Ultimate Venus Flytrap Dormancy Care Guide: Everything You Need To Know About Winter Dormancy
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- Learn everything you need to know about venus flytrap winter dormancy. This is the ultimate venus flytrap winter dormancy guide.
Please support my small business! Buy Soil For Your Carnivorous Plants
carnivorousplantshub.myshopif...
Or it comes in a kit with a planter
carnivorousplantshub.myshopif...
Free Plant Tracker & Venus Flytrap Care Sheet
carnivorousplantshub.com/plan...
------------CONTENTS FOR THIS VIDEO-----------------
0:00 Intro
2:00 How Dormant Flytraps Look
3:49 Acceptable Dormancy Temperatures
8:33 Lighting
9:30 Watering During Dormancy
11:15 Best Dormancy Tip For Too Hot/Too Cold Growing Conditions
12:18 Refrigerator Dormancy (Last Resort!)
13:30 Final Thoughts/Questions
Buy carnivorous plants from the most trusted and experienced carnivorous plant nursery around. Click below to explore their wide selection! Use code CPHUB at checkout for a 10% discount!
Use Code CPHUB for a 10% discount!
All Plants - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Easy Beginner Plants - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Venus Flytraps - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Pings - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Sarracenia - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Cape Sundew - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Cephalotus - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Nepenthes - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Seeds - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Bog Kits - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Autographed Savage Garden - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Grow Lights I Recommend
Sansi 36W Bulb - www.sansiled.com/products/par...
Sansi 24W Bulb - www.sansiled.com/products/par...
Other Sansi Grow Light Solutions - www.sansiled.com/collections/...
Sansi Deals - www.sansiled.com/pages/deals?...
Lights For Wire Shelfing
Barrina 2ft Grow Light - amzn.to/3HnPRso
Barrina 4ft Grow Light - amzn.to/3NnILYX
Wire Plant Shelf I Use - amzn.to/3LxxPWE
Carnivorous Plant Supplies & Equipment
My Favorite Mister - amzn.to/3kPRwe2
Tweezer & Scissor Kit - amzn.to/3fb1TGO
Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss - amzn.to/3c6WhLY
Peat Moss - amzn.to/38btPaF
Perlite - amzn.to/388ahnG
Silica Sand - amzn.to/3qkMY0d
Nice Looking White Plastic Planter - amzn.to/2E3iiyD
VIPARSPECTRA 300W Grow Light - amzn.to/31avXMz
SANSI 36W Daylight LED Plant Bulb E26 - amzn.to/2H7urDV
My Favorite Mister - amzn.to/3kPRwe2
Portable Garden Pump - amzn.to/3sIJOFc
Watering Can - amzn.to/3c2jRd0
TDS Water Meter - amzn.to/3qkNriZ
Reverse Osmosis Kit - amzn.to/2OjDk0x
Maxsea Fertilizer (Cali Carnivores) - www.californiacarnivores.com/...
Maxsea Fertilizer (Amazon) - amzn.to/3ebmawU
I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this video. Your purchase helps support my dream of opening a carnivorous plant nursery in my community and helps bring you more great carnivorous plant content. Thank you for your support!
Make sure to check out my website where you can see more carnivorous plant information and care guides. www.carnivorousplantshub.com/
Follow me on Instagram, / carnivorousplantshub
Winter dormancy for venus flytraps can really be tricky. Learn all you need to know in this dormancy guide. It's important to understand dormancy for the longevity of your carnivorous plant.
Today we will be talking about how your venus flytrap will look, lighting requirements, water requirements, the refrigerator method and a really cool tip that can help anyone with dormancy!
Check out some of my other great videos below!
Ultimate Venus Flytrap Watering Guide: • How To Water A Venus F...
To Cut or Not To Cut VFT Flower Stalk - • Venus Flytrap Flower S...
Cool Carnivorous Plant Haul - • Cephalotus & Ping Haul...
How To Make Distilled Water At Home - • How To Make Distilled ...
Peat Moss Vs. Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss - • Peat Moss Vs Sphagnum ...
Venus Flytrap B52, DCXL & UK Sawtooth Unboxing - • Venus Flytrap Unboxing...
Get your next venus flytrap or other carnivorous plant from the most experienced and knowledgeable carnivorous plant nursery around, California Carnivores.
You can get 10% off when you use CPHUB at checkout. They have an amazing selection of incredible venus flytrap cultivars and other
amazing carnivorous plants.
Go check out their collections now,
Venus Flytraps - www.californiacarnivores.com/collections/venus-flytraps-dionaea-muscipula?aff=7
Other Carnivorous Plant Collections - www.californiacarnivores.com/collections?aff=7
Do you guys ship to New York and if so is there some sort of refund policy for if they arrive dead or near dead? I’ve had plants show up in really bad shape before, I don’t mean to seem jaded and distrustful, I’m a big fan of yours and I know things happen!
*Venus Flytrap used dormancy*
*It hurt itself in its confusion"
Hope your nursery becomes a reality soon mate. I'd be more than happy to buy from you. New vft dad here, already have 3 typicals and I've just set up a diy greenhouse for them to go through dormancy without being too exposed to the elements. Since it's my first dormancy I hope everything goes well by next spring. Cheers!
Thank you Manos, appreciate the kind words! I really hope your first dormancy goes well! Once you get a routine that works, its easy every year!
I’m new here! I’m in Iowa. I just bought my first VFP from Hy-Vee.
I love being able to find people like you who know so much and are willing to share it all!
I'm glad this helped you out. Thank you so much for your kind words!!
Keep up this great work!! thank you
Of course, glad it helped!
very helpful vid, keep up the good work! also yours flytraps and sarracenia look so healthy and gorgeous!
Thank you Andrew, really appreciate it!!
always wanted a vft. got one. didn’t know it was hard, just love them, so thank you for this!
Thank you so much for making these videos!
Underrated channel for sure.
Aww, thank you Jeni, that means so much to me!!
Thanks for the info. I’m gonna put mine into dormancy today. Hopefully they survive
Good luck! Dormancy is my least favorite part of this process. Lol.
Cool video
Thank you!
Thank you so much. I hope I can keep mine alive.
Good luck!
I leave my plants in a 10 by 20 inch tray of water over dormancy. However I do 2 very specific things to make sure they aren't over watered. Number 1, I only water about an inch or and inch and a half at a time and in doing that I will also allow that tray to run dry for a few days before I fill it again. Number 2, I purchased a vented propagation dome now this does two things for me for one it allows me to cover the plants from rain so they aren't completely drenched and second if the temperature gets below what I'm comfortable with I can close up the vents and sort of create a mini greenhouse to trap some of that daytime heat inside. These are really just the two main things I do to protect them as best as I can the others really just consist of cutting off absolutely all dead or dying traps and or pitchers (to promote zero growth of mold and fungus) and then last is check on them periodically, and obviously some need to be repotted so I do that from the end of December to the end of February. This is kinda my mini dormancy guide for anyone new or interested.
This is an awesome example of you finding what works for you! It does show there is more than one way to do this. I did my best to share some important info but as you can see from this comment, there are creative ways of getting this all done. Thank you for this comment, I really hope this can help someone out there that have similar conditions as you! You ROCK!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your expertise with us. I bought my plant and, like you say, the death cube has some very vague and wrong information. I am glad I got to your channel before my plant died.
That's awesome Lala, so glad this helped you out! They aren't that difficult, just a lot different than most plants. Hope your flytrap grows big and strong. Let me know if you have any questions!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thank you 😊 My venus is doing great after I followed your beginners guide.
Hope you’re nursery goes well just starting out
Me too, baby steps, but I'm heading in the right direction!
Thank you so much for making this video! I find all of your videos really helpful as I am new to the venus fly trap community. 😀
Welcome Carley! Thank you so much for your kind words, it really means a lot! I'm really glad the videos are helping you. Hopefully you can grow some big and strong venus flytraps! Let me know how it goes!
As a note. Length of light is the most important in my opinion. I have traps in Miami they naturally go dormant dec-feb and temps average 65-70 ish. Many others in the community also have the same and we’re all in zone 10b
I agree, light is super important, but I believe they also need that cold, for at least a little bit as that's what they get un their most natural habitat. But, I do know that growers in Florida have a lot of success, even without the colder Temps.
Hey! I'm in Miami as well and just got my first flytrap! Any tips you can give me to care for me plant in our crazy weather?
@@Jack1994hoo since you just got it your fly trap may skip this dormency. Don’t worry about it next December - feb your plant will go into dormency. I recommend feed your plants really well. Especially in urban areas around miami there are a lot less bugs than more suburban areas I found my traps do much much better when fed. Hope this helps!
Awesome information. I am trying the dormacy for the first year. What do you do when you order a plant that gets delivered during the dormacy period? For example a new plant gets ordred in January or February, and there is not the required 3 or 4 month time period left before spring starts? So the plant won't get the required dormacy, will that be a problem normally? .. This will be my case this month I'm expecting a couple plants in the middle of February? I hope you Channel does well. You seem to have the answers for novice hobbyists like me.. 😉
I just ordered a new VFT on Etsy and threw it immediately into the fridge lol
Haha, I'm sure they were like... ."Wait a second..."
hi, I am kinda new to carnivorous plants I bought one on clearance from Walmart and saved it and it is now growing great and for this winter I have moved it to a non-heated room I am in OH hoping it makes it
Just try to keep it below 50 degrees during dormancy and it should snap out of it this spring!
Hey there, for your unheated room set up, what temperature did you manage to keep it at?
I'm thinking of using a wine fridge with a glass door. Maybe add a small fan as an anti-fungus measure to prevent stale air. My plant room gets reduced lighting in the winter so they should be happy and I can keep and eye on them. Floral shops have large fridges for flowers. I'm not sure if there's an opportunity there somewhere.
I think that's a great idea! Just keep in mind that reduced lighting is not enough, they also need reduced temperatures. I believe it's the combination of the two that trigger a solid dormancy. They should be kept below 50 degrees F and no lower than 35 degrees in prime conditions.
What fungicide brand do you use?
I just got one about a week ago and I was wondering what does it mean when a new head starts growing?
Any fellow Texans in here? im keeping mine on my patio and so far my plants are either fully dormant or on their way, just from the shorter photoperiods and "cold" (60-70 during the day and 50-45f at night) outside. I was really worried that it'd be too warm but theyre smart lil plants 😅 zone 8b FTW
It can be tricky in Texas, kind of like Florida. Everything I "learn" about them tells me they won't be able to go through dormancy in your area due to it not being cold enough. However, I've talked to people in Florida that say their plants have acclimated and learned to go into a dormant stage at temps much higher than traditional. So, yes you are right, they are smart little plants. I really hope yours acclimate! But, if anyone from Texas wanted to chime in, I'm also all ears!
I live South Texas and i also have the same question and I was thinking about putting them in the fridge, I have been looking at your videos and you mentioned one about how to do it and couldn’t find it.
I was really panicking that I'd accidentally killed my Venus flytrap Audrina (the first one I've ever had,) as it's getting chilly here in England.
I was worried that it was close to the compost and losing its lustre around the green parts but still slowly sprouting new heads
Thank you for such an informative video 🎉🎉
Hey how was the dormancy? I just got mine today one of the leaves is getting black. Is it normal or is it dying? I can't tell the difference.
@@anazlem4314the only thing I spotted was if it's still sprouting tiny little new shoots very slowly out of the centre. That was the only clue I saw. Mine is doing exactly the same
I just purchased a Venus fly trap and pitcher plant. I should put them in my garage? My garage gets about 30 degree Fahrenheit I’m in zone 6b southern Indiana
With a little overwintering, that would be just fine! At 30 degrees it wont grow much so it won't need much light. Make sure it's pretty insulated as being below freezing could be problematic. If it's insulated well, it should be okay though!
Can you make a video about sarracenia dormancy my purperea I got from a nursery is acting funky also show us all your temprent carnivores plants
It's really similar to venus flytraps. They are a little more tolerant and like more water. Other than that, I put my sars through the same conditions as my flytraps!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thx (:
You bet!!
What about AFTER dormancy? I need to know what to do with them when it’s time to bring them OUT of dormancy!
I’ve cut back all the black traps and put the plants back in their usual spot and started watering them regularly again (just everything I did before that they seemed to be perfectly happy with).
Most of the plant was black apart from one or two green traps that I was surprised to see hadn’t gone black - unfortunately though, they don’t respond anymore when I try to feed them (I only brought them out a couple days ago) so those traps are obviously dead (yet still green and actually look healthy, mouths open, a fairly strong red colour inside the traps etc, but stiff and unresponsive).
Is this normal behaviour immediately out of dormancy? If those green traps are indeed dead, would it help / make any difference if I just cut the whole thing back down to just above the soil to free up space and allow light to get in? Like just straight up buzz-cut the whole thing or…?
As you may have noticed… plants *in general* are a new thing for me…
Thank you for the content!!! So I’m lucky enough to live in Wilmington nc. I’m new to having this plant. I was dump and kept it inside all summer in a bright window. Now I need to get it outside. It’s 47 right now but will drop to 27. Should I do a slow transition outside? I have Vinny (my fly trap) outside at the moment. Should I bring him into my garage tonight since it’ll be 27 and he’s not use to being outside for the past 6 months?
I would yes. At least for the night to get tit out of the elements. It will be a bit warmer in the garage than outside.
Thank you sooooo very much for responding!!!! Ok I’ll do that! Thank you for your help!
Hi!
Can you tell me what plant is that on the top right corner?? On a white vase!
Looks amazing!!
Sarracenia Purpurea, I have a video about that plant, check it out! ua-cam.com/video/2LhbPl27oVQ/v-deo.html
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thanks! Watching it right now!
Great information, thanks! I bought my first plant (from Home Depot). It’s in a 3” plastic pot…it has a cluster of new babies, 5/6 black shoots & 8/9 (droopy) green shoots. The green ones aren’t as dark green as the plants in your video. I have it in a sunny window sitting in a little tray of distilled water. It’s February here in Austin, how do I know if it’s dormant? If it is, should I put it in my garage? Can/should I cut the dead black ones off at the base? I bought the proper soil to transplant it, is now the best time? As I’m writing this I realize it’s a lot to ask!! Maybe I’ll get some help from you or your fans, meanwhile I’ll keep researching. I really love this little planted creature!
If the existing traps are lighter green/yellow it means that the plant is likely light starved. I probably would not put it in dormancy as they sometimes don't do well if they aren't healthy when they go to dormancy. I would let it sit this winter out and put it in dormancy next winter. Typically, I do like to repot them as soon as I can when I get them from a big box store. Make sure you flush the new peat moss at least 5-10 times with distilled water before planting. (I assumed you have a peat moss mix). If possible try to get it a grow light to supplement the sun it's getting on the windowsill. More often than not, the sun from a windowsill is not enough for these since they like a LOT of light. The Sansi 36 watt bulb on Amazon is a great choice! I have a windowsill setup right now where as soon as the sun goes down, the Sansi goes on for another couple hours. I just switch it off before bed. Keep in mind that it might go through a shock period after you repot it. Keep it watered and make sure it gets a lot of light. Sometimes they look pretty bad before making the full recovery. Don't panic, just stick with good care instructions and it will snap out of it! Good luck my friend, if you have any other questions, ask away!
Wow, I appreciate the time you spent helping me! Thank you so much. I’ll order the light & transplant it tonight (rinsing 5-10 times…;). 🤞🍀♥️
No worries! Helping people is the reason I started this channel. I hope everything goes great for you!
I'm thinking about keeping them in a basement windo-well. Ours are covered and we keep all kins of plants there.
As long as the basement is unheated or it at least stays pretty cold next to the window, it should be fine!
I just got a 6x8 little cheap greenhouse. I live in Central Florida. Can I put them in it on a shadier spot for winter? Right now they live inside and under a grow light.
I know a lot of people leave them outside in winter for dormancy. Even though it's a little warmer than the temps I talked about, the plants can acclimate to the warmer Florida winters. However, if it stays regularly above 55 to 60 degrees, I'd recommend keeping them somewhere they get at least some sun. Since they won't stop growing, they will need the light.
I got myself some pretty bad plant here should I still try to let them outside in a small greenhouse or should I keep them inside since there is like ony 3 traps left on the plant?
If it's in pretty bad shape, I recommend trying to nurse it back to health a bit before putting it in dormancy. Don't skip dormancy all together, give it at least a month or two. It really does depend though on what is making it be sick. It's possible dormancy is just what it needs. It's just hard to say without knowing more about what is wrong with it.
Here is my theory. Plants car photosynthesise using any light. This is a fact found that any light can be turned into energy, however direct light is more efficient and requires less hours. That being said, as long as a dormant VFT can get some sort of indirect light, it can continue to grow at a slower rate of speed, therefore the plant can’t die from light starve, but at the same time, the plant will go dormant. please let me know if this theory has anything that makes sense in it, I just kinds thought about it and am going to try it on a standard VFT, rather than a rarer one
I'm definitely not a scientist, buf from what I know, this is accurate. When the rate of growth slows down, like in dormancy, less light is needed. They even slow down so much that no light is needed. Even in those conditions, however, I still like to give them at least a little light. I use the Sansi 36W bulb when they are in dormancy.
Can I put my vft in the refrigerator for dormancy?
You can! I know some people who have done this successfully!
First let me say great videos on so many aspects of raising VFTs! My question is, I live in northern VT. My basement is unheated and gets very cool, almost cold in the winter, but has no windows for light. If I want to put my plants down there for dormancy, do they still need some sort of grow light for a few hours or is total darkness for the winter ok?
You definitely want a very reduced photoperiod. Some people do keep their plants in the dark all winter. My understanding is that the colder it gets the less light they need. If you are below 40 degrees, they go into a suspended state and don't grow at all. If you are above 40 degrees F, they still grow a tiny bit and would benefit from the light. I always give mine about a 4 hour light on a timer during dormancy. This has always worked for me! My winters are typically colder and they are usually in the 30 to 40 degree F area until about March where it starts getting up into the 50s.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub We get much colder outside and though Ive never taken the temp in the basement, it does get very cold down there. I could always put the light on a timer like you say. Just wasnt sure if they actually needed one or not in the winter. Thanks for the reply!
You want to try and avoid letting them go below freezing for more than a week or so. They should be kept around the 35 to 40 degrees mark ideally. You will want to overwinter them if it's lower.
I live in Hawaii, do they still go through dormancy? My VFT seems to be dying off. It is Dec now.
Hawaii is tricky since there isn't a big drop in Temps. You may need to use fridge dormancy. You could try to find a local group and see what their best practices are.
what area of the PNW are you? I'm in western Washington, so trying to figure out winter dormancy for my new flytraps. If I can overwinter them outside or if it'll be too wet.
I live in North Idaho, I know some people who have a lot of great success growing them in the Seattle area. I would recommend an unheated building if possible. You can also always get a cold frame to put outside and keep your plants in during winter. So they are outside to the needed cold temps but not exposed to the elements. This is probably the next best thing after an unheated building.
Hi can I have some help with this please. There are so many things on the web that all day different things like they must have direct light and some say no light. Some say they need loads more water other day cut back.
The light depends on the temperature. If you are say, 45 degrees and higher you will need a light because they are still actively growing. Anything under 40, they go into a more suspended state and don't need the light. I always keep some light on them during dormancy, but they do not need the full sun like they do in the growing season. 6-8 hours of light a day is fine. With watering, this is more about what the weather does to the water rather than what the plant needs. The plant does need a little less water as they are not growing as much. But, if you think about it. If you leave a tray of water in the sun on a 95 F day and you leave a tray of water out when it's 40 F and overcast, which bowl of water lasts longer? The one with 40 F. What happens is people do not adjust for this and they continue to water the plant like it's summer. The excess water can lead to crown rot. Cold temperatures and excess water are perfect conditions for rot to set in. You definitely want to dial the water back. But, this is a little more obvious because you will notice that the water just sticks around longer. Just try to avoid keeping your plant in a tray of stale water for more than 3-5 days. Hope that helps my friend!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub right now, I have indirect light on it and it’s currently -1C. The highest it’s meant to get in the next weeks is 8C. The light is there for the full 8 hours of light I have in the winter. It’s not dark with the light but it isn’t super bright, but you can easily see.
At those temps, that should be more that should be fine!
My Venus fly trap is frozen what can I do to help them? is there a chance it my survive? It was 24 degrees at night over here at Georgia
Definitely! I see frozen venus flytraps all the time. Just try not to allow them to freeze over and over for consecutive days. Allow them to thaw out but keep it cold enough for them to stay in dormancy. Keep it under 50 degrees. You don't want to bring them inside around the 70 degree mark. That could prematurely pull them out of dormancy and confuse and possibly kill them. Flytraps are fairly hardy and will survive a few freezes.
I’m in the northwest too, in Portland! I figure I’ll keep mine outside in winter, but I’m worried about rain watering them too much. Should I keep them under the awning in my back yard to help protect from rain?
Portland is awesome! I've been several times. We love hiking in the Columbia Gorge. I had family in Vancouver, so made the trip over many, Many times! Always have to stop at the Bonneville Dam and see the sturgeon. Ya, I'd be concerned with that much rain, especially as temps go down. I'd probably try not to leave them out in the rain all the time. No more than a few days at a time.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub aye aye, captain! I won’t let her drown. Oh yes, the gorge is a beautiful place and Herman the Sturgeon is a cool guy!! Hope you get to come visit again soon!
I might've missed this, but does the "don't sit your plant in a pool of water over the winter" advice the same for any carnivorous plant that goes through dormancy?
Nope. Most plants will require less water but some are much less sensitive to crown rot. A sarracenia would probably be fine in water move of winter. I probably wouldn't, but your okay watering them daily. So, it really just depends.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thank you for the info!! :)
Of course!!
CPHub man here is much more experience than I am, but I have been successful with dormancy by top watering them. I water enough to soak the top just once, and then allowing the water to drain out….no tray. This also allows built up minerals to drain out with the water. I do this once or twice a week.
Last year was the first year I had flytraps and sarracenia. I left them outside until the first time there was ice on the surface of the water. I put them in my basement near a south facing window. It stays below 50 in that part of the basement, but I'm not exactly sure what the temperatures are. I'm thinking of putting them in my garage/glorified shed this year. No heat at all and only a small north facing window. They're still outside now, in zone 5a-6b, I'll put them inside today or tomorrow though
That sounds like a good setup! Good luck with dormancy this year Mike! Sounds like your setup is pretty similar to mine!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub I feel pretty confident in my set up, but brother, I still get anxiety putting them down for the coldest months lol I keep forgetting things like when to up pot both the flytraps and sarracenia, so I rewatch all the videos on the subject. The sarracenia have long roots coming out of the bottom of their 4 inch pot. Probably should have moved it up in the early spring....
I get anxiety too, every year. Not just out of fear for my plants but I hate putting them away. I hate forcing them to stop growth. Especially this year, some of mine are really thriving right now. The thought of putting them in dormancy just drives me nuts. Lol.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub exactly lol
Hopefully someone who knows about carnivorous plants see this. I just got a few venus flytraps, and they were in extremely small pots and I didn't know how good the soil was. So i repotted them, however it is late October and I should put them into dormancy soon. Should I let them continue growing and get out of chock before i put them into dormancy or should I just let them sleep and die off without setteling?
Do you know how old they venus flytraps are? What kind of shape are they in? If they are young, you might be able to skip a dormancy. If they are in bad shape after repotting, I would wait. I don't like putting unhealthy flytraps in dormancy, often times they are not strong enough to take the colder temps and less light.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub 2 of them are babies, so as young as they get. I don't know the age of the other two, but one was in very bad shape when i got it, it's gotten a bit better but it's still not that happy. The last one was quite big when i got it, it has huge traps, but all the leaves were/are resting on the ground, and it's in the same pot as the other adult anyways.
Do they eat during dormancy and how long is dormancy I live in the east is 45 degree
They can! But they don't really need to. A venus flytrap really never "Needs" to eat. They can survive on sunlight alone. Eating is really more of a boost or fertilizer to them. It doesn't hurt to feed them during dormancy but I wouldn't go overboard. The traps might close a little slower during dormancy and the insects may not digest as fast. You also may risk killing traps more rapidly by feeding in winter. Personally, I'd just avoid it but it's probably fine. The flytraps just really don't need it since they are not in a growing state.
How many months should they be kept dormant?
10 weeks minimum, but your better shooting for 12 to 15.
If you top water during dormancy, is it ok if water touches the crown of the plant during the watering process? I know some people are like "Don't let the water touch the crown!" but with some of my LFSM bound VFTs its a bit tricky for the medium to soak up the water without touching the crown.
Its not going to hurt every once in a while. I would avoid keeping the crown wet though. Crown rot is a real thing and I've experienced it. It's no fun... Entire plant goes back after a few days. I would tray water if possible and avoid top watering, especially during dormancy!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Sounds good, thanks for the advice! I guess the best way to do it with the tray watering is to just put them into the trays, let them soak up the water over a day, then take them out after the pots get heavy again?
You mentioned that snow can act as an insulator. Would that mean it's ok for me to just keep them outside during the snowy, winter months? I'll just have to bring them in after a couple days, right? Am I misunderstanding that?
This is a tricky question that has many outside factors. It really depends on how cold it gets where you live and for how long it gets that cold. Does the snow melt? What size pot do you have, the bigger the planter the more insulated the plant is. What else did you do to insulate the planter on top of keeping it under snow. I would try to keep them above 30 degrees F, if it goes below that they will need to be overwintered which can include being insulated by snow. You just really want to make sure the substrate doesn't freeze. If you need to bring them in, you need to make sure they are still getting under 50 degrees F and less exposure to light for at least half of the day. Dormancy is really tricky and there are so many factors, including your specific location and temperatures there.
Could I possibly put my Venus Flytraps through dormancy in the fall? It's very cold in my area right now and the perfect temperature for dormancy, but I'm not sure if fall is the right time to do so, and skeeping of dormancy, can a venus flytrap go through dormancy next to a windowsill?
Dormancy is triggered by the reduction of light and temperature. More so the light than the temps. So, yes, you can trigger dormancy via a windowsill. However, you will need to make sure that temperatures reduce along with the light. It needs to be around 40 to 50 degrees at night but can get back up to 60s 70s during the day.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Thank you! But speaking of dormancy, could I possibly just leave my Venus flytraps outside for dormancy? I live in Pennsylvania which is close to North and South Carolina.
Can I put my venus flytrap under a mini greenhouse with no bulb?
You definitely can. If the temps are down around 40 degrees and lower, you don't really need any lights on the plants at all.
During winter dormancy, would it be okay to keep them in a fridge?
It's not the best option but can be a last resort. I try to avoid it but know it works for some people!
Dear Reader,
I'm watching all your video's one by one, to get a lot of information. This is because I've just started this hobby, and do want to start a little bit less stupid.
So I'm going to put some questions from time by time, and I will ask them at video's with the same subject.
Dormancy.
1. Would it be a good idea to make video's about all carnivorous plants that need dormancy. One plant at the time?
2. Can you give information about the minium temperature every plant can survive? As a Dutchman I live in a moderate climate, the Northsea keeps our winters mostly wet and at 5-6 degrees Celcius (41-43 degrees Fahrenheit). But sometimes it can become -10 degrees Celcius (14 degrees Fahrenheit?)
3. Wich carnivorous plants don't need a dormancy
That's it.
Thank you very much in advance
With Kind Regards,
Michel F. van den Brun
absolute beginner
Thank you Michel! These are great ideas. Number 2 would be tricky though, plants tend to adapt to their surroundings. A plant that was raised in Florida then moved to Netherlands, it might struggle in those temperatures. However, if the plant was born and raised in Netherlands, it probably would be more adapted to the colder temperatures. There are just so many factors and many of them come down to where the plant was raised and often times, we don't even know where the plant was raised.
If my area gets around 40-55 degrees, should I leave it out in the sun? or should I put it in my garage with a grow light. Also, if this upcoming winter I have temperatures below 45 degrees, should I block the sunlight, or is it fine if I leave it outside. Thank you!
40 to 55 is probably going to be just fine. As long as it's not dropping below 32 degrees too often and doesn't go above that 55 degrees, it should stay dormant or at least grow very slow. I would try to give them at least 5 hours of light a day at those temps.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub At night, the temperatures do reach 40-55, but during the day, it does go up to 60 degrees.
Also, it may rain outside, so if that happens do I keep it inside, outside with a covering, or should I put it in the rain?
I also do have problems with my VFT that I got like 8 days back. None of the traps are opening back up. They are all just closed.
Do you recommend cutting out dead traps?
It's my plants first winter here in the UK and it just started flowering. I might leave it till next winter to give it a dorment period.
I do, the dead black traps can help harbor mold and mildew. It's not necessary, but always best to prune out the old dead traps. Just be careful not to disturb the healthy plant or roots!
I live in zone 9a, it doesn't start getting real cold (for us) until late December early January.
What temps do you get down to? I'm looking at snow falling out my window as I type this. Lol. 34 degrees with snow right now in North Idaho!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub It gets into the 20's, and on rare occasions into the teens. Snow every once in a blue moon, that's the thing with Florida it could be 30 one day and go into the 60's and even the 70's the next day or to.
I have been adding 1/2 cup of distilled water every other day for the last three months. How bad is that?
I don't have much context here but usually you water a bit less during dormancy. Are you top watering or tray watering?
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub I am not much of a gardener, but I am guessing I am "top watering?" I pour the water inside the pot and let it drain out.
That will work but I'd recommend tray watering. Get a small tray for the water, fill it up about an inch. Let the pot absorb the water. Flytraos like being watered from the bottom. I do top water once a month to flush the plant!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Okay, that is very good to know. I will keep that in mind from now on.
How long does a VFT need to go dormant?
They need an absolute minimum of 10 weeks, but I recommend 12-15 weeks. Check out my updated dormancy tips video! ua-cam.com/video/Qb5bSNwo-uM/v-deo.html
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub Appreciate the response, watching now.
how is this plan ? if it gets under 0 degrees celsius i put them in a unheated room under a growlight thats on the same time the sun would be up
If it goes under 0 degrees C, you do not really need light at that point. What will the temps be in your unheated room? I guess that's the real question. They may need the light depending on the temps of your unheated room. If you could give them light to match the day cycle, that would be perfect! Just don't give them too much light, as that can keep them out of dormancy. You have to remember that if they were outside they would be exposed to much less light due to cloudy conditions. So make sure the light isn't too intense.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub well I shiver when I not use a blanked ^^ so my guess is between 0 and 10 degrees celsius
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub would be the light on the window enough for the time of dormancy ?
Yes, it would. They don't need much light at those temps, the window light would be plenty!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub ok. cool then i will put them in the window in my bedroom
Pretty cold down here in California now, and my VFT’s are still not going dormant. They are kept outside and new leaves are still not showing signs of dormancy with low to the ground leaves. They are still growing tall. 🤔 💭
Hey friend! What temps are you getting right now in California?
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub
Current temps are mid to higher 60’s with lows being mid to low 40’s.
Wow. I'm surprised they haven't showed yet. Soon!!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub
Yeah, me too.
How long do they stay dormant
The main factors for dormancy are light and temperatures. As long as the light remains low and temperatures stay down, it will stay dormant. It would eventually die, obviously, but the typical dormancy length is 12-15 weeks. Which is a normal winter period where they natively grow in South Carolina.
Ok thank you I have purchased a LED light which has either white or purple lights which is best for Venus Fly Trap seedlings.
I've used both and both worked great. The purple seems to be a bit more effective.
If 25 is cold for you, you won't survive in Bulgaria the average winter temperature is ≈ 5.🥶
We do get below 0 temps here where I live. IT can be hard to protect the flytraps when that happens!
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub yes and I am new to growing carnivores plants. So where should I keep them during the low temperatures? And also I don't have unheated rooms , maybe in my basement?
Anywhere it stays at 40 F or lower. If you need to put them somewhere it gets below 25 F, then I'd suggest overwintering them. When it gets that cold, they don't really need any light. So, you can put them under bark or pine needles and even keep them inside of a box or something that keeps them out of the elements. Just remember to keep them watered when temps are above freezing. They won't need much water throughout the cold times, but just keep an eye on them and don't let them dry out.
@@CarnivorousPlantsHub thank you, I will do that
I just received my first venus flytrap today that I ordered online (I live in Iran). I don't know if it will grow or not and I don't know if I should put it in dormancy or not. Can you help please? One of the leaves is getting black I don't know if it's dying or going dormancy.
How many times does he say dormancy? LMAO!
We could turn it into a carnivorous plant youtube channel drinking game!
My understanding is you don't give venus tap water,
You really shouldn't, most tap water has too much TDS (total dissolved solids) and will slowly kill the plant. I do have a video about watering! ua-cam.com/video/hfQKNffFp3s/v-deo.html
What about the 6? 🤣😭
My family REFUSES to let me put my flytraps in the fridge.
Haha, I have a fridge in my garage. I don't think my wife would be super pleased if I put one in the main fridge either. Although, I may be able to talk her into it if it's wrapped in a plastic bad. Luckily, I don't even have to try!
Can I just not put my venus in dormancy? Is it ok? Or the plant needs dormancy?