Question
Hi guys, I live in Northern Germany with a climate very similar to the US
Pacific NW.  I have always loved Sarracenia and when I lived in Seattle had a
nice outdoor bog with them in a dish.  Recently I found some in a florist's and
had to have them in my new apartment, but the woman of course knew
nothing about them.   We have a balcony here that gets some sun even now
(November) and a back patio that is mostly shade.  Right now the Sarracenia
are indoors and on a windowsill above the heating, with the pot sitting in
another pot to keep it moist.
Should I put these beauties outside?  I love looking at them, love having them
as a conversation piece in my living room, but I do want them to live/thrive,
even if this includes dieback.  I've got some others I rescued from IKEA which
did NOT seem to do well in our wet, cold summer, and have completely died
back.  They are now in a bog in our back yard, and don't look so good.
What do you experts recommend for my indoor Sarracenias, or my outdoor
ones?  I want them to grow and thrive, since they are my favorite plant.
thanks!

Anne in Germany

Answer
Hi Anne,

Sarracenia need full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight).  The main reason why people have trouble growing them is usually because they don't give them enough sunlight.

Since it's very late in the season, you're right in keeping your plants indoors.  They need to acclimate to outdoor growing, which takes time.  Unfortunately with winter approaching in several weeks, your plants won't have time to acclimate properly.

Keeping them indoors, however, means that you still need to replicate full sun conditions.  I'm not sure what types of units you use in Europe, so I can't give you any specific recommendations.  In general, use fluorescent lights that provide about 6000 lumens.  Keep the lights about 6 inches above the plants.  The lights should be on for at least 12 hours per day.  Again, you'll need to replicate full sun.

All Sarracenia die back in winter.  This is part of their winter dormancy.  So it may be that your outdoor plants are going dormant, which is why they don't look so good.  Just as trees drop their leaves for winter, Sarracenia do the same.  Look for new growth in spring.

For more information about growing Sarracenia, download our care sheets at:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets.html

Good growing!
Jacob Farin