Now that it is getting cooler, what is next for my Venus Fly Trap?
I bought a box store Venus Fly Trap for fun, and it has actually thrived this year. It started out as this little scraggly sad looking thing.
This weekend my overnight lows are supposed to briefly get into 39F/4C, as we start to get into cooler weather.
Should I just let this sit outside until it goes dormant? And once it goes dormant, should I just put it in my refrigerator until springtime? Our wintertime lows can get into the 0F/-15C ranges which is probably too harsh. I grew up where VFT grew naturally and we never saw cold temperatures below freezing that often.
And what about re-potting it? Do this in the springtime once it warms up?
I want to keep this thing for next year if possible.
1 reply
It's up to you, but I would personally never recommend the fridge method. I've never done this but I don't get how you're supposed to supply light. If you leave it outside through winter, you should insulate the roots and/or move it somewhere out of the wind. It's not uncommon in my region for lows in the single digits and I've never lost a plant to weather but YMMV.
The need for dormancy is a myth. Dormancy is triggered by environmental changes, not a biological clock. You can just as easily move it indoors and keep growing it during the winter with the right light setup.
Repotting ought to be done at least once every year or two and isn't as scary as it sounds. Spring would be ideal but I've done it as late as August (this year) without issue.