Yep, I agree with you that some sort of drop in temperature is required, otherwise it would be pretty much impossible to prevent dormancy at all.
The question is, if you gave a plant 16 hours of sun but the temperature was 50F, what would happen?
hmmm..I dont know!
but I suspect it still wont go fully dormant, because of the steady light.
what we need is a controlled experiment!
lets see..
four VFTs should do it.
I could maybe try it next year!
I have three large bogs with about 40 VFT's that have been growing happily together for many years now, I think its safe to say they are all on the same dormancy timeline.
Next Feburary, as plants are coming out of dormancy, re-pot 4 VFT's into individual pots, keep them together (same conditions) until June.
Experiment starts June 1, before the summer solstice arrives and photoperiod begins to decrease.
VFT #1 - the control, stays outdoors, gets natural photoperiod and temps.
VFT #2 - "Artificial High Temp, natural photoperiod" plant. goes in a south-facing window indoors. (I have the perfect room, that is almost never lit in the evenings)
this plant will get steadily decreasing natural photoperiod, but will stay at a fairly constant temp. it will even get the same direct sun as the outdoor plants.
but it will be cooled in the summer and heated in the autumn/winter along with the indoor air for humans..staying a more-or-less constant 65-75 degrees.
VFT #3 - "Artificial Constant Light, natural temp" plant..this one will be the most difficult to set up..
It will need to remain outdoors, so it gets the naturally decreasing temps, but it will need an artificial light source, so its lighting is constant and does not decrease with the naturally decreasing photoperiod. Where to keep this plant is a concern..
I have an unheated shed in the backyard, which in theory will have rising and falling temps along with the outdoor temps, but it will be TOO hot in the summer..I cant leave the shed door open 24/7 for 6 months..Maybe I could keep this plant on the deck, with some kind of rain-tent over it to protect the lamp..hmmm..I will have to think about that one.
VFT #4 - "Bright
and Hot" plant...gets constant steady temp (same as VFT #2) but also gets constant bright light! same as VFT #3..
that one is also easy to set up...just indoors under a unchanging photoperiod light.
Its not a perfect experiment, because the artificial light wont be the same intensity as sunlight, but its not bad!
then the question will be, which plants are still growing the following January?
anyone see any flaws in that experiment?
Scot