Going for an all-time personal CP record this year..
My VFTs and Sarracenia will be in deep dormancy for a full 5 months this year!
Im a little nervous about it, but it will probably be fine..
This will be my 18th year of growing CP's!
For the first 16 years, I would always put the plants away for their winter dormacy about the beginning of November..using the Fridge for many years, then my "basement stairwell" for the past 5 years..(details in my webpage, link below)
I would then take them out of dormancy in the middle of February..Valentines day..which gave the plants 3 and a half months of dormancy..which is "long enough" and about equilivant to what they would recieve in the wild in the South-East USA..
One problem though..in the middle of February in Western NY, Spring isnt even CLOSE to arriving..its still very much the dead of winter..So I would sit the plants in a window, indoors, for a month and half, until they could go outside again in April..it was an OK system, but I was never very happy with it, because the plants dont do well being indoors, they get that weak spindly growth from not having enough light, then there is always "the burn" when they can finally go outside into the full sun..
So last Spring I thought: what if I just keep them down in the stairwell longer? until they can simnply go outside for the season? why bother to bring them out in February?? So I tried it..I was able to bring them out in mid-March! which wasnt too bad..(it was an early spring)..But this year?? Definately not an early Spring!
We had a warm spell last week, and I took my plants out of dormancy about 10 days ago..they sat in the driveway for a few days, because it stayed above freezing overnight..then it got cooler..40 during the day..20's at night..So I had to move them into the garage at night..then it got MUCH colder! 30 during the day..teens, even 10 degrees at night..even in the garage, they froze!!
what a PITA...So yesterday I moved them all back into the stairwell!!
they wont be able to come back out for another week at least..maybe longer..
So..5 solid months of dormancy this winter!
Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb-March..
They got a mild freeze in the garage a few night ago..probably not a concern..
If I had known it was going to get this cold again, I wouldnt have bothered to even take them out..but what can you do..
March is winter, not Spring..I should know better..
If anyone is interested, I will post a record of how they do this spring after a 5-month dormancy..
Scot
My VFTs and Sarracenia will be in deep dormancy for a full 5 months this year!
Im a little nervous about it, but it will probably be fine..
This will be my 18th year of growing CP's!
For the first 16 years, I would always put the plants away for their winter dormacy about the beginning of November..using the Fridge for many years, then my "basement stairwell" for the past 5 years..(details in my webpage, link below)
I would then take them out of dormancy in the middle of February..Valentines day..which gave the plants 3 and a half months of dormancy..which is "long enough" and about equilivant to what they would recieve in the wild in the South-East USA..
One problem though..in the middle of February in Western NY, Spring isnt even CLOSE to arriving..its still very much the dead of winter..So I would sit the plants in a window, indoors, for a month and half, until they could go outside again in April..it was an OK system, but I was never very happy with it, because the plants dont do well being indoors, they get that weak spindly growth from not having enough light, then there is always "the burn" when they can finally go outside into the full sun..
So last Spring I thought: what if I just keep them down in the stairwell longer? until they can simnply go outside for the season? why bother to bring them out in February?? So I tried it..I was able to bring them out in mid-March! which wasnt too bad..(it was an early spring)..But this year?? Definately not an early Spring!
We had a warm spell last week, and I took my plants out of dormancy about 10 days ago..they sat in the driveway for a few days, because it stayed above freezing overnight..then it got cooler..40 during the day..20's at night..So I had to move them into the garage at night..then it got MUCH colder! 30 during the day..teens, even 10 degrees at night..even in the garage, they froze!!
what a PITA...So yesterday I moved them all back into the stairwell!!
they wont be able to come back out for another week at least..maybe longer..
So..5 solid months of dormancy this winter!
Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb-March..
They got a mild freeze in the garage a few night ago..probably not a concern..
If I had known it was going to get this cold again, I wouldnt have bothered to even take them out..but what can you do..
March is winter, not Spring..I should know better..
If anyone is interested, I will post a record of how they do this spring after a 5-month dormancy..
Scot