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OK OK OK OK It's going to be shut down time soon, what's the best method please ...

OK

Last year I had a place for a pot...

Now thinking to place outside, but what with the winter comming up, is there a better way like to cover them up with like a hard plastic cover, as is cosh type with air vents etc...

Leave open to the elements

Afraid to loose them that's all

Noddy
 
OK OK OK OK Well whats going to affected> If it is VFT's UK winters are too cold. What people usually do is put them in the fridge for about 3 months, keep the media watered enough so it'd not dry, but not soaping wet.

You could also put it on a cold window in a garage. OK OK OK OK You like long titles hehe ;)
 
I thought it would make a change ;-)

Hmm I am in the south east, but the last one was in a conservatory on the outside but near to the house... that lived.

I was hoping there may be some people from the UK on here that can advise that's all, to see if there's any tricks other that the fridge method.

Noddy
 
Fridge methodm is the safest and most garanteed way in my opinion, well the better method is if you actually live where VFT;s are native too.
 
Also, pots covered with a bit of mulch to prevent outright freezing and kept outdoors works as well -- and is a common method used by those with bog gardens to great effect. Dionaea are remarkably tolerant of "lower" temperatures during Winter, where, in their native range, the Tb drops to about 7˚C for weeks at a time. Mulching should keep the plants within that range . . .
 
Or you could just throw them in a shed or garage, even if it doesn't have any windows. They don't need light whilst dormant.
 
All i do is store them in a room where it's a constant 7 celsius, and they survive well enough...
 
last year I wrapped the pot in a plastic bag and placed it in a cooler with packaging peanuts and placed it in the garage. The pots even froze but the VFT and the sarracenia all survived. This year I have a friend who has a green house that he keeps just abouve 32 degrees and I will get to keep them there.
 
I 'fridge method' all of my temperate cp's... I'd chop off everything above ground level, place in a plastic sandwich bag, and put them all in a white plastic shopping bag, throw them in the back of the fridge, and that's it, just wait it out for 3-4 months (here at least; mid november to feb-march). So long as your milk doesn't freeze, your plants won't either ;)

Plants that made it without a hitch last dormancy:
S. purpurea ssp purpurea
S. Dana's delight
D. californica
VFT dente, typical and akai ryu

this year, that list grew 6-fold... not worried in the least, i'm gonna try pot-n-all this year with some of them..
 
  • #11
Well, there's always the consideration that, while in Zone 8, plants in nature have the added protection of being in the ground and not in a pot.
 
  • #12
Well, there's always the consideration that, while in Zone 8, plants in nature have the added protection of being in the ground and not in a pot.

well yeah..but no matter what, in pots or in the ground, Zone 8 is still plenty warm enough to overwinter VFTs and Sarracenia outdoors..no question.

Scot
 
  • #13
hi noddy i live in the south east to and my vft was ok last winter,
were abouts in england do u live
 
  • #14
Hi Josh

I live in Caterham where the CATERHAM 7 CAR comes from ;-) But I live on the hill not down low...

I was thinking about, the seedling trays etc with clear plastic covers or bubble wrap....

Where abouts are you, you local to me ;-)

HEY WHAT ABOUT SODA BOTTLES, bottom chopped off and bubble wrap around them ;-)

Noddy
 
  • #15
Well, there's always the consideration that, while in Zone 8, plants in nature have the added protection of being in the ground and not in a pot.

Yep, and i live in zone 8 as well, it is possible to overwinter them in their pots, but i would do so in a shed on nights where it is anywhere below around 28ºF (-2ºC) for prolonged periods of time....
My plants in the minibogs are usually safe, but i lost a leucophylla that was in a pot, and a b52 that was also potted up.
the ones in the bog bowls or in larger community pots were not harmed at all.
You can put mulch over the bogs or a tarp, but snow also (if in large quantities) works as a great insulator.
 
  • #16
Why do you not leave all your plants in the shed as it's mention light is not required?

Many thanks Wayne
 
  • #17
Why do you not leave all your plants in the shed as it's mention light is not required?

Many thanks Wayne

Thats probably not a good idea for England..
all you need to do (In England) is leave the plants outside all winter!
no shed, no greenhouse, no basement, no garage, no fridge required..
you are REALLY warm, zone 8, compared to those of us who have to do "the fridge method"..

In that case, putting the plants in the shed would probably be a bad idea because they might get too warm in the winter..for a Zone 8 dormancy the plants should still get sunlight over the winter, because it wont be cold enough to stop all growth, all winter..
and being out in the sunlight, you wont have to guess when they should come out for the spring..they will just naturally come out of dormancy by themselves, when the time is right..

seriously..those of you in the UK..dont mess with sheds or garages or greenhouses!!
you dont NEED to!
just leave them outside 24/7/365..
yes, if you are going to get an unusual cold-snap..perhaps in the 20's F (negative 4 C) for a few days in a row, then sure, its good to move them somewhere for a few days, to protect them from extreme cold, but otherwise, just leave them outside..

the "no light required in the winter" theory is really only for those of us who are in Zone 6 or colder..those of us who use "the fridge method" and other ideas to keep our plants "warmer than outside"..where the plants spend ALL winter at 35 degrees F (+1C)..
in those temps, yes, you dont need light because it is SO cold that the plants arent growing..
but for zone 8, just ignore that completely..it doesnt apply to you..


Scot
 
  • #18
In that case, putting the plants in the shed would probably be a bad idea because they might get too warm in the winter..

Scot

Plus a very good likelihood of a lack of air circulation. Scot couldnt have laid it out better, you guys have it good in your Zone 8 ;)
 
  • #19
the only plants i lost last year here in Zone 8 was a leuco and a B52 if i remember correctly, oddly both that were left outside longer than the other plants who were placed in my uninsulated shed on the days where it got below 25ºF even for a few hours or so...i didnt have a single problem, this year ill probably put them in the greenhouse which also isnt insulated very well, so they will atleast be protected from the freezing rain/hail/snow storms
 
  • #20
I 'fridge method' all of my temperate cp's... I'd chop off everything above ground level, place in a plastic sandwich bag, and put them all in a white plastic shopping bag, throw them in the back of the fridge, and that's it, just wait it out for 3-4 months (here at least; mid november to feb-march). So long as your milk doesn't freeze, your plants won't either ;)

Plants that made it without a hitch last dormancy:
S. purpurea ssp purpurea
S. Dana's delight
D. californica
VFT dente, typical and akai ryu

this year, that list grew 6-fold... not worried in the least, i'm gonna try pot-n-all this year with some of them..

That's exactly how I do it; all mine survived and are thriving too. :)
 
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