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By Inter and Fly
Posts:  32
Joined:  Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:20 am
#422541
Hi everyone

I would like to discuss about VFT dormancy during winter where the degree falls down under 33F (0 C) like here in S. Korea.

Many VFT growers here say that it is fine for VFT to be outside of the house even the dgree is 0F (-17C) if they water them properly.

So I will try this during this winter and the degree where I live in falls down to 0F (-17C). Not just put them outside of my house but cover my plants when it's rainny or snowy day.
Also my house faces to the south so at least 6hours sun light could be given to the plants.

I will try this to VFT and D. Intermedia. If it works well, many people who live in cold area can more easily grow tropical plants such as VFT and D. Intermedia.

Please leave a comment if you have any idea or experience about this !
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cover it for wind block
cover it for wind block
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house with big pots for the plants
house with big pots for the plants
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By ChefDean
Location: 
Posts:  9236
Joined:  Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:44 am
#422547
VFT's can handle temps down to 20°F (-7°C) for a time and probably won't freeze if given adequate insulation. In the wild, they regularly see ~20°F temps, but they have the ground, groundwater, and other insulating factors that prevent to rhizome from freezing.
In a pot below 20°F would likely result in a freezing episode for the rhizome, which it can handle. Even staying frozen for a short time wouldn't kill it all. However, if you regularly see below 20°F at night, and it warms to above freezing during the day, any VFT's left outside would likely be killed due to multiple freeze/thaw cycles. If you experience 0°F temps (-17°C) at night, and the daytime temps regularly get warm enough, your plants will be mush in a week due to freezing and thawing
steve booth liked this
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By steve booth
Posts:  1221
Joined:  Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:15 am
#422548
Exactly what ChefDean said. Mine in the UK are kept outdoors all winter in outside, high mass, in-ground, bogs and have been down to -18C before now and frozen solid for some days, however, they don't get frequent freeze and thaw cycles due to the mass of the bogs. Obviously being outdoors in a bog I can't control the water content so well, all the bogs are drained for winter but they get as wet as the level of rain that the weather throws at them, but they never dry out.
Those plants in pots, kept in the same conditions, generally rot quite quickly after a week or two of freezing weather and cold but sunny days above freezing.
If you can prevent frequent freeze/thaw cycles they will be fine outdoors.
Watch out for desiccant wind in the cold (freezing) weather, if the pot ids frozen the roots cant draw up water and a desiccating wind will dry the plant out.
Cheers
Steve
By nycredneck
Location: 
Posts:  133
Joined:  Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:29 pm
#422550
Like Steve said, I thought the constant thaw freeze cycle was detrimental to VFT’s. Mine froze solid last winter but what really did them in was a strong arctic wind that lasted all day & night. I probably should have given them more time in spring to see if they would come back.
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By optique
Location: 
Posts:  1893
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm
#422558
Freezing will not hurt a flytrap. The side effects of prolonged deep cold will hurt your flytrap.(dehydration of plant tissues) Think of freezer burn, wind will speed this process up and warming back up resets the clock for the most part.

What am i saying? If like me, you only freeze at night and warm up above freezing in the sunlight hours you need zero protection for your flytraps. On the other hand if your daytime temperatures are below freezing you need some type of protection.

The only east coast north American carnivorous plant i have had issues with is the Florida red thread leafs, they seem to get a lot of tissue damage over the winter and come back so small.
By Inter and Fly
Posts:  32
Joined:  Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:20 am
#422664
ChefDean wrote: Mon Oct 24, 2022 10:02 am VFT's can handle temps down to 20°F (-7°C) for a time and probably won't freeze if given adequate insulation. In the wild, they regularly see ~20°F temps, but they have the ground, groundwater, and other insulating factors that prevent to rhizome from freezing.
In a pot below 20°F would likely result in a freezing episode for the rhizome, which it can handle. Even staying frozen for a short time wouldn't kill it all. However, if you regularly see below 20°F at night, and it warms to above freezing during the day, any VFT's left outside would likely be killed due to multiple freeze/thaw cycles. If you experience 0°F temps (-17°C) at night, and the daytime temps regularly get warm enough, your plants will be mush in a week due to freezing and thawing
Oh, frequent freeze/thaw cycle would be the problem much more than just freezing.. thanks for good information. I will keep in mind and try not to kill my plants by protecting them from the winter wind and freeze/thaw !
By Inter and Fly
Posts:  32
Joined:  Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:20 am
#422665
steve booth wrote: Mon Oct 24, 2022 10:22 am Exactly what ChefDean said. Mine in the UK are kept outdoors all winter in outside, high mass, in-ground, bogs and have been down to -18C before now and frozen solid for some days, however, they don't get frequent freeze and thaw cycles due to the mass of the bogs. Obviously being outdoors in a bog I can't control the water content so well, all the bogs are drained for winter but they get as wet as the level of rain that the weather throws at them, but they never dry out.
Those plants in pots, kept in the same conditions, generally rot quite quickly after a week or two of freezing weather and cold but sunny days above freezing.
If you can prevent frequent freeze/thaw cycles they will be fine outdoors.
Watch out for desiccant wind in the cold (freezing) weather, if the pot ids frozen the roots cant draw up water and a desiccating wind will dry the plant out.
Cheers
Steve
So the plants would be fine in cold weather but weak at dry out and frozen roots which can't draw up water ! I will watch out this thanks !
By Inter and Fly
Posts:  32
Joined:  Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:20 am
#422666
nycredneck wrote: Mon Oct 24, 2022 11:19 am Like Steve said, I thought the constant thaw freeze cycle was detrimental to VFT’s. Mine froze solid last winter but what really did them in was a strong arctic wind that lasted all day & night. I probably should have given them more time in spring to see if they would come back.
hope your plants are fine and looking forward the result !
By Inter and Fly
Posts:  32
Joined:  Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:20 am
#422667
optique wrote: Mon Oct 24, 2022 2:38 pm Freezing will not hurt a flytrap. The side effects of prolonged deep cold will hurt your flytrap.(dehydration of plant tissues) Think of freezer burn, wind will speed this process up and warming back up resets the clock for the most part.

What am i saying? If like me, you only freeze at night and warm up above freezing in the sunlight hours you need zero protection for your flytraps. On the other hand if your daytime temperatures are below freezing you need some type of protection.

The only east coast north American carnivorous plant i have had issues with is the Florida red thread leafs, they seem to get a lot of tissue damage over the winter and come back so small.
Then freeze/thaw wouldn't be the problem if daytime temp is warm enough for the roots to sop up the water, right?

I will cover it when severe wind blows or rainy/snowy day.

Hope my plants will be okay during this winter !
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