FlyTrapCare Forums

hi, im looking to grow some vfts this coming spring, summer, and fall indoors using lights. ive heard somewhere that vfts dont need light if theyre going through dormancy. i guess that goes for other plants that require dormancy as well. the way i want to put them through dormancy is in a dark, cool, unheated garage around 30-60 degrees still being planted in their growing plants, kept moist with reasonable humidity during the winter. is it ok to put the vfts into dormancy like that, right away? thanks.

I would ease them into dormancy first before placing them into the garage. If they are under grow lights, then you should gradually decrease the amount of light they receive starting mid September or early October. Usually, the amount of artificial light a flytrap should receive is 16 hours, but by December it should only be 8-10 hours. This slow decrease in light will signal them to prepare for dormancy. Around mid November is when you will want to place them in the garage as they should be ready for it then. If you can somehow supplement them with light I suggest you do so as a dormancy without any light isn't the best thing for flytraps.

I thought I could give them a dormancy like that. I know lightless dormancy is not best for vfts as they still seem to grow regardless of dormancy, but I assume a good grow setting with healthy plants during the rest of the three seasons would help the plant cope with lightless dormancy as long as I maintain them ample moist, cool, and humid. Thanks for the help pieguy452.

im aware dark, dank, overly-humid places can cause fungus attacks, but i plan on putting the vfts in an aquarium with an empty saucer just to catch over-head watering to keep the soil moist enough, filling the bottom of the tank with about a half inch of water for humidity, not covering the aquarium with anything for ventilation and putting tank and all in a dark, cool garage for 3-4 months. all the plants could use would be light, but they don't require it during dormancy if kept happy enough and the criteria of easing/preparing them for their dormancy is met. i think it's a good plan. if there's anybody that thinks/knows otherwise, please le me know. thanks

Have you read the articles about dormancy on this site?

http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-dormancy.html

http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-tr ... -faqs.html

As you say, a dark, damp environment is the perfect recipe for fungus, mold and rot. On the care sheet that comes with every flytrap purchased here, it says, "For Venus flytraps, being soggy wet and cold is unhealthy (just like it is for people) and can cause fungal infections, rot and even death."

http://www.flytrapcare.com/store/venus- ... care-sheet

Instead, try to think about where flytraps grow in the wild... In the wintertime, the sun does sink lower in the sky and becomes weaker, but it never goes away completely and they still receive at least 8 hours of sunlight each day. At night, the temperature drops down *near* freezing, but not below it. Those are the conditions to simulate for what a flytrap needs during the winter so it can rest for a few months before starting to grow again in the spring.

Good luck!

i was just thinking sort of doing the fridge thing without having to uproot the plant and/or set it inside a fridge for 3-4 months. i suppose the idea could work as long as I dont let the bulbs freeze by properly insulating with leaves and all that because i have set plants that require a dormancy in the garage for that period of time with success coming Spring. I suppose itll take time for the traps to start growing but I think increasing the daylight and giving them proper settings could help get them back to growing.