Question
ok so my friend bought me a carnivorous plant dome and it includes (got this list off their website) these seeds: Venus Fly Trap, Yellow Trumpet Hooded Pitcher Plant, Purple Pitcher Plant, Pale Trumpet, Temperate Sundew Plants, Cobra Lillies. Now they have it set up where they germinate and grow in a dome and after reading your newsletter have learned you do not need the high levels of humidity I抎 always thought so I want to remove the dome. The plants are still really small (about 4mon old) and winter is coming up soon so I want to know if this will kill them because of the sudden/drastic changes. Now they will still be inside on my windowsill (southern facing) but it does get rather cold in Santa Cruz in the winter so I抦 wondering how I should go about all this. thanks for your help it抯 much appreciated and any other tips i should know would also be great thanks...
Andre


Answer
Hi Andre,

It's fine to leave them in the window for the winter when they are small.  Keep them moist, in a cold window, and watch for mold during the winter.

Next March, transplant them to pots and put them outside.  They can then stay outside.  You weather is very mild in Santa Cruz.  They will need almost no protection once you have them acclimated to being outdoors.  I checked your record low temperatures in January and December, and we've definitely gotten colder than that here at the nursery.  Just cover the plants with a tarp if the temperature is going to be in the low 20's.


Good Growing!

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