FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I couldn't resist trying to 'rescue" a VFT/Sarrecenia combo (photo below) that appeared at a local store. They don't normally sell CPs and I'm in a hot tropical part of Australia, really NOT the best climate for these plants but there is plenty of sun for them outside.

They are quite small, Sarr height less than 9cm / 3 1/2 inches but crowded in the tiny pot they were sold in.

Is it reasonable to keep them together in the same small pot? Perhaps better to transfer to separate pots for Sarr and VFT?

If I repot, is it okay now (we are heading into the less-hot half of the year) or wait... ?

I'll be grateful for advice thanks!!

You will need to separate them into two pots. They require much different soil conditions. They can both handle a peat/perlite mix but the sarrs will like it wet and the flytrap will like it just moist. Both will love bright sun, but gradually acclimate them to it being as they've been in at least semi-shade for a while while being shipped and in the store. That's a nice looking pot of plants! Nice find!

Those look really nice. Great score!
You can keep them together, they have similar enough needs (not exact, but close enough) that they'll do fine together. However, my biggest concern would be the media. If you know it's peat, then leave them be. If you don't know, then a repot into known media might be a good course of action.

Intheswamp wrote:You will need to separate them into two pots. They require much different soil conditions.

Like ChefDean said, similar but different. The sarr will certainly withstand much wetter conditions than the flytrap, but it won't mind somewhat drier soil either. Both will require dormancy, and after that you can decode of you want to repot them separately or into a larger pot.

Nice group of plants!

I’d go with what Chef and Panman said. They’ve been doing this a lot longer than I have. For some reason I was thinking the sarrs would want it wetter than the flytrap. Sorry if I confused you.

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 8:32 pm I’d go with what Chef and Panman said. They’ve been doing this a lot longer than I have. For some reason I was thinking the sarrs would want it wetter than the flytrap. Sorry if I confused you.

Don't apologize, you're exactly correct. The Sarr typically does prefer a wetter media, but can tolerate the same conditions as a VFT. She was more asking if it was better to separate them now, while it's hot (but getting cooler), or wait. I suggested keeping them together more for what I left unsaid; that they were recently acquired, so likely shocky. A repot would shock them more when it wasn't necessarily needed right now.

plantnerdjules wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 5:38 am They are quite small, Sarr height less than 9cm / 3 1/2 inches but crowded in the tiny pot they were sold in.

Is it reasonable to keep them together in the same small pot? Perhaps better to transfer to separate pots for Sarr and VFT?

I've seen reports from people in the tropics who say their Sarracenia and Venus flytraps go dormant in the winter despite the warm temperatures. Then again, I've seen reports from people who put their plants in the refrigerator for 3 months to simulate winter conditions. Here's a short video interview with Trevor Hannam in Cairns:

Personally, I would use the fridge method to give the plants conditions that approximate the climate from which they originated.

As for repotting, it's best to do this while the plants are dormant (if you're using the bare-root fridge method, then you'll have to repot them anyway when they come out). I would put them in separate pots to give each plant plenty of room. They would be happy in pots at least 10 centimeters / 4 inches in diameter (the Sarracenia will need a larger pot in a year or two as it gets bigger). Try to find tall pots, at least 10 centimeters / 4 inches deep, preferably 15 centimeters / 6 inches. These plants have long roots and appreciate having some "leg room".

Thank you Intheswamp, ChefDean, Panman and MikeB for helping me! Not sure if I understood correctly... are you saying it's best to put these plants into fridge-dormancy now, repot later?

The plants seem to have adapted well to full sun (I got them 3 weeks ago) although still very small. I struggle with the idea of suddenly chopping their leaves off and moving them from 32°C/90°F to the fridge for enforced dormancy Would this actually be beneficial for them right now?

The idea with fridge dormancy is to encourage the plants to wind down for winter, then move them to the fridge. That way, there isn't an abrupt transition from warm and sunny to cold and dark.

You can skip fridge dormancy this time around. Watch the plants to see what they do. If they show signs of dormancy while sitting outside or in a windowsill, then you just might be able to skip the fridge entirely.

MikeB wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 3:09 am The idea with fridge dormancy is to encourage the plants to wind down for winter, then move them to the fridge. That way, there isn't an abrupt transition from warm and sunny to cold and dark.

You can skip fridge dormancy this time around. Watch the plants to see what they do. If they show signs of dormancy while sitting outside or in a windowsill, then you just might be able to skip the fridge entirely.

Thank you Mike, I don't have any way to actively encourage winding down, but our daylight period is shortening at this time of year so I hope they might respond to that. I will watch them carefully!

Is it possible to see from the photo what Sarr species this might be?

The shorter photoperiod will definitely help to trigger dormancy. If you can place the plants on the east or northeast side of a building, then they'll get morning sun but be in the shade before mid-day. That will help with the process, too. Hopefully, you'll see Sarracenia growth slow down and then stop; the flytrap growth may slow down a lot and produce short, wide, ground-hugging petioles. Those are signs of dormancy.

If I lived in the tropics, then I would try Sarracenia species (and hybrids) that are from the Gulf-coast region of the U.S.:

• S. alata
• S. flava (the northwest-Florida plants, as opposed to those from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia)
• S. leucophylla
• S. minor
• S. psittacina
• S. rosea
• S. rubra ssp. gulfensis

These species are used to mild winters where it usually gets just cool: bottoms-out at 7-10°C/45-50°F just before dawn, warms up to 15-21°C/60-70°F in late afternoon. They are more likely to adapt to life in the tropics.