My Progress.

[muscipula]

Well what must i say..? My VTF's Are completely Healthy, out've the 4 i have 2 tried to send up flower spikes, and each of them have red margins in the middle of each of their traps . Anyways my cameras broke so no chance for pictures... but i hope soon! DVG thanks once again and i hope to show you my progress.

-Wayne-

[hackerberry]

Hope to see some pictures soon. Are they outside or indoors?

[muscipula]

Well Hackerberry, They're outside i think it'd be alot better for them also until the dreaded dormancy comes along.. anyways ya they're growing good anyways and lets just say "if i like them, everyone will . Peace out.

-Wayne-

[hackerberry]

Awesome.. Good growing Man!

[Flytrap]

Nice to hear you're growing your VFTs as healthy plants. And thanks for sharing your joy

The only nice thing about the winter dormancy is that it also allows you some rest over the season, and something to look forward to in Spring.

[dvg]

Wayne, good to hear your plants have taken to their new home and ultimately, you as their caretaker. Good job! They sound like they are really coming along. I was wondering if any of the three started to send up the taller and narrower summer leaves. One of mine, from the same batch as yours, has just started sending up summer leaves, but the other one still is a ground hugging rosette. When you get a chance, I'd like to see your progress with them.

[hackerberry]

So regarding the dreaded Dormancy line, can you skip dormancy for a year?

[Rick Hillier]

For older plants, I would advise against it. The growth will invariably become weaker and by the time the "second" dormancy cycle comes along the following year, the plant will likely be permanently dormant, if you know what I mean

If you're growing indoors or in pots, just shove them in the fridge, pot and all, and don't let it become completely dry. Keep it just moist.

If outside in a bog garden, mulch them with at least 12" of pine needles or hay and they'll come back the following year.

[hackerberry]

Can I leave the plants in the basement windowsill facing west? It get pretty cold down my basement and from the sill, they will still get some light.

[Rug]

I just toss mine in the fridge in a tupperware container (bareroot) with moistened (not wet) LFS. Then spray with a "no damp" solution. Windowsill may be ok but it would have to get pretty darn cool to induce proper dormancy I would think. Maybe like 40F or so.

[hackerberry]

Thanks Rug, I was thinking of that but what if you have like 50 or more? Just wondering.

[Rug]

LOL! Thats how many I have!!!!! I have well over 50! I put as many of them as I can possibly cram into the tupperware container without crushing them. Syble showed me how to do this and last year it worked great. Never lost 1!

[hackerberry]

Sweet! Rug, you have to teach me how to do that. I also want to experiment on putting my potted VFT [Canadian Tire hybrid hehe] inside a coleman chest and then leave it inside my undeated garage. Im in Calgary so it would likely be -15 inside the garage.

[brian]

Minus 15 (C?) could be too much, I've found VFTs exposed to a short period of minus 5 soil temp are iffy. The insulated chest would slow heat loss and moderate temperature swings but ultimately if your garage is -15 the inside of the chest will reach that temperature. I wonder if something like heat trace could be used to keep a temperature of 0 to 4 degrees C. Or just get a cheapo bar fridge and keep the plants in that indoors?

[Rug]

I agree! I would just use a tupperware container and put it in the fridge. It will take up a very minor amount of space in a fridge and can fit a bunch of them. I was real surprised when Syble showed me how easy it was an how many can fit in a container. Keeping each cultivar labeled is a challenge but this is definatly the easiest way to go for sure.