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Carnivorous Plants/Winter freezes in the Northeast - potted temperates and outdoor bog

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Expert: - 1/8/2011


Question
Hello!
1) species: Pitchers, Sundews, Venus F.T.s, Cobras
   2) issue: winter freezes
   3) lighting: natural, water: distilled for potted/reverse osmosis for the bog
   4) location: Harrisburg, PA Zone 6a
We have had almost 2 months of uninterrupted temperatures well below freezing. Even though my large, outdoor bog has been mulched as in previous years (12 inches), I'm afraid that I may lose most of my plants. Should I jump out the window yet (not even the plants can eat me!)? Similarly, another "disaster" occurred when my usual winter storage area: the garage--to my horror--also went well below freezing and my potted plants froze solid. My prize specimens were there: especially my cobra plant, do you think it will survive nonetheless?
Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hi Joseph,

I'm going to give you a couple of links.  Here's the first that addresses your bog garden:  http://www.carnivorousplants.org/howto/GrowingEnvirons/BogOntarioCanada.php  I think your bog garden will be just fine if you mulched it well.

Second link, the podcast we just finished:  http://cobraplant.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=5  Depending on how long, and how cold it was in the garage, your cobra should be just fine.  Since a garage is wind sheltered, plants can take quite a bit of cold that way.  Where Cobra plants come from here in the Pacific Northwest regularly sees snow and freezing weather.  Sarracenia will be fine.  From our experience the most tender plants are things like Florida Giant dewthreads and D. filiformis trayci.  Strangely, S. leucophylla "Titan" is tender also.  Tarnok is very tough.

Good Growing!

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

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If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!

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Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.

No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.

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Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?)

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