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Carnivorous Plants/Dormancy
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Question
When is the best time to put my Tropical pitcher plants and sundew outside. I live in the Hudson Valley in New York and the weather is starting to warm up.
Hello Sammy,
Your tropical plants will not go dormant. I think the main thing your asking is when it is safe to place your tropicals outside even though your subject is on dormancy.
The timing will be different for each locale based on daily weather forecasts. You will simply need to ensure that the temperature will not go below 60 degrees for any appreciable amount of time before placing the plants out. Watch the weather and bring the plants inside at the hint of colder weather threatening for a day or so. Many of the carnivorous tropicals can tolerate cool temperatures and some even live in mountainous regions where they live through cold nights, but they will still need to be kept well above freezing. Eventually, the weather will warm enough that short cool shifts will stop and spring will take over.
Christopher
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Answers by Expert:
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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