Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 12/2/2010

Question
I live in zone 6 (right on the edge of zone 7).  My Sweet Pitcher is in a 10-inch pot.  I keep the soil damp.  Our nights have been as low as 20 degrees but the plant is not showing any signs of going dormant.  It still has lots of big pitchers.  Should I bring it in the garage as is or should I leave it outside until the pitchers start dying?

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Debra,

If your temperatures have been that cold, it's dormant.  Not all Sarracenia species loose their leaves all at once.  Many of the Sarracenia rubra complex hold some of their leaves well into the winter.  By the time we get to the end of December, most of the leaves will brown.  I recommend cutting all of them off by that time.  It will minimize transpiration during severe cold, and since S. rubra tends to be weedy, you get a nicer looking plant the following season if all the leaves are removed.

I would move your plant to the garage now.  Once you get weather below 20 it will need extra protection.  It's also helpful to spray it with a sulfur based fungicide as a mold preventative.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com