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By evenwind
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Posts:  2255
Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#251290
Not sure whether this is worth a new thread or not...

My only choice for VFT dormancy is the refrigerator method. I've been decreasing the photoperiod for a couple of months now so that they're ready to be stashed them away once the Thanksgiving goodies vacate the fridge. (I've been taking them out again mid-to-late March.)

Now I've got 6 new C&M VFTs that have been thru plant hell for the last month or so. They're potted up and are receiving the same shortened "daylight" as the rest of my plants. They're obviously not going to be recovered in the next week or so when my other plants are due to be refrigerated.

So, I'm not at all sure what I should do about their dormancy. Should I let them recover for maybe 5 or 6 weeks and then refrigerate them for 3 months? Stick them in cold storage at the same time as everything else (ie. before they're recovered), figuring that they are already in dormancy? Skip dormancy for the year?

Anybody got any thoughts?

Thanks.
By sbrooks
Posts:  748
Joined:  Tue May 22, 2012 3:33 pm
#251308
I would think either way would work, but since they are already essentially dormant, I would probably go ahead and stash them when you stash the rest. I might have even changed out their wrapping and plastic and stuck them in the fridge right after receiving. But then again, I have never used the refrigerator method.
IMO, the least preferred method would be to skip dormancy.
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By katya_dog1
Posts:  2412
Joined:  Sat Aug 09, 2014 1:45 pm
#251311
Yes. Skipping dormancy is definitely a no-no. A light 8 week dormancy should do them fine for this year. I'd just give them a month or so to recover before sticking them in with your other plants.

But-- I'm no expert on fridge dormancy. I'm just offering up an idea.
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By TS 1989
Posts:  459
Joined:  Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:02 pm
#251319
evenwind wrote:Not sure whether this is worth a new thread or not...

My only choice for VFT dormancy is the refrigerator method. I've been decreasing the photoperiod for a couple of months now so that they're ready to be stashed them away once the Thanksgiving goodies vacate the fridge. (I've been taking them out again mid-to-late March.)

Now I've got 6 new C&M VFTs that have been thru plant hell for the last month or so. They're potted up and are receiving the same shortened "daylight" as the rest of my plants. They're obviously not going to be recovered in the next week or so when my other plants are due to be refrigerated.

So, I'm not at all sure what I should do about their dormancy. Should I let them recover for maybe 5 or 6 weeks and then refrigerate them for 3 months? Stick them in cold storage at the same time as everything else (ie. before they're recovered), figuring that they are already in dormancy? Skip dormancy for the year?

Anybody got any thoughts?

Thanks.
Or skip dormancy for this year. I skipped it once and the plant seems unaffected, but not as vigorous.
By Earthy
Posts:  1292
Joined:  Tue Oct 14, 2014 4:58 pm
#251355
katya_dog1 wrote:Yes. Skipping dormancy is definitely a no-no. A light 8 week dormancy should do them fine for this year. I'd just give them a month or so to recover before sticking them in with your other plants.

But-- I'm no expert on fridge dormancy. I'm just offering up an idea.
a lot of seasoned growers say 10 weeks minimum for dormancy to get the best rest for the plant and the vigorous growth in the Spring. the people I got the majority of my flytraps from live in TX and NM, and that's the minimum amount of weeks theirs get and they have some of the healthiest plants I know lol...
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By evenwind
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Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#251358
Earthy wrote: a lot of seasoned growers say 10 weeks minimum for dormancy to get the best rest for the plant and the vigorous growth in the Spring. the people I got the majority of my flytraps from live in TX and NM, and that's the minimum amount of weeks theirs get and they have some of the healthiest plants I know lol...
I don't know if any of us disagree. My problem is that I don't know whether the plants are already dormant or just beaten up from the trip. I'm trying to figure out if I should give them time to recover before I refrigerate them or not. It seems like katya_dog1 is offering up an workable compromise.
By katya_dog1
Posts:  2412
Joined:  Sat Aug 09, 2014 1:45 pm
#251369
Earthy wrote:
katya_dog1 wrote:Yes. Skipping dormancy is definitely a no-no. A light 8 week dormancy should do them fine for this year. I'd just give them a month or so to recover before sticking them in with your other plants.

But-- I'm no expert on fridge dormancy. I'm just offering up an idea.
a lot of seasoned growers say 10 weeks minimum for dormancy to get the best rest for the plant and the vigorous growth in the Spring. the people I got the majority of my flytraps from live in TX and NM, and that's the minimum amount of weeks theirs get and they have some of the healthiest plants I know lol...
Yes. Mike and Steve both do that, and long term that's the way to go. But for these plants? Evenwind doesn't know if they are dormant or not, and doing a shorter dormancy this year will be vastly better than skipping it. If they are already dormant, they'll be fine, and they will stay dormant and it will be no different from a normal dormancy.

If they are not dormant, though, throwing them in the fridge isn't going to make them happy considering all the stress they just went through. Again, I'm not a normal fridge dormancy person, but I'm simply letting Evenwind know what I'd do if I was in this situation. His choice to decide, after all they're his plants.

Maybe Matt will chime in.
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By Matt
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Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#251371
My belief is to always just start giving flytraps natural sunlight as soon as you receive them, regardless of where they came from or what condition they are in. The sooner they get acclimated to sunlight and adjust to the seasons, the healthier they will be in the long term.
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By evenwind
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#251378
Matt wrote:My belief is to always just start giving flytraps natural sunlight as soon as you receive them, regardless of where they came from or what condition they are in. The sooner they get acclimated to sunlight and adjust to the seasons, the healthier they will be in the long term.
Matt - I certainly agree with you. But sunlight isn't an option for me. They're going to have to live under my lights and "enjoy" domancy in a refrigerator. While I can slowly adjust the photoperiod down, at some point they got to make the move to the cold & dark... I'm just trying to figure out the safest way of doing it.
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By evenwind
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Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#251379
Okay, I sent an email to Chris of Carnivores & More and got this back (underline mine):

I do think the climate here in Germany is not that different from the climate on your side. Now the Dionaea are dormant here, but I let them in the greenhouse over winter. I think they have been on the way to go dormant, when we sent them . I have no experience with the fridge method and am not shure if is a good idea to store them after a 4 week journey....
But if you have no other way it should work.
I wish
Good growing
Chris


So, I think I'm leaning towards 4 or 5 weeks under a short photoperiod (for acclimation) and then 3 months in the cold & dark. I just wish they were easier to replace if I screw up.
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By evenwind
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Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#252102
An added complication: I've been letting the C&M VFTs sit under my short photoperiod lights in preparation for a winter in the fridge. I was checking them today and noticed that two of the six are putting up flower buds.(!) Obviously, they're not in pre-dormancy.

Should I just ignore (and cut off) the buds and proceed with my plan to have them join the rest in the fridge in a couple of weeks? Or does the fact that they're blooming mean that it's too late for this year and I should just grow them without a formal dormancy?
By sbrooks
Posts:  748
Joined:  Tue May 22, 2012 3:33 pm
#252111
evenwind wrote: Should I just ignore (and cut off) the buds and proceed with my plan to have them join the rest in the fridge in a couple of weeks? Or does the fact that they're blooming mean that it's too late for this year and I should just grow them without a formal dormancy?
I think that you should continue to sync them with the same conditions as the others. Flytraps do sometimes grow flower stalks in the fall. Not sure if it has to do with stress or environmental changes, or just nature wanting to get freaky with it.
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By zsyxcbibi
Posts:  160
Joined:  Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:00 pm
#252607
Image

Image

My green wizard and microdent's flower stalks are turning into odd shape. I never have a flower stalk like these before.

Could they turn to false vivipary? If so I will definitely keep them. I have no experience with false vivipary, don't know how do they look like at early phase.
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