Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 7/12/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi there.  I live in central Michigan (Zone 5), and I've been experimenting this spring and summer with the varieties of carnivorous plants I can grow in and around my upstairs apartment.  Out on the porch, I have two Dionaea Muscipula, three small Sarracenias (flava, leucophylla, and Dana's Delight), and three Droseras (filiformis, filiformis tracyi, binata).  They are growing in individual 4- to 6-inch pots watered with the tray method.  All plants have been doing quite well since mid-May.

To the best of my understanding, each of these plants will require winter dormancy, but I do not think they can survive outside on the porch through the Michigan winter.  I considered wintering the plants in my unheated basement, but the basement lacks windows and I've read that the dormant plants will require daylight.  I also considered wintering the plants in my apartment near a window, but I generally keep the apartment above 60 degrees and worry that it won't be cold enough to induce dormancy.  However, I do have an essentially unheated stairwell with a couple of north facing windows: they do not receive any direct sunlight, but they are "bright" for most of the day.  

So I'm wondering, given the layout of my apartment, is my best bet come winter to place the plants in the unheated stairwell, directly in the windowsills, and keep them damp (not wet) during their dormancy?  I suspect it will be cold enough in the stairwell, I just worry that they won't get enough light.  Any feedback or advice here would be appreciated.

Thank you,

--Matt

ANSWER: Hi Matt,

Your stairwell has good potential.  The plants don't do much photosynthesis during the winter since there is no active growth, similar to evergreen trees, but if you keep them right up in the window it should be fine.  Just be sure to remove any dead leaves and spray them with a sulfur based fungicide.  Keep them damp, but not wet.  It's ok if the stairwell gets just a little below freezing.  Temperatures in the 30's are perfect.  The Drosera binata you can keep in a sunny window in your regular apartment.  It will experience a short dormancy from photoperiod, then will start growing, usually in February.

Good Growing!

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

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jeff.  

Thank you for the information, and I'm glad to hear that I was on the right track.  I have one quick follow-up question, if you have a moment.  You mentioned that my binata ("typical") will go into dormancy based on photoperiod, and I'm wondering whether this is also true for the entire binata family?  I'm specifically wondering about the dichotoma "giant" form, which I've been wanting to try out on the porch.

Thanks again for your help,  

--Matt

Answer
Hi Matt,

There is quite a bit of variability in the D. binata complex.  Your dichotoma is fairly hardy; we've found them to be hardy to zone 8 in larger pots.  We have a massive plant that comes back every year growing outside in Western Oregon.  Many of the small T-forms are of New Zealand origin and are very hardy.  At the other end of the scale are the multifidas.  They are more tropical.  The typical multifida, and the Marston Dragon will tolerate light frosts, but will die in harder freezes.  Multifida var. "extrema" is quite tropical and will not go dormant if it gets adequate light.  It will not tolerate anything more than just a slight dip below freezing.

Good Growing!

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