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  • #21
Dave is right; VFT dormancy is characterized by prostrate growth and a decrease in vigor. The plant pictured, though small, appears to be more immature than dormant. Since it hasn't eased into lower temps presumably, I wouldn't try to force it into dormancy now. Perhaps a window sill or terrarium would be best until it could go outside this spring.

That is just what I would do. Your mileage may vary.
 
  • #22
I know for sure it is immature. They specifically state on the site that they haven't grown any of these plants to maturity yet. I emailed to ask how old it might be and if it is for sure dormant or not. Hopefully I'll get a good answer on that. Hopefully, if it isn't dormant it is young enough to just skip dormancy, in which case I'll toss it in the terrarium and let it and the drosera in the pot with it grow out some until next years dormancy.
 
  • #23
I got my S. purpurea ssp. purpurea today. Does this look dormant? I thought dormant Sarracenia tend to have brown pitchers if they are not removed for dormancy?

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  • #24
Dormant Sarracenia vary in appearance by species and heredity. That purp you have is a warmer growing variety of Sarr used to less harsh winter weather. As such, if grown in a nicer climate (say, California) then it won't look too shabby during dormancy. In fact, yours looks very nice and is almost certainly dormant.

Congrats, buddy! Nice purchase.
 
  • #25
S.p.purpurea and S.p.venosa don't go dormant in the way most other Sarracenia do. They keep their foliage through the winter into the spring and sometimes even into early summer. These late season pitchers are also often the most attractive of the year turning deep reds and purples. S.p.purpurea is not a warmer growing variety of Sarracenia, in fact it is the most northerly growing species reaching far into Canada close to the arctic circle. Your plant looks good and appears to be dormant to me. Did this plant come with location data ?
 
  • #26
Dormant Sarracenia vary in appearance by species and heredity. That purp you have is a warmer growing variety of Sarr used to less harsh winter weather. As such, if grown in a nicer climate (say, California) then it won't look too shabby during dormancy. In fact, yours looks very nice and is almost certainly dormant.

Congrats, buddy! Nice purchase.

Isn't it the opposite? Aren't they used to harsher winters? Glad to hear there is a Sarr that still looks nice during dormancy though.

S.p.purpurea and S.p.venosa don't go dormant in the way most other Sarracenia do. They keep their foliage through the winter into the spring and sometimes even into early summer. These late season pitchers are also often the most attractive of the year turning deep reds and purples. S.p.purpurea is not a warmer growing variety of Sarracenia, in fact it is the most northerly growing species reaching far into Canada close to the arctic circle. Your plant looks good and appears to be dormant to me. Did this plant come with location data ?

Is there a way to tell it is dormant or is it just a matter of recognizing the different leaves it puts out? And yes it did. Lake District of Muskoka, Ontario, Canada.
 
  • #27
There's no absolute way to tell by looking at it whether it's dormant or not but, with those dark purple pitcher tops I'd say it's dormant. What part of the country did it come from ? Grown outside I assume ?
 
  • #28
I believe California. I'm not sure of the growing conditions.
 
  • #29
Looks great for being grown in Cali. Some of the more northern locales of S.p.purpurea can sometimes have trouble adapting to warmer climates that don't experience a good freeze in winter. Good luck with the plant.
 
  • #30
I believe California. I'm not sure of the growing conditions.

If you got it the same place you did your VFT's, I believe they grow all their plants outdoors.
 
  • #31
My bad, gang. I just reread the post and saw ssp. purpurea. As such I agree with the latter posters. Again, my apologies.

I still get the two subspecies inverted in terms of range and the appropriate name. #StillLearning
 
  • #32
Looks great for being grown in Cali. Some of the more northern locales of S.p.purpurea can sometimes have trouble adapting to warmer climates that don't experience a good freeze in winter. Good luck with the plant.

The site recommended it being hardy down to 15F. I would think up in Canada the temps can get lower than that though. I may be able to leave this one outside during our CT winters.

If you got it the same place you did your VFT's, I believe they grow all their plants outdoors.

Yes and no. I ordered through them but it shipped from a third party grower.

My bad, gang. I just reread the post and saw ssp. purpurea. As such I agree with the latter posters. Again, my apologies.

I still get the two subspecies inverted in terms of range and the appropriate name. #StillLearning

Haha not a problem. I'm still learning lots. I constantly finding myself double and triple checking things I've read already.
 
  • #33
That plant can handle much lower temps than that. I actually leave all my Sarracenia outside year round in my bogs in Boston. They're much hardier than most people claim they are.
 
  • #34
That plant can handle much lower temps than that. I actually leave all my Sarracenia outside year round in my bogs in Boston. They're much hardier than most people claim they are.

Really, do you ever have any losses? Do you take any precautions like mulching or anything? For now I will probably just be growing these in pots outside in the back yard so they will be fully exposed to the winter here.
 
  • #35
The only plants I've ever lost over the winter are S.rosea, S.rosea luteola and S.rubra jonesii var. viridescens. I've tried all 3 repeatedly with the same results. There are a few others that will grow in New England, although unhappily. S.minor persists here but only puts up a few short pitchers (even var. okeefenokeensis) per season. Our growing season just isn't long enough or hot enough for it. I've also found that S.leucophylla var. viridescens and S.psitticina var. viridescens will live here though won't thrive.

I've been growing Sarracenia outside here in Boston and at my mothers house in NH for almost 15 years. I've never mulched my bogs until this year. We had a short stretch of -10 degrees with no snow cover last year that killed off all my Dionaea. There were no Sarracenia losses however.
 
  • #36
Here is my solution to the large holes in the seedling tray. I got some silicone and some mesh with 1/8" holes, a little cutting and some silicone and I ended up with this. Ignore the bottle, it's just holding down a stubborn edge.

2hnp64x.jpg


I'm sure the 1/8" will be fine for drainage. I don't know how big the Sarr roots will get while in the tray though. If they grow more than 2" deep though I suppose I could always just cut a hole in the mesh for them.
 
  • #37
Is humidity an issue with dormant Sarrs and VFTs? I noticed the tips of the cut leaves on the rhizomes I received were turning brown and it occurred to me that it is actually probably fairly dry in the garage right now.
 
  • #38
Is humidity an issue with dormant Sarrs and VFTs? I noticed the tips of the cut leaves on the rhizomes I received were turning brown and it occurred to me that it is actually probably fairly dry in the garage right now.

Humidity is usually not a problem. Just make sure that their soil is moist, and they should be fine.
 
  • #39
If they will grow here in dry CO< you don' have to worry about humidity....:)
 
  • #40
Thanks guys. So another couple questions now. I just bagged some sarr seeds up with some LFS to stratify. First one, the site i followed said they need air so i made sure to leave some in the bags when i sealed them. Should I open the bags on occasion to let the air circulate. I assume leaving the bag open would make the moss dry out?

Second question. How the heck am I supposed to find the seeds in the moss after they stratify to transfer them to the peat/perlite mix in the seedling tray? They're so tiny.

And finally, this one may be more obvious but I've never grown anything from seed before. Is it one seed per seedling hole in the tray, or a few?
 
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