FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi guys ! I've got a question. I put all of my VFT's into a deep fridge dormancy on November 3rd. I followed the instructions posted on this website. This is the 2nd year that I've used this method and just like last year everything seems to be going great. I checked on my plants today and they're looking good.

I've got over 100 VFT's in all sizes and varieties. I'm getting antsy ... LOL. Since it's been over two months, I'm dying to to get something growing again. I'm thinking of taking some of my Big Mouths or maybe some of my Low Giants out of dormancy and placing them in a pot under artificial lighting. What do you think ? Is it too early for this ? I'd love to get some opinions.

i think it might be early yet but i share ur pain

You could take some out of the refrigerator and give them light and intermediate temperatures (not cold, not hot) and they can decide for themselves if they wish to come out of dormancy now or not. If not, the intermediate temperatures won't harm them after the rest they've already received.

I decided to give my Venus Flytraps a light dormancy this year, and I extended the season last year by keeping the temperatures in the greenhouse from getting too low too quick, nor being as variable as outside (cold fronts followed by warm "Indian Summer" spells, etc.). My Flytraps entered dormancy toward the end of November, and some of them are already beginning to break dormancy, growing wide, prostrate spring leaves and growing at an accelerating rate. So these Venus Flytraps have only experienced 7-8 weeks of dormancy, and with the stable, not-too-cold temperatures I've kept them at (lows about 50 Fahrenheit, daytime temps often in the 70s and occasionally low 80s with the solar gain in the greenhouse, despite lower or highly variable temperatures outside), and with the day length now increasing every day, many (but not all) of the Flytraps are deciding to wake up early.

Thanks Steve ... I'm following your advice. I took some Big Mouths and some of the Seed Grown plants that you guys sent me and repotted them this morning. Just couldn't wait any longer.

I know exactly how you feel.
Can't wait till all the Sarras start growing again! Show us how your flytraps get on!

Here are some photo's. I'll post some updates in the coming weeks.

My Big Mouths (and others) have been outdoors. This last week it's been up in the upper 70s several days in the week but still getting down in the 40s and 50s. Not sure if this last warm week has sparked a little growth but they're still pretty dormant.

If grown outdoors, the highly variable temperatures of late winter and Spring, warm spells followed by very cold spells for example, can keep plants in dormancy longer; the temperature has not stabilized yet. When grown in controlled temperature conditions on the other hand, where the temperatures are stabilized by human intervention in late winter and early spring so that they are cool but not cold, and warm but not too hot during the day when the sun is shining, reassures the plants that with the growing number of daylight minutes per day in combination with the relatively stable temperatures, that they can begin to grow again, although they seem to do so somewhat tentatively at first, not as fast as during the growing season for a while.

An artificially controlled temperature environment can extend the growing season in the Fall and start it sooner in the Spring, although a reasonable length of rest is necessary for the health of the Flytrap. I'm not sure what the minimum is yet. I used to think that a dormancy of 10-12 weeks was a practical minimum, but now I'm thinking that possibly could be shortened to as little as 8-10 weeks. Intermediate temperatures (not too cold, not too hot) can allow the plants to stay in dormancy if they want, or wake up from their winter sleep if they want.