FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Will my vft shrivel back and die? Or will it go back then come back? Can someone tell me how it works because I'm new and from reading stuff it sounds like they die:( It would be nice if you could tell me what to do with my vft in terms of making it not die during dormancy... I live in NY if climate is a factor...

The plant will stop producing leaves during dormancy. The traps that remain from the previous growing season will cease to function and will start to look pretty ragged over the winter. A few traps may die completely and the rest of the old ones will after new growth resumes in the spring.

As for your climate, it depends on where in New York you live as I understand the climate is quite variable across the state. Flytraps don't like being frozen due to the dehydrating effect it has on potted plants so you will need to protect them.

Got it, do I need a terrarium? Is it a necessity? Because I can adjust temp by the heater, so they don't freeze.

Since NY can experience harsh winters your best bet for dormancy is if you can keep them inside a cold garage or patio. If you don't have either of those then you can always place your VFT in a windowsill. Also during dormancy be sure not to water them as frequently as you do over the growing season. Since they are dormant they require far less water than they do over the growing season. As fall arrives you will notice your plant starting to produce more ground hugging traps instead of the upright traps most do during the growing season. Pretty much if you protect your VFT from freezes, cold windy gusts and decrease the amount of watering then it should survive dormancy just fine and then resume growth in the spring.

Everybody here has answered your questions satisfactorily. I just wanted to throw out a reminder: Photoperiod matters more than temperature. As long as it's only getting eight hours of artificial light or it's indoors on a windowsill getting 4-6 hours of light, in the winter it will stay dormant.

Flytraps are influenced mainly by photoperiod. I once had to bring my flytraps inside for a month during dormancy because of the temps outside. I kept them in a south facing windowsill and all did great and never cam out of dormancy.

I wonder why they didn't ?? Anyways THANKS to everyone who is giving me tips and answering my questions!!!