FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I bought a small Venus flytrap a little while back, and have been reading up on how to care for it. I'm wondering where to keep it during the dormancy period, and for how long.
I live in Norway, and the temperature will go below 0 degrees Celsius here in the winter so I can't keep outside. I live in a flat and have nowhere indoors that's cool enough and with enough light. I could keep it in the basement, but it wouldn't get any sunlight there as there are no windows. What to do?

Once it goes dormant, put it in the basement. I'm assuming your basement doesn't freeze, but stays cool enough, so you'll fine.
In Tennessee, the Winter can get cold at times, but the freeze/thaw would kill my VFT's. Once they go dormant, I put mine in my unheated, unlit garage. They'll stay there until Spring, and out they go.
You're good.

For VFTs, in mid – October I drain off excess water from the pots, hit them with a SULFUR based fungicide and place in zip lock bags and pop them in the fridge for 3 - 3 1/2 months. I occasionally check them (once a month) for fungus and hit with the fungicide if needed. Late winter around February/March I take them out and clean them up, hit them with SULFUR based fungicide again and place in a south and west window and some under florescent and white 'daylight' LED lights until night time temps. regularly stay above freezing then slowly acclimate them to full outdoor Sun. I've been using this method for 12 years with no losses.

tommyr wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:18 pm For VFTs, in mid – October I drain off excess water from the pots, hit them with a SULFUR based fungicide and place in zip lock bags and pop them in the fridge for 3 - 3 1/2 months. I occasionally check them (once a month) for fungus and hit with the fungicide if needed. Late winter around February/March I take them out and clean them up, hit them with SULFUR based fungicide again and place in a south and west window and some under florescent and white 'daylight' LED lights until night time temps. regularly stay above freezing then slowly acclimate them to full outdoor Sun. I've been using this method for 12 years with no losses.

What specific fungicide do you use? I need to order some anyway so might as well get one I know has been used and is safe.

kato_stud25 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 6:55 pm

tommyr wrote: ↑Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:18 pm For VFTs, in mid – October I drain off excess water from the pots, hit them with a SULFUR based fungicide and place in zip lock bags and pop them in the fridge for 3 - 3 1/2 months. I occasionally check them (once a month) for fungus and hit with the fungicide if needed. Late winter around February/March I take them out and clean them up, hit them with SULFUR based fungicide again and place in a south and west window and some under florescent and white 'daylight' LED lights until night time temps. regularly stay above freezing then slowly acclimate them to full outdoor Sun. I've been using this method for 12 years with no losses.

What specific fungicide do you use? I need to order some anyway so might as well get one I know has been used and is safe.

Bonide sulphur fungicide. Any sulphur based fungicide will do.

I was doing some reading up on using fungicides to use as a preventative to use before dormancy to help protect against rot and read some guys use a systimedic fungicide but I can not seem to be able to find the article or the brand they were using. You know anything about this?

kato_stud25 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 1:30 am I was doing some reading up on using fungicides to use as a preventative to use before dormancy to help protect against rot and read some guys use a systimedic fungicide but I can not seem to be able to find the article or the brand they were using. You know anything about this?

Any sulphur based fungicide will do. Sulfur is the key.

Does the sulfur decrease the soil ph? Dormancy is coming up soon and i just found out my soil got alkaline. Got a sulfer based fungicide coming today or tomorrow. I'm hoping ill knock out two things at once

RobieOsborne wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 7:02 pm Does the sulfur decrease the soil ph? Dormancy is coming up soon and i just found out my soil got alkaline. Got a sulfer based fungicide coming today or tomorrow. I'm hoping ill knock out two things at once

I have no idea but you use such a small amount it probably doesn't change things much if at all. I've never had an issue with it in over 12 years.

Do you put the pot and all in the zip lock bag? How do you do the Fungicide? Just add to soil?

After the plant hits dormancy, spray the surface of the media with the fungicide, put it in the ziploc, and put it in the fridge. Check monthly for fungus, hit lightly with fungicide if needed.
Don't worry about PH, just get it through dormancy, while controlling mold and fungus, and get it outside in the Spring.

RobieOsborne wrote: ↑Sun Sep 20, 2020 7:02 pm Does the sulfur decrease the soil ph? Dormancy is coming up soon and i just found out my soil got alkaline. Got a sulfer based fungicide coming today or tomorrow. I'm hoping ill knock out two things at once

Sulphur does - I use it for that purpose in my bogs, it doesn't work straight away as it needs temperatures above 10C so bacteria can work on it. However how much effect a sulphur based fungicide will have on PH, as it wont be pure sulphur, I have no idea.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks for the great info, Got some Sulfer Fungicide, and put my 2 plants in the Refrigerator. I will check on them once a month. Can't wait until spring to watch them grow.