What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Texan needs advice

Hmmm, well, I live in north Texas.  Here lately we've been seeing temperatures of up to 110 degrees. I am a little concerned about my poor little flytraps. They stay on my balcony where they get direct morning sun, which is not that hot, but remain in indirect sunlight during the remainder of the day (when it's the hottest). This is because the balcony sits right behind a huge hill.  They seem well adapted and are doing extremely well under these conditions.  My concern now is that it is now August, and sometimes the temperature in the shade has been reaching 103 degrees or so on really hot days. I'm afraid that if I bring them inside for this hot spell, they might get shocked, but on the other hand, I don't want them to burn up to death. Like I said, they are currently doing well, but I'm wondering if this extreme weather will have any ill effects on them in the future.  Does anyone have any advice or think that they have adapted to Texas heat well enough to handle it?

rolleyes.gif
 
I think they'll be alright as long as you keep water in water trays.  If they start to look stressed maybe you could put pure water ice cubes on the soil surface or in the water trays.  I know some people who grow Darlingtonia do this when it gets hot.  I live in Ohio and we've only had about three ninety degree days this summer, so maybe someone from another hot place would know more tricks than me.
smile.gif




          -buckeye
 
With that heat they need good humidity and water. A tray wide tray of water would do. Also, try to go for a somewhat tree shade in the hot afternoons.
 
Butthead, they should do very well getting the morning light and also the humidity is better at that time of day. I don't know what size pots they are in, but in my experience the bigger the better because a larger pot can disperse more heat and has a larger surface area providing more humidiy through evaporation for the plants. Whenever the time comes to transplant your plants, you might consider planting several of them into one large pot instead of having one plant to one small pot. A mini-bog of vfts forming a carpet of leaves and traps can be a pretty sight for the eyes.

If your plants are doing quote: "extremely well" now, just wait till when it FINALLY cools down in mid to late September, because N. Texas weather can be quiet accomodating for vfts in the fall season and yours will probably go from extremely well to super extremely well all the way up into mid December when they go dormant.

BTW, did it rain at your place last Saturday? It did here and I managed to collect a whole .25 gallon of rainwater. My plants aren't impressed. hehehe

Good luck!
 
Wow! thanks for all of the quick and helpful replies.

Alandallas, yes it rained in my neighborhood and stormed. Last night I did not have any electricity all night long. Currently, I have what I think is a 4 year old common in a 4 inch pot and a double plant green dragon (smaller than common) I got from petflytrap in a 3 inch pot I think.  I heard someplace that it is better to repot them when they go into dormancy, so I am waiting nervously to repot them, especially the little one. Like you said, it would probably be better to have them in bigger pots, but I'm scared to do it now because I don't know how they would react if I disturbed them right now. What do you think...
 
Butthead, if your plants are doing well, it's better to wait a while before transplanting. You don't have to wait untill they go dormant to xplant them though, but since you're keeping them outside, you might consider doing it sometime in the Fall when it has cooled down some.
 
Back
Top