Dormancy questions...

[No Use For a Name]

hi all, i actually have a few questions here so once my vfts start stopping growth and dying back and what not ( i live in ohio if it helps) im supposed to bring them in from outside and remove them from the peat and clean off the bulbs and spray them with fungicide? do i have to remove them from the peat? or can i just leave them in the mix till next spring? what kind of temps are getting too cold for my vfts, cause i wouldnt want to let them be out too long and have them die. also what kind of fungicide should i buy to use ( if possible one or two types would help in case i cant find one. also i know this is vft forum but i also have a bog bowl outside with some vfts and pitcher plants (S purperea, S. leuc 'titan', and a danas delight, and a judtih hindle) do they have same dormancy reqs as the vfts? thanks alot in advance for your help

 

[scottychaos]

Hi No Name,
im over in Rochester, NY..basically the same climate as you.
our plants still have a good month, or more, to stay outdoors.
in fact, its very GOOD for them to stay outdoors as the temps begin to fall in early autumn, because that triggers them to go dormant slowly and naturally.
I leave my plants outdoors as temps fall through the 50's, 40's and even high 30's!
I would only bring them indoors at night if there is a chance of frost overnight, or if overnight temps ae forecast to drop to 35 degrees or lower..
so basically, you dont even need to worry about your VFT's *at all* if the temperature is 40 or higher!

In mid or late October (sometimes even early November)..(the exact date depends on how warm or cold it is is mid-October, and its different every year)
whenever the "time is right"..I cut off all the green growing parts of my VFT's and sarracenia, leaving only short green stumps sticking up above the surface..
I leave them in their pots, wrap the pots in plastic bags, and stick them in the refrigrator..
they stay there all of Nov, Dec, Jan, and most of Feb..
I bring them back out in mid to late February and put them in front of a window indoors..(mid-February is still VERY much winter! but the plants only need a 3-month dormancy, so they are ready to come out of dormancy in mid-february, even if our climate isnt ready yet..)
so they stay indoors, start to put out new growth, until mid-April, when they can go back outside for the season...

this October I plan to write-up a big article about putting all my plants away for the winter..with pictures!
So I will get that written and post here on PFT when the time comes..
fot now, just leave your plants outside still!
only bring them inside at night if the temp is going to hit the 30's...leaving them outside in autumn temps of 50's and 40's is very GOOD for them!! because it allows them to go dormant naturally..then, when the time comes to put them in the fridge, they are already fully asleep!

and yes, Sarracenia and VFTs are essentially the same as far as dormancy requirements..I treat mine exactly the same, same temps, same length of time for dormancy..
I treat them all the same.
Scot

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

I essentially follow Scotty's plan, except my fridge is an unheated basement, and I neither bag nor trim my plants. In fact mine were underwater for most of the winter. Leaving them outside until full dormancy is iniated as Scotty advises is the best plan. I would also discourage the routine use of fungicide, and use it only if there are signs of trouble. I can't speak for the fridge method, never having used it but were I to do so I would likely remove the rhizomes from the pots, trim them and wrap them in moist LFS, putting the whole in a ziplock in a cold section of the fridge. Repot them in Feb and they should be happy.

 

[pond boy]

I leave my plants out till the first real frost (when temps go below 28*f) I give my plants a 2 month dormancy period on a windowsill in an unheated room.,where the window pane is frequently frosted overnight. I then start them back up under my shoplights and let them grow until all danger of frost is passed outdoors. I then aclimitize them outdoors untill they are in there final position and then leave them just watering them and trimming off the dead parts until it`s fall again. I don`t do this with my D.intermedia temperate form,and S.oreophilla however as they are hardy in my zone (5b) they just go in a cooler once they are fully dormant wich is then covered in a 1 1\2 foot layer of oak leaves. Of course up there in ohio you`r winters probably go way below our normal low of 8*f.

 

[No Use For a Name]

ok thanks for the replies

as far as not using and using fungicide, what kind should i buy if problems do arise? my d. spatulata has been overcome with mold and a little is on a butterwort leave so i kinda needed to know what brand or type of fungicide i need to buy so i can treat the minor problem i have now.

 

[Snugulz]

I live in Raleigh, NC (fairly close to where VFTs naturally grow), so I just leave mine outside all year long! If we get really bad snow or frost, I usually bring them into the garage.