Question

Going slow grow  
My super Dionaea looki   QUESTION: Hello Sarracenia :)

I've had this Dionaea since summer that apparently were grown here in Puerto Rico. I asked the person that sold it to me what was the process to hibernate the plant. She said they never did that, they just separate the babies and sold them. According to her way of growing, the plant lives for 2 or 3 years because they are not local and she never put them in dormancy.

Right now my Dionaea is looking beautiful and from what I've read it's time to put them in dormancy. I've never done this before but I want to do it for the well-being of the plant. My question is, since you guys have recommended not to touch them if they look OK, and the fly traps are looking awesome, should I feed them and wait till November to put them in hibernation??

And what should I do with the babies that have grown around the main plant? Do they have to be put in hibernation also? Or should O separate them and keep them outside for the next year? I don't want to lose them all since its my first time doing this.

The second plant, I also bought it this summer. It bloomed (flowered) and I cut the flower to avoid weakening the plant since I read it was recommended to do so. But them it started to grow small traps as if it was trying to tell me that it needed to hibernate. Did I get the message right? Does that behavior indicate that it's time to sleep??

ANSWER: Hi Gabriel,

Before I get into advice on the dormancy, tell me more about your current growing conditions including the following:

1.  # Hours of direct sun.

2.  Water source

3.  Your current night temperatures and daytime highs.

4.  Your current day length in Puerto Rico.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The sun start at 6am to 6:30pm . Hours of direct sun like 5 hours.  Rain water or destilated. Day temperature going to 96f to 100f is hot but alot of hunidity. And at night going to 72F.

ANSWER: Hi Gabriel,

It probably is time for dormancy soon, but I would wait until mid-November.  Between now and then something you can do, if you can, is put your plants in the refrigerator at night to simulate cooler nights like they would get in nature.  Just be sure they don't freeze.  Currently in the Wilmington, NC area day temperatures in the 70's and 80's still, and nights are starting to dip into the 60's and 70's at night, so you can let them grow for another month.

Here's a great article that has good detail on dormancy of Venus Flytraps:  http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-dormancy.html There's a particularly good link on doing the refrigerator method for dormancy, which you will probably need to do in Puerto Rico.

I wouldn't do any separation of the plants now; that is best done when they come out of dormancy.  You also don't need to do any special feeding. That won't be of any particular benefit.  Just let them catch insects normally.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have to take out of the pot or I can leave it in the pot???

Thanks

Answer
Hi Gabriel,

If you can leave them in their pots, I tend to prefer that.  Flytraps seem to do better if they don't get as much root disturbance during dormancy.  If you're tight on space, however, you can bare-root them.  Here they show doing that:  http://www.flytrapcare.com/venus-fly-trap-dormancy/fridge-dormancy-tutorial.html

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com