FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi guys,

First-time dormancy here and just had a couple questions.

So a number of weeks ago, when it started getting colder where I live, I started bringing my VFT indoors overnight, and, as it got even colder, I begun keeping it fully indoors instead of out on the railing where it usually lives outside. The reason I did this is because I read online somewhere that you should try and mimic the plant's native climate, and my climate was getting colder much sooner than North / South Carolina's. Since then it's just been living on a windowsill that gets good sun (on a sidenote, further research has made me think that actually it was not necessary to try and recreate the plant's native climate though? If someone could clarify this that'd be fantastic).

Now though, I have finally started digging into this dormancy situation as I understand that it is now getting to the time when everyone is doing it regardless of where they live.

In doing this, I learned that where I live on Vancouver Island, Canada seems to fall within zone 8a as far as hardiness. So, with that said, am I right in thinking that my plant is actually ok to be left outside year-round (aside from a few colder spells where I could bring it inside for a little bit perhaps)? If that's the case then I'm very relieved as hopefully this means that dormancy is actually very simple for me.

My question though, if I am correct that my plant is good to just be outside all the time, is would it be ok to put the plant directly outside now considering I have kept it fully inside for the last few weeks? My outdoor temperatures are of course significantly lower than my house temperature and so I'm wondering if I'd need to allow it to transition into the cold somehow rather than just throwing it straight out there?

Also, my last question, would I want to get my plant's growing medium to a relatively low moisture level before I put it outside (if indeed I should put it outside at all...)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Ps. In the past, I've left posts on here asking for help with things, and following receiving some advice, I've left the post alone instead of responding to those who have tried to help me out. I wanted to apologize for this as I really appreciate those who have reached out to help me and I did not intend to come across in a negative way by doing this. It's just a bad habit I have of taking the information from messages I receive but forgetting to actually respond to them in the end. I am trying to stop doing this!

EDIT: maybe my zone isn't 8a, it might actually be 8b from what I'm seeing.

I'm in the UK zone 8a ish, and I leave mine outside through winter in, in ground bogs and they come through fine, althoug they look a mess. If yours are in pots they will have less mass and warm/cool more quickly. It is the frequent freeze/thaw cycles that kill them coupled with desiccant winds that suck the moisture out the leaves that cant be replaced if the roots are frozen.
Put the plants outside, no need to lower the moisture levels, it will rain on them anyway.
Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks a lot for the reply. I am a little confused by your mention of the ground bogs and the freeze thaw cycles. Are you saying that my plant is at risk being outside in these temperatures being that it's in a pot?

All the best

Yes, plants in pots are far more susceptible to rapid temperature changes as there isn't a large substrate mass to slow the temperature swings down. When you get a frost (which they do in the wild) the Venus Flytrap's leaves will dry and die, but the rhizome and roots are usually protected from freezing by the mass of substrate keeping the soil above freezing. In small pots outside this doesn't happen, and the substrate freezes, and whilst this can happen a few times or even remain frozen for days without too many problems, frequent freeze and thaws damage roots and rhizome and they rot.
The desiccant wind exacerbates this situation, when the soil is frozen, the roots cant transport the moisture needed to the leaves that the wind is removing, and effectively they freeze dry.
In short you should be OK, but it all depends on your weather cycles, not very helpful I know but that is the way it is.

Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve, thanks for the reply.

I put the plant outside. I am concerned that something very bad has ended up happening however. I have just made a new post discussing it if you would be interested.

Best,
Will