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8 week dormancy long enough? for Sarr + VFT

I got a Sarracenia NOID at Wholefoods for 6 bucks on sale. looks nice.
I was wondering can the rest period as short as 8 weeks?
I live in Brooklyn NY and I was thinking I could keep it outside my window November and December when the temperature is above 32 F and then take it back inside and grow it under the fluorescent tubes and recreate an early spring indoors.
After all if Sarracenias grow in southern Georgia/ northern Florida, in the wild down there the rest period should be pretty short.

I live in an apt I have no garage/ basement access.
other option could be putting the S. in a clear plastic box with a lid on my fire escape.
also I wonder what hybrid is the one I got at wholefoods. I suspect Judith Hindle?
here is a pic http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3956311&l=ab66190707&id=631078065

stefano
 
6-10 weeks dormancy for Sarracenia, looks like Judith hindle to me too. Welcome to TF!
 
6-10 weeks dormancy for Sarracenia, looks like Judith hindle to me too. Welcome to TF!

I dont know about "6"..thats probably too short..
8 weeks is probably fine..

instead of 6-10, I would say 8-12 to be safe..

stefano,
8 weeks is long enough..but there is a major problem with your idea..

The plants are not dormant now..you cant just take a plant that has been indoors, stick it outside in cool temps and expect it to go dormant instantly..it doesnt work like that..and it will just shock the plant..
"going dormant" is a process that takes several months before the dormancy season (winter) begins!
plants go dormant, outdoors, through July-Aug-Sept-Oct..and they are fully dormant by November..
THEN they need to be maintained at a cool temp, 35-55 degrees, for 2 or 3 months..

this is why growing VFT's and Sarrs indoors under grow lights is such a bad idea..
the plants get no "dormany cues" indoors..they need gradually decreasing photoperiod and gradually decreasing temps through Aug-Sep-Oct-Nov to go dormant..its a very gradual process, and it takes time..
they really need to be outdoors all spring-summer-autumn to go dormant properly..

for this winter, I would just leave your plants indoors..since they are recently purchased tissue-culture plants and they dont "know" what season it is..
then, in the spring, put them outside for the season..then you will have to devise some kind of dormancy method for next winter..(that isnt outdoors all winter, or indoors at 70 degrees all winter)

some more reading:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/CP/page2.html

Scot
 
Thanks
I have a S leucophylla tarnak that I got from Florida/ebay. They cut the pitchers. looks nice. The S from wholefoods is a rescue in a nice pot. was drying. also I have a S purpurea that came from Lowes.
The purpurea is next to a VFT i got half dead for $3 at some brooklyn nursery. the latter 2 are growing new pitchers and traps under a CFL. the purpurea is very young and is developing reddish coloration under lights.

I wonder if this young should / could skip dormancy and keep growing.

Anyway my dormancy options are:
- fridge [can do but well I would rather not take too much space there]
- kitchen window sill close to glass pane. it east facing so gets dark early and window gets cold but there is a radiator under the window.
- leave outside my bedroom window ledge from now to first frost [prob early jan] about 8 / 10 weeks and then bring outside under lights with Ping and Droseras and Phalaenopsis and have artificial early spring.
- put in small clear plastic box with lid on and leave on fire escape but in nyc sometimes it gets 20 F then 35 F etc. the temperatures swing more than outside the city with a lot of frost/defrost cycles.

I have no access to garage / etc.

well could also put in box inside trunk of my old Toyota Camry I leave parked in teh street but if it is 18 F outside i think inside the car would be the same
thanks for your suggestions/answers...
stefano

---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 PM ----------

How can you tell the diff between Judith Hindle and Dana's Delight?
 
The problems isnt so much the "dormancy method" you choose..
IMO the bigger problem is growing the plants indoors every month except November and December..
thats really no good..they cant really be sustained long-term that way..
and putting outdoors ion November will be a big shock, because they wont be dormant..

how about this for an idea:

leave the plants indoors (this winter) under lights until April..
dont worry about dormancy for this winter..then!

In April, put the plants outdoors on the windowsill or fire escape (how much direct light do both get?)
leave the plants outdoors from April until first frost..late December or early January..

this way the plants get a real dormancy..even if its somewhat short..
and more importantly, they are outdoors all summer and all of Autumn..
so they "go dormant" naturally, then get the 8 week dormancy Nov-Dec..

then..in January, when its too cold for them to stay outdoors, bring them inside, under the lights, for an "early spring"..

put them outdoors again when its warm enough..in April..cycle repeats..

then you dont need a fridge, or garage, or etc..and the plants get a decent dormancy through November-December..

what do you think?
could that work for you?

Scot
 
S
thanks for teh reply.
Yeah that sounds good. anyway I do put plants outside on outer southern window ledge so they get direct sun the S. prurpurea is 4"/5" from a CFL clamp lamp and under a shop light. it was pale green now the rim of he pitchers is developing some reddish coloration.

both the S purpurea and VFT seem to be having a lot of new growth now. The S. Judith Hindle from wholefoods seems a bit dormant so the S tarnok. I was thinking since tehse are larger i could leave them outside on teh fire escape since it is getting darker and the temperature is 45 to 65 F and inside my room is 68/70 so not a huge difference. My bedroom windowsills are south exposure so I get good sunlight for a few hours in the day

stefano
 
I like Scotty's idea of putting your plants out in the early spring to get a little dormancy. It would be wise to ease them into it. Don Schnell's "Carnivorous Plants of the US and Canada" says that most North American carnivorous plants need 6-10 weeks of dormancy (its called innate dormancy). I give my pitcher plants 8-10 weeks of dormancy, then I turn my greenhouse up to 85F day/ 40F night. Works fine!
 
Putting it outside now would give it 4 weeks of cool, but not cold weather, which should be enough to lead it into dormancy I would have thought.
 
Putting it outside now would give it 4 weeks of cool, but not cold weather, which should be enough to lead it into dormancy I would have thought.

you would only have 4 weeks of "going dormant"..which isnt enough time..
then 4 weeks of "being dormant"..which isnt enough time..
also:

The plants are not dormant now..you cant just take a plant that has been indoors, stick it outside in cool temps and expect it to go dormant instantly..it doesnt work like that..and it will just shock the plant..
"going dormant" is a process that takes several months before the dormancy season (winter) begins!
plants go dormant, outdoors, through July-Aug-Sept-Oct..and they are fully dormant by November..
THEN they need to be maintained at a cool temp, 35-55 degrees, for 2 or 3 months..

...............................................
 
  • #10
you would only have 4 weeks of "going dormant"..which isnt enough time..
then 4 weeks of "being dormant"..which isnt enough time..

I dont know about dormancy happening in July/August except maybe for oreophila but a lead into dormancy period seems to be key. This is why I've found it very difficult to keep Sarrs indoors. Shorter photoperiods simply DO NOT do it. You need both the temp drops + photoperiod drops. October-November are what I've noticed to be lead in periods while December-February are the actual dormancy months. March/April seem to be the waking up period while June - August are peak growing months.

For my fridge dormancy I give until Mid-November outside then bring everything into the fridge until late February while keeping an eye on the night temps.
 
  • #11
I dont know about dormancy happening in July/August except maybe for oreophila but a lead into dormancy period seems to be key.

Thats what ive been saying! ;)
you need the "lead in" period..(thats a great way to describe it! thanks! ;)
(everyone will probably start using that now! ;)

No, dormancy doesnt "happen" in July/August..but the "lead in" period begins in July and August..arguably the dormancy process begins at the Summer Solstice in late June..when days start to get shorter..the plants then begin the gradual "lead in" period through July-Aug-Sep-Oct..Maybe July isnt part of the 'lead in" period..its a grey area..but August and Sep definatly are..

Humans ooperate on a 24 hour cycle of awake-sleep..
Plants operate on a 12-month cycle of awake-sleep!
icon_smile_shock.gif

Plants need all 12 months..with different photoperiod and temps in each of those 12 months..
which, again, is why growing VFT's and Sarrs indoors is no good..you cant replicate the subtle differences month to month..but the plants need those subtle differences..because "lead in, dormancy, wake up, growing" are each long drawn-out periods, that blend into each other..

Scot
 
  • #12
Thats what ive been saying! ;)
you need the "lead in" period..(thats a great way to describe it! thanks! ;)
(everyone will probably start using that now! ;)

No, dormancy doesnt "happen" in July/August..but the "lead in" period begins in July and August..arguably the dormancy process begins at the Summer Solstice in late June..when days start to get shorter..the plants then begin the gradual "lead in" period through July-Aug-Sep-Oct..Maybe July isnt part of the 'lead in" period..its a grey area..but August and Sep definatly are..

Humans ooperate on a 24 hour cycle of awake-sleep..
Plants operate on a 12-month cycle of awake-sleep!
icon_smile_shock.gif

Plants need all 12 months..with different photoperiod and temps in each of those 12 months..
which, again, is why growing VFT's and Sarrs indoors is no good..you cant replicate the subtle differences month to month..but the plants need those subtle differences..because "lead in, dormancy, wake up, growing" are each long drawn-out periods, that blend into each other..

Scot


We're talking about the same thing then! :-D
Lead in is muy importante!


Scotty: You should check out 'Revenge of the plants' if you get a chance, it has a nice piece about plant sleeping cycles!
 
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