Question
I want to buy a Venus Fly Trap but I have several questions:

In terms of dormancy I am not clear about something.  I live in NYC where the winter temperature varies above and below freezing temperatures constantly, I am planning to put a wired plant holder OUTSIDE my window sill and put my VFT on it. The reason I don抰 want to put the VFT indoor next to my window is because my radiator runs the length of all my windows and the heat generated is very hot and would kill VFT.

1.  Is it OK if I leave the VFT OUTSIDE my window sill during dormancy stage?

2.  How can I prevent damage to the VFT when the outside temperature falls below freezing? Will covering with leaves and mulch be enough to help the VFT to survive the freezing temperatures?

3.  If the outside temperature is freezing or below freezing, should I bring it indoors temporary although the temperature inside my apartment is hot?  How long should I leave indoors in hot temperatures (the temperature inside my apartment is about above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

4.  How much light does the VFT require during dormancy? If I bring it indoors can I use a plant light such as the Glentronics Intelligent Plant Light? How many hours of light should it get during dormancy?

5. Finally, should the VFT be fed food such as dried flies during dormancy or NOT fed at all? And if yes, how much food?1 fly every 2 weeks for example?  

Thank you.

Samson


Answer
Yours is a challenging situation, and I'm not sure what to recommend.

Although Venus Flytraps can survive even if their leaves have been frostbitten or frozen, by subsequently growing new leaves to replace those that were killed by frost, they are not adapted to having the entire plant including the roots and "bulb" underground frozen, and may die if completely frozen. In the natural habitat of the Venus Flytrap, the average lowest winter temperatures are still above freezing, in the mid to upper 30s Fahrenheit, and although of course at times the air will freeze, the plants may not because of the heat radiating from the gigantic thermal mass of the soil they grow in, which also protects the roots and bulb from freezing even if the leaves were to freeze.

Venus Flytraps do not need extremely cold temperatures during dormancy. The 40s and 50s for most of the day, with warmer temperatures at times such as during the daylight hours even up into the 70s and (briefly) the 80s is sufficient for their dormancy, and it is better for the plant to prevent it from freezing at all, because the leaves continue to photosynthesize during dormancy and provide food for the plant's Spring growth.

Regarding your questions--

1. I would not leave the Venus Flytrap outside a window in air that may freeze, unless some method can be devised to keep the plant and its growing medium from freezing.

2. A mulch helps by keeping heat radiated from a thermal mass close around a plant, like a blanket helps keep the heat from our bodies close to us. Leaves and mulch will not help if the plant and its pot are not resting on the ground or against a large thermal mass (material that retains and radiates some of the heat it contains or absorbs, such as the earth, thick walls or water containers painted black to absorb heat). Even these may not be enough if the freezing weather lasts for long.

3. Putting a Venus Flytrap in a refrigerator (not the freezer) for relatively short times can be an option, but Venus Flytraps do use light during dormancy, so depriving them of light by keeping them in the refrigerator for too long is not as healthy for the plant. In addition, long times spent in a refrigerator, especially if covered, can encourage fungal infection. Regarding fungal infection and possible rot, it is important not to keep the growing medium wet during dormancy, but instead, after watering thoroughly, to allow the medium to dry over a period of perhaps 5-15 days (depending on individual conditions and rate of drying) until just on the dry side of moist before watering thoroughly again.

4. To be beneficial, an artificial light should produce the amount or intensity of light comparable to the range of natural sunlight. Many people use fluorescent lights, bearing in mind that the plant must be fairly close to the light because the intensity diminishes rapidly with distance. I use LED grow lights for my indoor growing area, which produce high intensity, focused light usually in the red and blue parts of the spectrum, the frequencies plants use most. A fairly reasonably priced and effective LED grow light is produced by Sunshine Systems, their GlowPanel 45. I use 3 GlowPanel 45s per four-feet length of shelf, with the plants about 15-18 inches below the bottom of the lights.

Sunshine Systems (manufacturers of the GlowPanel 45)
http://shop.sunshine-systems.com/

5. The traps on a Venus Flytrap are usually sluggish during dormancy, and there is usually a lack of insects to catch during the coldest time of the year. It is not necessary to feed Venus Flytraps during dormancy; instead, they feed themselves through exposure to light and photosynthesis during dormancy and can build up a large food supply despite not catching any insects.

So, to sum up, I'm not sure what to recommend for your specific case, although some creative thinking on your part may give you some solutions. I do hope that my comments and answers to your questions have been helpful however.

I highly recommend joining an online carnivorous plant forum and asking these types of questions there, because the growers of all experience levels in all kinds of climates and conditions around the world can often give a very helpful variety of answers and suggestions. Here are the URLs (web addresses) of two such forums.

FlytrapCare Forum
http://www.FlytrapCare.com/phpBB3/

CPUK Forum
http://www.cpukforum.com/

Good luck and best wishes.