QuestionI have a small venus fly trap plant that I bought in the spring at Home Depot. It has lived happily all summer on my front porch in its very small plastic pot, and keeps putting out new traps. I live in Boston, so now it has come in to live in a sunny window. Since it seems to be happy, do I have to give it a dormancy period? If I refrigerate it (the only option), must I take it out of the pot, or can I just put the whole pot in a plastic bag in the back of the fridge, and for how long? I do have special soil to repot it in the spring, if I take it out of its pot now. Again, it seems happy for now. Should I leave it alone, or let it become dormant in the pot or out, and when will it need repotting?
By the way, I'm famous among local young children for owning this plant! Thanks very much!!!
AnswerHi Melissa,
Ideally, flytraps should be allowed to go dormant. At our nursery, we grow all US-native plants, which includes Venus flytraps, exclusively outdoors. Even in Boston, it is still possible to overwinter these plants outdoors with the proper winter care.
Since you've already brought it indoors and has not experienced any frost, you'll need to keep it indoors throughout the winter. Frost is what helps trigger these plants to go dormant, just as it does with roses and other garden perennials.
Avoid sticking it in the refrigerator. Again, your plant isn't properly acclimated to cold temperatures and hasn't received enough natural triggers to go dormant. If you stick it in the fridge or put it in a dark place all of a sudden, you may shock it.
Keep your plant in a sunny south window for the winter. Keep the soil moist at all times. In spring, after the last frost of the season has passed, acclimate your plant for outdoor growing again. That will also be a good time to repot your plant into a larger pot.
For more details about growing Venus flytraps and other US native carnivorous plants, download our care sheets at:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets.html
Good growing!
Jacob Farin
