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Received Sarracenia rhizomes

kwende

kwende

I just purchased five random rhizomes from someone and they arrived bare rooted. My question is whether I should put them in a medium before I put them in the fridge for the next couple months, or whether they could remain mostly bare rooted wrapped in some spaghnum. They are in hibernation now.

I ask because I have successfully placed mine in the fridge only to repot them in the spring for years now. I have read of some who hibernate them bare rooted.

(Foot what it's worth, I live in zone 5b and just learned this year I could keep them outside so long as I properly cover them, I plan to try this next winter).
 
how long have they been dormant for? there's a chance they could be potted and put in a window to grow right now. otherwise just wrapped in sphag is fine for in the fridge
 
Since October. Same time my old ones were put to sleep.
 
as long as it's been minimum six weeks of full dormancy, i would just pot them up and get them going now.
 
Ok. I'll confirm with the seller. Otherwise I'll wrap them in sphagnum to complete the full six weeks. Thanks!
 
Not sure where the six weeks comes from, but I would be inclined to give them longer, they generally get three months or so in nature,

Cheers
Steve
 
but that three months is going into dormancy, dormancy and coming out of dormancy. if you notice i said six weeks of full dormancy, not beginning stages or end stages.
 
If you pot them up now, and put them on a windowsill with the usual winter available light (no supplemental lighting), you will quickly end up with lots of elongated, floppy, poorly colored pitchers. I'd allow them to remain dormant (potted or in the fridge; either is fine) until they can be put outside in early spring, when they can enjoy natural lighting as nature intended. JMO, of course.
 
i'm not sure where the op is, but places like colorado have really intense sun in the winter and it would be plenty of light for them. they may also use grow lights. i don't know. this is all just my opinion.
 
  • #10
kwende said:
(Foot what it's worth, I live in zone 5b and just learned this year I could keep them outside so long as I properly cover them, I plan to try this next winter).
Click to expand...

*maybe* you can..
but its risky..
I live in Zone 6, and im hesitant to try it..
IMO, only zone 7 or higher should attempt to overwinter outside..
yes it *can* be done in zone 6, and maybe even zone 5, just be aware its a big risk, and you could lose plants..
if its an unusually mild winter, it will probably be fine..
but if its an unusually cold winter, you could lose everything..(for zones 5 and 6)

As for your current rhizomes, I would keep them dormant longer..
pot them up, keep them in the fridge, put them outside in the spring..

(It would have been better yet to wait until Spring to buy them! ;)
mid-winter is the worst time to buy new plants..but what's done is done..)

Scot
 
  • #11
"mid-winter is the worst time to buy new plants" +1
 
  • #12
Hey all, thanks for the feedback.

I'm very hesitant to buy new plants in the winter which is why I rarely do. This was a sale given by a particularly excellent seller in California and I really didn't want to let it pass.

I'm also very hesitant to put them outside in the winters here. I seem to get a lot of different opinions from people; and some of those from this group have me second-guessing whether I want to try this. I live in Nebraska, and it gets FAREEZING here....frozen solid ground, nights falling below 0 degrees F weeks in a row. It scares me. Perhaps I'll stick to my fridge method after hearing some of the feedback here.
 
  • #13
FWIW, I bought 90 (correct: ninety) of these "assorted unlabeled rhizomes" last winter, undoubtedly from the same nursery, and they arrived here about this time last year. I potted them up immediately and they spent the remainder of the winter in an unheated greenhouse where they remained dormant until late March. All but ONE rhizome sprouted and developed into a respectable (if not downright spectacular) plant. I think that if you handle the rhizome with smarts and observe its needs for the remainder of its dormancy (I would urge you to leave the plants dormant until late March, given your climate zone) then I see no reason to be concerned, nor do I believe mid-winter is "the worst time" to acquire dormant plants.
 
  • #14
Was this nursery a particular seller of CARNIVORES from CALIFORNIA?
 
  • #15
I will pot them up, put them in the fridge until March (which is when the rest of my Sarrs come out of dormancy). Right now I've got twenty assorted Sarrs in dormancy and have had great success over the past 5 years doing this; so it seems my natural tendencies are good and something I should just keep up.

Thanks for all the responses!
 
  • #17
kwende said:
Right now I've got twenty assorted Sarrs in dormancy and have had great success over the past 5 years doing this
Click to expand...

As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
 
  • #18
Bummer you lost so many :( A few of these rhizomes are FAT with many growpoints. Huge root systems. I'm looking forward to seeing what they are. Thanks for your help, man. Very appreciated.
 
  • #19
kwende said:
Bummer you lost so many :(
Click to expand...

That was a joke, right? Cause 89 out of 90 is an excellent survival rate, IMO! (in fact, they sent several "spares" in case any didn't grow, so I actually ended up with closer to 100 plants)
 
  • #20
Ohh...I misread your post. I thought you said only one survived....Awesome survival then!
 
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