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Carnivorous Plants/Sarracenia follow-up

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Expert: - 4/21/2009


Question
Hello again, a few weeks ago you advised that I wait until the outside
temperature was about 60 degrees before I moved my plants outside.  Did
you mean daytime or nighttime temperatures?  Also, my S. Oreophilia have
been stratifying for about 4 weeks, are they ok to go outside or should i
germinate them in my windowsill?

Thanks!
Mike

Answer
Hello Mike,

So long as the nightime temperatures do not drop to below 40 the plants will be fine outside. A few hours of cold weather will not harm them so long as it does not get too close to freezing. The predominant daytime temperature should be over 60.

I would stratify them for a total of at least 8 weeks in cold, damp conditions before warming them up for germination. The windowsill inside should be fine. I would avoid placing the seeds and young plants outside the first year or so as birds and other animals, as well as curious people, like to dig them up and eat or destroy them.

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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