, CA and grow my acclimated flytraps under full sun with no shade cloth or other protection from the sun. I even grow them in smallish pots too! As I type this it's like 102F and the sun is so intense you can get sunburned in 10 minutes.

The key is to acclimate them. There's no need for shade cloth or no need to take angles and aspects in regard to where the sun will hit your plants into consideration.

-Place the flytraps in a mostly shady area for about a week and a half.
-Move them to a sunnier spot for the next week.
-Continue this over the course of about a month, increasing their exposure to the sun, and eventually they'll be in full sun.
-Top water daily and use a tray.
-After acclimation, when/if temperatures go over 110F move them into the shade for the hottest parts of the day.

If they die during the process, then buy flytraps that start off strong from a place that knows how to grow them...like Andrew's store. If the acclimation is too hard on them still, wait until late winter, buy some dormant flytraps, place them outside in full sun, and they'll acclimate themselves through spring to your conditions.

This is how I do it and it works for me... in the lovely desert. Simple.


Edit: Oh yeah, I find that Sarracenia do much better here where I live compared to flytraps. In my experience, they are less touchy and more forgiving. I've lost a couple of flytraps, but never a Sarr.