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Discussions about anything related to Venus Flytraps, cultivars and named clones

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By Jonathan_
Posts:  307
Joined:  Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:00 am
#362233
So apparently Venus Fly Traps don't need dormancy, if they are grown indoors. Apparently the only reason they go dormant in North and South Carolina is due to the weather getting cooler and their food sources are either dormant or dead from the cold weather thus makes sense for the VFT to sleep. The way to keep Venus Fly Traps alive for all the years is plenty of light with regular feeding schedules. I have attached a document for anyone interested.
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By Propag8
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Posts:  397
Joined:  Wed Jun 10, 2020 8:43 pm
#362234
There is a very long previous post about this touchy subject that got some people pretty heated check it out by searching the forum using the search option. For the record I am for a dormancy and I grow indoors only.
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By ChefDean
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Joined:  Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:44 am
#362252
Propag8 wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:55 am There is a very long previous post about this touchy subject that got some people pretty heated check it out by searching the forum using the search option. For the record I am for a dormancy and I grow indoors only.
The thing with that thread was, although everyone agreed that John Brittnacher is one of the most knowledgeable people in regards to cp's, there is also hundreds of thousands of years of evolution in how VFT's live. The problem with that thread that most of the people arguing were guys. And many guys just can't get over themselves, they have to be right. If you re-read that thread, it boils down to Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck arguing what hunting season it is. "Rabbit season! Duck season! Rabbit season! Duck season!" On and on, neverending. (I just gave a hint to my age. Many of the younger members won't get that reference.)
Most of the women posting on that thread were the voice of reason, pointing out that it's your plant, do what you want with it. And they are right. They then scrolled on.
I've been married almost 26 years, and it's a hard pill to swallow that women are usually right. Just give her a kiss and say yes dear.
Not that I'm advocating kissing any of our female forum members, unless they want you to, um, maybe just a firm handshake, no, no contact due to the 'Rona,... imma stopping before I go too far down that rabbit hole.
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By Matt
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Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#362263
Yep, if you are diligent about controlling the conditions and constantly feeding Venus flytraps, they CAN grow indefinitely indoors without a "traditional" dormancy -- though they still slow down a lot in the winter if they receive some ambient sunlight, as John's plants do. It is far easier and far less risky to simply let them do what they do naturally in their native environment and that's go "dormant" as we call it.

I just visited John a couple of weeks ago at his home and we talked about this. He said he has to feed them very often to keep them happy. I hadn't read his article yet until just now. This is the fundamental key for growing flytraps indoors and skipping dormancy:
It is critical that the plants be fed regularly. Strong light and regular feeding are the keys to growing VFTs indoors long term. In other words, the plants must be growing constantly and to do that they need lots of light and lots of food.
In the other thread that Jagasian started about his SD Kronos, it is obvious from the photos that the plant's divisions are wanting a dormancy. But evidently, if you just keep feeding them, they continue to grow and while the original growth point dies, the new growth points just keep going. Sounds like a lot of work to me, particularly if you grow thousands of plants, but it is possible to trick flytraps into skipping dormancy. This is similar to the same way they grow in tissue culture, as I've had several flytraps in TC growing for many years now. However, with this information, I wouldn't go so far as to say that "VFTs don't need dormancy." I would phrase it as "VFTs can be tricked into skipping dormancy if they are constantly fed throughout the winter and provided artificial lighting that is unnatural."

I think the most important paragraph in John's article is this one:
I do not claim that how I grow my VFTs indoors is the best way ever or even if someone tries to duplicate what I do that there will not be problems. So much depends on the exact details of what you can and cannot do. If what you are doing works for you, great! Some of the details are general for any plant you grow in pots; others are critical for VFTs.
In the article, I noted that he also covers the top portion of the rhizome with sand to prevent nasties from growing on the peat moss he uses. That's genius! It will alleviate most of the common mold and rot problems that occur when growing indoors.

Isn't it great that there are people out there who are willing to experiment and then share their knowledge with the community?! John is one of the best at conducting diligent and thorough experiments and I'm very grateful to him for sharing this hard-earned knowledge with everyone!!
Adriana, evenwind, MikeB and 1 others liked this
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By sanguinearocks101
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Posts:  1665
Joined:  Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:56 am
#362379
ChefDean wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:04 pm If you re-read that thread, it boils down to Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck arguing what hunting season it is. "Rabbit season! Duck season! Rabbit season! Duck season!" On and on, neverending.
The signs never stop...(forgive me if this doesn’t make sense I remember them pulling down signs when they were arguing)
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By Apollyon
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Posts:  1663
Joined:  Tue May 05, 2020 2:49 am
#362381
Can't believe Looney Tunes shows our age now. Probably going to have its own genre like "classic rock." "Historical Cartoons."

And wtf is YEET?
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By sanguinearocks101
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Joined:  Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:56 am
#362392
Apollyon wrote: Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:09 pm Can't believe Looney Tunes shows our age now. Probably going to have its own genre like "classic rock." "Historical Cartoons."

And wtf is YEET?
I believe yeet is a term for throwing things. For example “Did you see him yeet that ball?” Not sure though, I’ve seen children in my neighborhood yell yeet randomly. Maybe it’s an inside joke or something like that.
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By evenwind
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Posts:  2160
Joined:  Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:16 pm
#362394
According to the Slang Dictionary: Yeet is an exclamation of excitement, approval, surprise, or all-around energy, often as issued when doing a dance move or throwing something. News to me.
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