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Chicago dormancy? Natural of Fake it?ill

Hey guys, I live in the southwest suburbs of chicago, and the past couple nights it's gone down to about 20° F. when the weather channel warned of this, i put my plants in our screenhouse outside, which is somewhat like a greenhouse. I'm sure the temps in there still dip to near freezing if not freezing at night though. I am curious is it more important to have less light for dormancy or cooler temps? because I can either put the plants in my garage or basement, however neither spot will really get that much light. I don't want my plants to bite it! this was my first successful growing season, and I'd like to take my plants with me to next spring! Please advise :-D Also, I'm growing Sars, Dionaea, and a few different drosera. Thanks Guys!
 
i live in KY(zone 6) and i have to fake it this year...this year we are going to have hars winter. i dont want any of my plants to die so ill dig em up and put them in the fridge. all the pots and such will stay outside as there will be some Live sphagnum in them. i will keep on outside though and that is D. filiformis ssp filiformis. they are really hardy and can survive our winters.
Alex
 
Let us know what drosera you are growing for a better response.
 
Well, I'm growing the following Plants:

Dionaea:
Red Dragon, Typical, Dente

Drosea:
intermedia
binata
paradoxa
madagascariensis
adele

Sarracenia:
purpura


Currently I have the Dionaea and Sarrs Outside, and the drosera indoors, next to a sliding glass window. How should I approach dormancy this year? This is my first winter season, and i've accuired all of these plants this season, and they've been outside growing well since early july. I really don't want to lose them to the weather, or to my mistakes, so please, any advice is welcome! Thanks in Advance!
 
Here are my suggestions for your current area.

East or Southfacing window inside the house if possible.
Drosea:
paradoxa
madagascariensis
adelea

The rest you can keep out in the screenhouse until it decides to get real cold for a long period of time. They should be dormant by then. I'd move them to a bright spot in the basement after that. If you leave them out in the screenhouse the pots will freeze solid and likely not make it. There is a big difference between plants in a pot and plants in the ground as far as overwintering.

You can also try the fridge method but I really do bad at that so someone else will have to help you there.

Don't be afraid to lose some plants !! That helps build your experience and you also have to realize that what works for some doesn't work for all.

Hope this helps. I'm down south a bit near Kankakee BTW.
 
Here are some quotes from a very successful grower of VFT, Brad, on CPUK, I don't know if he's on this forum, so... (i hope he does'nt mind me reposting):

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
VFT Dormancy is determined by daylength, not temperature. VFT have growth cycles throughout the year determined by daylength. Dormancy initiation begins in late Summer, often the hottest time of the year, and continues into the Fall. In winter they wait, for increasing daylength and enough warmth to allow them to grow again.

Temperature only seems to regulate growth rate. Warmer allows faster growth. Cold slower growth, to a point near freezing which halts growth.

Putting a VFT in the refrigerator will only slow or stop growth, it is not Dormancy. Sure it will start to grow again when you remove it, often a burst of growth due to the stimulation of the warmth, but the plant will be as weak as it was when you put it into the refrigerator.

In Southern California when an outdoor grown VFT breaks dormancy, often late February, it shows robust growth with very large traps, 2-3 times the size of winter traps.

When a VFT breaks a True Dormancy it is an impressive sight.

Brad
Ventura California

Disclaimer: VFT do not have a Dormancy, they just grow in predictable growth cycles throughout the year. If you freeze them they stop growing, if you dry them out they stop growing. But there is never a Dormancy with a happy VFT.


[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Placing a VFT in the refrigerator is not a variable of successful VFT growing. Placing a VFT in the refrigerator basically puts a halt to growth of the plant, usually at a time when a grower is not in position to grow the VFT well. It is not dormancy, it is a time buying process, until growing conditions are better.

Dormancy happens in Summer and Fall, a long process, in which the rhizome actually strengthens and readies for harsh conditions to come. Winter is not dormancy, Winter is the down time where, halt of growth is endured until growing conditions improve and the plant can grow again, Spring.


the moral of the story is...don't put your VFT in the refrigerator...
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (phissionkorps @ Oct. 17 2006,1:17)]the moral of the story is...don't put your VFT in the refrigerator...
Never hurt mine. This is another one of those "what works for me, may not work for you" things. Don't be afraid to try different methods. You may lose some plants (it's almost unavoidable) but then most of us have and will continue to do so. Eventually you will find what works best for you in your situation. The best we can do is throw ideas and info out for you to ponder.
 
Its not necessarily a matter of what works or not, its a matter of what is necessary. Putting a VFT into the fridge is totally unneccessary and does no good whatsoever. I'd rather leave it out and have it strengthen, then put it in and have it do nothing or weaken. It might "work" when people do it (meaning the VFT survives), but whats the point if it wll survive anyway?

Personally, I don't see why you would deprive a plant of light for months and let it weaken considerably on purpose, but hey, thats just me
 
but uh...when it stays as cold as fridge non-stop...then the photosynthesis function just kinda shuts down. have you even tried a fridge dormancy phissionkorps?
confused.gif

Alex
 
  • #10
the only reason it shuts down is because you're forcing the plant to almost stop growing (unnaturally). VFTs grow in cycles of different growth rates...they do not stop completely. Read the above quotes I posted...putting them in the fridge is not dormancy, it is unnaturally slowing the plant to a near halt, and therefore weakening it. If you gradually decrease a VFTs photoperiod, and leave it low for a few months, you will get much better results when it wakes up in comparison to sticking it in the refrigerator. Photosynthesis of rhizomatous herbaceous plants does not stop as long as leaves with chlorophyll are present.
 
  • #11
ok well im gonna use some of my VFTs...2 outside in its mini-bog the other 2 in the fridge...lets see which does better. ill bring this topic back up....just wait.
smile.gif

Alex
 
  • #12
If you're going to try an experiment, for conclusive evidence, I would recommend using at least 10 VFT in each case, but, if thats not possible, at least bring the 2 outside in, and put them in a terrarium with a gradually decreasing photoperiod. If you leave them outside, they're probably going to die from frost, depending on how cold it gets where you live.
 
  • #13
ok. i have a timed-photoperiod terrarium. it gets around 65* in there.
Alex
 
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