When do you all plan to break out your beasts?

[RandallFlagg]

I admit it. I put off putting my VFT into dormancy until mid-December. The dates I hear about is from Thanksgiving through Valentine's day; but I'm guessing some folks cheat.

I'll try Valentine's day for when I break out my stuff from the cold room (It didn't really get that cold, it's been a mild winter), and back into the house. The plant sure looks like it went dormant, but I'll just have to find out if it worked out correctly.

If not, I'll be going back to the store and buying another one.

Please share your tales. Later!

 

[jimscott]

My VFT's & Amercian pitcher plants will be gently woken up on Valentines Day.

 

[Alvin Meister]

I'd go for three months, so start again in mid March.

 

[Bugweed]

JimScott, You are too gentle with your plants! I am slappng mine awake, as soon as possible, booting them into their growing area, then threatening them to put out leaves! Let'em know whose Boss!

 

[BobZ]

I am separating and repotting my VFTs now. Although the plants appear to be dormant, I notice that many are actively initiating new roots -- a sign that dormancy is already about to end in this mild coastal northern California climate.

 

[seedjar]

My VFT has lived outside since I got it, just before Christmas. I wasn't planning on growing it indoors, although after looking into it I'm tempted. Anyways, I'd think that up here in Olympia, WA it'd still be too cold for coming out of dormancy, but I might be wrong. The daytime highs are approaching 60 and getting warmer. Will my VFT start active growth under these conditions? Would I see better performance by bringing it inside for the growing season? And should I worry if a few of the green leaves (summer growth I think - they have full-sized traps) have started to blacken where they're in contact with the potting medium?
Hopefully that's not too far off topic
Thanks,
~Joe

 

[jimscott]

Quote[/b] (Bugweed @ Jan. 24 2005,8:52)]JimScott, You are too gentle with your plants! I am slappng mine awake, as soon as possible, booting them into their growing area, then threatening them to put out leaves! Let'em know whose Boss!

But I read them a bedtime story from S. G. and encouraged them to get a good season's sleep! They may be bleary trapped!

 

[WildBill]

March/April

They are currently under mulch and a few feet of snow...

 

[Bugweed]

JimScott, wash the blear out of the traps, and put'em out!!!!

 

[Est]

Really, I've noticed days getting a little bit longer, and it looks like some of my sarracenia have too! Just seeing a little bit of slow growth and, heck, I'm not gonna stop em

 

[vft guy in SJ]

RandallFlagg.. a 3 month or so long dormancy is "recommended" but by no means is that the "Be all end all cast in stone, break it and get instant death" rule. If you take your plant out right now, it will probably grow just fine this season and then go to sleep in the fall just like its supposed to. Far too much emphasis is placed on this whole "right" way to do dormancy thing.

Quote[/b] ]JimScott, You are too gentle with your plants! I am slappng mine awake, as soon as possible, booting them into their growing area, then threatening them to put out leaves! Let'em know whose Boss!

LMAO.. good one Bugweed

Quote[/b] ]I am separating and repotting my VFTs now. Although the plants appear to be dormant, I notice that many are actively initiating new roots -- a sign that dormancy is already about to end in this mild coastal northern California climate.

I am dividing and repotting mine now also. Its amazing just how many plants you can get out of a good hearty clump of VFTs... One of my Green Dragons I divided into 14 different plants plus 4 leaf cuttings.

I see my D. filliformis is starting to show signs of green on the hibernacula so I believe its just about ready to wake up from its slumber, last year my VFT's werent too far behind that. Guess they didnt wanna be late for breakfast.

 

[Bugweed]

Oh yeah!! The next few months are gonna be great! Growing points expanding, Hibernacula starting to "pop", Babies everywhere! Grab your magnifiers, and start watching things wake up! Ah! California growin'!!!!!!

 

[Kirkscoastalcarnivores]

My heart shall be happy on valentines day! Not just cause I got a date this year either

 

[Spikeanator]

my venus fly traps have already started growing again after bout 2 1/2 months of dormancy.

 

[brisco225]

Joe, I live in Puyallup, WA.  I keep a good portion of my flytraps outdoors and let them come out of dormancy on their own.  However, I usually bring a pot of them in around Valintie's Day.

You probably won't see better performance by bringing them in early, you will just get to enjoy their active growth for a longer period of time. As for the black, dead traps, I usually cut them off.

 

[scottychaos]

mine stay in the fridge from Halloween to Valentines day.
3 and 1/2 months..
I only bring them out in mid-February because that is over 3 months,
and is long enough for dormancy.
but winter is far from over in mid-February!
it still has 2 solid months to go..
so my plants sit in front of a sliding glass door for a few months until its warm enough to go back outdoors for the season, usually sometime in April.
Scot

 

[Wesley]

My plants have been dormant since I guess around Thanksgiving, but I'm just gonna leave them till about early March. Dormancy gets WAY too much attention as being hard. As much as it is hated(everyone just wants to watch their plants grow) it is quite easy once you get the hang of it.

 

[mcrwt644]

i did all my repotting in the fall, or during the summer, and it is much too cold here in va for the plants to be awakened yet. they are in my garage, cold, but alive and will be brought outside onto my deck again in probably mid to late march.

 

[FlytrapGurl]

<span style='font-family:Teletype'>*looks down in guilt* I felt I had to bring them out of dormancy a little early this year.. since I have no fungicide and several of my plants, including my precious Dente, got taken out by fungus destroying the rhizomes.. so yeah, I'm bringing them out right now..</span>

 

[peter]

I'm kind of glad the plants need dormacy, where else would you put them during the winter months?
It's amazing how much weathering the vfts and more southern typs of cps can take. The garage gets down to harsh freezes, then warms up pretty rapidly, freezes, ect... and the plants don't mind all that much.

I plan on taking them out and repotting them as soon as the temps are out of the freezing range. Which is some time in late march/early april here in michigan.