Dormancy????

[sdeering]

How are you or are you planing to put your vfts in dormancy? How long?

Mine have got the bigger fat leavs and have slowed down a lot. I have my garage set at 10c. I have a bathroom in my garage with a shower, not in use. Im thingking of putting plastic over the top to maintain h20 and put up a small florresent light set for 12hr light.
I have way too many to put in the frige.
Thanks
Stephen

[lloyd]

I took mine out of the medium and put them in the fridge. I wouldn't cover them with plastic unless it's close to zero as the fungus may take over. The ones in my fridge are in total darkness and seem healthy, even still green.

[vraev]

I took mine out in beginning of october, carefully removed plant with a wad of surrounding peat....carefully washed away all of it and seperated the roots. Then washed the plant with water...then wet some LFS and squeezed it to remove water..then put the damp sphag around the corm and the roots. Put it in a bag, tried to have as little air as possible inside and then put in the fridge. I have checked that so far...the leaves have become black (most...except the new small leaves) and the corm is still firm and white. I can't wait to plant them back and see them regrow. I shall do it in feb.

[sdeering]

Thanks guys. By covering with plastic I mean the very top or the shower. Just to keep the humidity up iside the shower stall. I havent checked but the humidiy will most likely be in the 20s.

[Flytrap]

I've brought mine into the cool house (min temps of 0C) ... they'll get their winter rest. The important thing is not to let it get too wet - or else fungus and rot will occur. I used to keep all mine outdoors, but found the birds, squirrels and raccoons a nuisance, digging them up and sometimes gnawing them up.

[Rick Hillier]

My VFT are all out in my bog garden covered with about 12" of pine needles. They've been out there since roughly 2002 and have done very well.

>>> Rick <<<

[sdeering]

I wish I coud keep mine outside I don't tink they would survive the harsh Alberta winters. If I had a cool house it would be -17c today.

[Rick Hillier]

If properly covered, I don't think that -17 would be a problem. We had a spell one winter where the nighttime lows were regularly in the -30's and the plants came through unscathed. I'm in Southern Ontario (Kitchener-Waterloo area to be exact).

In fact, the growth is still green every spring when I lift the cover off of it.

>>> Rick <<<

[lloyd]

I don't think humidity is a problem. I think with low temperatures the amount of moisture in the air is pretty low in any case. As long as the medium is moist it should be fine.

[Flytrap]

Yes, you're right Lloyd... humidity generally isn't a problem, it's just that on the westcoast, we often get a cold spell briefly broken by a short warming trend, then followed by another wickedly cold spell.

The VFTs could be tricked into an earlier spring growth, then later, have all it's new growth frozen solid and thus turned to mush. The earlier cold period prevents the breaking of dormancy and keeps the little guys alive in deep sleep.

So, the humidity and moisture often kills vfts here on the coast.

I still grow VFts outdoors... and some of them have survived for more than 10 years, but I often lose a few to the freeze thaw cycle. The ones in my cool house now are the cultivars I'm keeping out of the critters' paws and thaw cycle.

[sdeering]

I need your opinions.
I am going to put dampened sfag in these containers and put the VFTs in them in the fridge.
should i put holes in the tops or use as is. How long?

[lloyd]

I prefer baggies as they keep the moisture in better. I find that only dead plants rot.

[sdeering]

Thanks lloyd

[vraev]

thats pretty true. I noticed that healthy plants will stay healthy for a while in the fridge. Only plants that were weak when put in...might succumb to fungal attack and die.

[Syble]

I'd leave your container as is, put you LFSM in it, spray with a fungicide just in case and keep an eye on it, but don't put any holes in the lid.
Sib