Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 10/25/2010

Question
I have an Australian pitcher plant and i am trying to move it to a cool place for winter rest. I grow it in live sphagnum moss under warm, humid conditions under a sixty-five watt florescent light. I always water it with distilled water.If i move it to a cool place under another florescent light a bit higher up then the other one to mimic cool conditions with some light will it kill it?  

Answer
From what your description, I'm assuming you want to place your Cephalotus in a cooler location; the light you'll be using is the same wattage, but placed further away from the plant to reduce heat transfer to the plant.

Well, it depends on how far from the light source the plant is.  Ideally the light should be 8-12 inches from the plant to maintain optimal intensity.  Instead of increasing the distance, decrease the wattage to 40 watts.  That will reduce the heat output, but still give you good light intensity.

You should also decrease the daylight hours to 10-12 hours per day.  This will also trigger a light winter rest.

Another option still is to place your plant in a sunny south window.  I have a Cephalotus that I've kept in a south window for over 2 years.  The cooler temperatures in winter and the natural decrease in daylight hours are enough to give the plant a winter rest.

For more information about growing Cephaltous, watch Volume 2 of the Grow Carnivorous Plants DVD series.
http://www.cobraplant.com/DVD

Good growing!
Jacob Farin