FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone

I bought a flytrap back in July from a DIY/mini garden centre store. It was small back then, but it trapped many fly's out on the patio and I ended up re potting it using carnivorous plant mix, and only water it using rain water. Anyway, it has grown fantastically and has been really healthy. My issue is that even though its the time of year that I should be thinking of putting it to dormancy, it is still growing traps by the score! Lots of mini/baby size traps in the middle of the plant to be exact, plus of course the full grown size traps too. I have had a few traps going black and dying off - but my main question is does it have to go into dormancy this year? The thing is, I live in the UK, South West to be exact, and the weather here is so up and down, at the moment its 10c and sunny, but by next week it might go down to 0c...So with such mild weather at the moment, and even if we get a cold spell, its not going to be sub zero weather. So how is it going to go into proper dormancy? Any suggestions would be helpful, its my first flytrap and I'm really happy that its grown so much and so healthy looking, I don't want to do it wrong in any way!

Thanks

Forgot to say, it is now indoors on a sunny windowsill..

Hi, if you only have the one, get one of those domed propagators (Homebase have them), that go right over the pot. Stand the propagator on a rock for a bit of ventilation and something on the top to avoid wind picking it up.
You can then leave it outside, keep it slightly moist, until Spring area.

I will do that, thank you!

Chances are, foxsmummy, that it is already well into dormancy. I'd personally keep it on the window sill during the winter. The short day cycles have signaled the plant to go dormant, and you'll see lots of small traps and shorter, wider, low growing leaf blades. The cooler temperatures by the window should be sufficient, unless they are sitting directly above a radiator. They will grow VERY slow. Slow down your watering cycle during this time.

Thanks, so that's why there are so many small traps! I will keep it on the windowsill in the conservatory (no heating in there) and water sparingly.

Just the ticket

I don't know, but on account of the gulf stream my understanding is Europe is warmer further north than the US. I'd guess the southern UK has about the same clime as North Carolina. You may be north of me but right now it's -15 Celsius in the US midwest.

Mind you, that's Illinois. Flytraps grow in N. Carolina which is warmer. But not as warm as Florida. They do get freezing winters but they don't really get far below freezing, so flytraps like a mild dormancy they don't want a Minnesota dormancy at -30 with 8 feet of snow. Your clime in SW England might be fairly similar to where flytraps grow in nature. Right now North Carolina is about 15 degrees Celsius.