Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 6/21/2011

Question
Hi Jeff

I am from the Atherton Tablelands in the tropics near Cairns. Where I live at 757 meters altitude I frequently get temperatures between 10 and 21 degrees Celsius for the minimum and maximums. This year I have had some minimums down to 5 degrees. However, the days are still about 22 degrees. In winter sometimes the minimums are around 15 degrees and the maximums can still get as high as 28 degrees.

Is there an advantage of putting my Sarracenias and Venus Fly Traps in the fridge in my conditions or do you think conditions will be cool enough if I leave them in the pots and put them in full shade outside over winter? Last year I successfully put them in the fridge by wrapping the bulbs in damp paper towel. However this year appears to cooler so far so I may not need to put them in the fridge. Do you think the plants will grow better in the spring and summer if I put them in the fridge?

If you suggest putting them in the fridge, is it best to wash the soil off the roots with a hose before wrapping them in paper towel or is it all right to just shake the soil off first? In the fridge I make sure the temperatures range between about 2 and 8 degrees because freezing the plants can kill them.

Your help is appreciated
Regards Richard.

Answer
Hi Richard,

From our experience with growers in Hawaii, who have temperatures very similar, there's no need to refrigerate your Sarracenia.  They will go through a short dormancy on their own with the decrease in daylight hours during the winter.  They will be fine.

Venus flytraps, however, do seem to need more of a dormancy.  Using some shade cloth with them could help.  Just leaving them in full shade might just lead to weak plants.  The refrigerator method works as you've found, but be sure to spray them with a fungicide.  Sulfur sprays or dust work well.  In nature flytraps do have some leaves and do carry out some photosynthesis during dormancy, so not having them in total darkness is better for them.  

Have you tried just leaving them outside through a winter yet?  As of yet I haven't gotten good information from Hawaiian growers on this since most of them are more obsessed with Nepenthes.  One other option is to move them indoors under artificial light, and keep them on an 8 hour day which would mimic winter in North America.  You could increase the photoperiod in spring, then move them back outside.

Hope this helps.

Good Growing!

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