dedicated to advice and pictures of the most famous of all carnivorous plants
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Help, help what is VFT dormancy, it's almost winter my plant will die is what many people will be thinking, so calm down and take a sip of cocoa, then read this page. OK first of all yes your plant may well die, winter dormancy is the hardest part of keeping a VFT. Now a VFT without winter dormancy wll die anyway, you must give it dormancy. Dormancy is when a plant (in this case VFT) dies back to its rhizome to prepare for the winter, a VFT will however still have a few leaves with traps on to help get more energy for the next spring, at this time the plant does NOT need to be fed. |
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The first indication you will get of your plant going into dormancy is the weather will be cold (not hard to spot) and it will be cold where your VFT is. The season will be Winter or late Autum (if it's not your plant has died). Your plant's leaves will begin to slowly die back (if the leaves all die at once and are sticky or look gooey then your VFT is dead - you poor thing.) After they do begin to die back your plant is ready for dormancy. |
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Ok now this is the tricky bit, there are two different ways to help your plant survive the winter. 1. Move the plant from its normal spot into a cooler but still bright spot, this can be outside however it must stay inside if you do get frosts as one or two of these will kill a VFT. The plant will die in a dark place as it will still need sunlight, you must still water the plant just less then normal, keep the soil always damp but not too wet, the plant will not need food. 2. Dig up the rhizome, spray it with anti-fungicide, put it in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge. You must spray it with fungicide or fungus will rot it, the plant does not need light or food as it is in a deeper colder dormancy however the inside of the bag must be kept slighty moist. This method must be got right or they will die. I much prefer method number one, it is less complicated and is less risky but you can try whichever you want and good luck - you will need it! |
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