Should Venus Flytrap Trays Be Dry in Winter?

[@rogerw3018]

I love your videos...they are very educational...and always with a nice pinch of humor

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad you like them! Thank you for watching. Stay tuned for another video coming this weekend!

[@ronj9448]

Enjoyed this new sleuth video format. I hope to see more in the future!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you! Yes, more to come!

[@cliffowens3629]

Also sent in a question. I had a horrible problem with rhizome rot on my pitchers, and after these guys diagnosed my situation was due to not enough sunlight. My plant area had slowly been overshadowed by tree growth that had crept in over the years. One of the trees has been cut way back due to the branches shorting out the power lines. Moved my guys to an area with more sun. Thanks dudes.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Yes, more sun! Hope your plants grow better next spring!

[@quingresham1601]

Great video and excellent release timing!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@mikebarnard531]

The cool/cold, dry winds in the fall and winter will suck a amazing amount of water out of the soil in a very short time. Don't rely on winter rain to keep your plants damp; always check them a couple times a week to make sure they aren't drying out.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching. Yes, freezing wind is extremely harmful to many potted plants. Plants need to be properly hydrated before any freeze. Hope your plants are growing well this season.

[@theelitistjerkmetalhead8047]

I've never kept my flytraps dormant in winter. Never had any rot problems. Always grew them with many hours of full sun.

[@bluebowser3347]

There are different species of flytrap. Some are temperate and others tropical. The temperate ones need dormancy, the tropical don't.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. If that works for you, all the best. However, we don't rely on exceptions as guidelines. We rely on natural and seasonal patterns. We also test market our growing instructions to find what works for the majority of our customers. Maybe you could publish a video about your plants and growing methods. We're always eager to learn more.

[@JeffHobbsSHLLC]

Great information! I will now place all of my flytraps outdoors in full sun 24/7/365! Thanks!

[@evergreen8965]

Another excellent video… solving a mystery. Well presented.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@Carnivorousplanthelp]

Phenomenal video! Spot on information and great insight as always.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching. We got another video coming this weekend. Stay tuned!

[@MysticSpank]

fantastic! Zone 6b with hard freezes. i would run the plant drier, bring to the garage when we hit peak winter cold temps, but keep in a cold frame otherwise during the winter. Seems my method is "okay" but i dont have to go drier with them. Now to figure out if spring, late fall, or early winter is best for division and repot!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching. If that method works for you, great. Continue doing it. I just can't recommend it for the majority of growers because of the risk of the top layer of the soil going too dry. It just takes an inattentive moment to allow the trays to go dry for too long. We've seen that happen too many times with growers over the years. Hence, the video.

[@bjjbrawler1]

I also believe that a larger pot helps to insulate and mitigate over watering. I will re-pot my plants in the spring. They're doing "OK" but could be doing better, especially my Alien cultivar.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. Yes, larger pots provide better insulation (and better plant growth), but what I was examining in this video was the grower's intent for dry trays - prevent root rot. It's a myth that flytraps will succumb to root rot if water is in the trays during winter. It's possible if the soil mix doesn't drain properly, but it's not something we've experienced. And there's no such thing as overwatering as long as the water level is below the halfway mark of the pot. If you take a closer look at the clips in the video, you will see some of our plants are in 3-inch and 4-inch pots. Our pots are always sitting in water, regardless of pot size. On the flip side, keeping trays dry also increases the risk for frost damage because of the possibility of the soil drying out. So, dry trays is not something we recommend.

[@ToddsC-G]

Hi Jacob! Absolutely correct. Dehydration in winter is a real fact.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching! Yes, I've heard from many customers over the years that let their plants dry out over winter because they thought they didn't need water during dormancy. This video was long over due. Got another video coming this weekend.

[@MarksShrimpTanks]

I have a question for you, I live in Norway and I have a few carnivorous plants, winter is nearly here and it can get down to -30c, now I have had flytraps survive this cold weather before by covering them with spruce bows and letting the snow lay on them, near the soil under the snow its much warmer nearer freezing point. I also have a septic tank that's dug into the ground, this septic tank has a box also in the ground that's a meter square that sits around the opening of the septic tank, this box is cover with a wooden plank lid, my question for you would be can I let my carnivorous plants live in this space until the spring? Inside this box its much warmer than outside air temperature and my only real concern is the amount of time the plants would be spending in this box over the winter, here our winters last into April next year.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching! I sent you an email.

[@idogflyer]

This video was very helpful! Ive had really small traps on my "Big Mouth" venus fly trap all summer long and I think its because of the cold winter we had. I will be more careful this winter to bring in my flytraps when it gets too cold for long periods of time

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. Glad the information was helpful. Proper winter care is essential for these plants. With the right care, your plants can live for many years. Watch our Volume 1 playlist. There's a video about winter care. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/carnivorous-plant-videos/

[@foleydvm]

So thank you for this channel. I live in New York and am gonna try my flytraps outside all year. Scared but will try. Can we keep the pitcher plants outside as well???

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for subscribing! Make sure to watch our Volume 1 playlist. One of the videos in the playlist is about winter care. That video will give you important pointers about what to do. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/carnivorous-plant-videos/

[@bluebowser3347]

What common cultivars / species do you recommend for hardy venus flytraps? I'd love to have some in my bog garden, I live in the UK where it can get down to -10°C / 5 °F.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching! Did you mean 15°F? Your climate is similar to ours. Some of the unusually shaped flytraps are genetically weak plants, so I wouldn't recommend them for any grower. As long as the flytrap resembles a flytrap and you follow proper winter protocols, your plants will do just fine.

[@DJJumpdancer]

i will this year top water the flytraps until it runns out of the bottom and i check the weight of the planter regularly so i know when to give them water again. I watered them today and documented the weight of every planter after that

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. Yes, you can do that method. Top watering works well for some growers, especially if they have a smaller collection. Growers with large collections often find the tray method works better for them.

[@christhedoll]

Will you be covering what to do in zone 4 for winter? MN gets cold!

[@sharibernstein6885]

I asked the same question via email bc I'm in Northern Michigan. Was told to bring it in and put it near a cold window. 😊 Here's what I got back: Hi Shari, Let's do this the easy way. Since we are only talking about one plant here, just move the plant to a window in the house you know will be cool. Put it right next to the glass. It's even ok if the window gets a little frosty during very cold weather. This way the plant experiences natural daylight period, and cool temps allowing it to go dormant, without the hassle and risk of overwintering outside. (There is a way to do it, but not worth the trouble for one plant.). During the winter, keep just a tiny amount of water in the tray. You want the soil just damp, that's all. Don't let it dry out, but keeping it a bit drier than during the growing season is best. Be sure to clip off any leaves/traps that are browning for good hygiene. Skip the refrigerator dormancy. This has to be done carefully, or it's too easy to forget and lose plants to mold in the fridge. I would say 80% of folks who try the refrigerator method lose their plants. It's something of a last resort for folks in tropical climates. Once nights are staying above freezing, your plant can go back outside. This will probably be late April.

[@ConstantinBoca]

thanks for sharing mate! ​@@sharibernstein6885

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. You can also watch our Volume 1 playlist. One of the videos in the playlist is about winter care. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/carnivorous-plant-videos/

[@thehmmjon]

thank you this video was very informative especially for first time grower like myself, I grew few sundews from seeds this year and at end of august they really poped out but temperature changed drasticly from 30 C degree to 15 C in few days so Im curious how they'll develop further

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching! Make sure to pay attention to the type of sundew you have. If you have tropical sundews, you will need to protect them from frost. Have fun with your new seedlings.

[@LanceKirkman]

Thank you Jacob! I noticed he used smaller pots. Is that also a reason for frost risk? I noticed you use much larger pots than his pic or mine. Does that play a roll? (I haven't received a reply to my e-mail I sent in 6+ months ago)

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Hi Lance. I'm sorry that you didn't receive a reply. I checked my database, and the last email I had from you was regarding the Reptile Expo in January. I also checked with Ask the Growers. I didn't see any submissions by you. Large pots will certainly hold more moisture (and provide more insulation) than smaller pots. However, regardless of the size, we still recommend setting Sarracenia and flytraps in water. If you take a look at the clips of our plants, you will see some 3-inch and 4-inch pots. The flytraps we have for sale are also in 3-inch pots and experience freezing temperatures. But, we have to look at the grower's intent of keeping the tray dry - prevent root rot. When you use the right soil mix and maintain the right water level, the risk of root rot is minimal. It's not necessary to keep the trays dry, especially when you increase the risk for frost damage.

[@LanceKirkman]

@@SarraceniaNorthwest weird, silly technology Last winter I tried your methodology and put all my Venus in water over winter, made sure it has drain holes below the root layer and lost 11/12 plants. Which is why I'm asking if it has to do with pot size

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

That bites! Do you have our digital download? There's a section that discusses factors that can affect plants during the winter. There are many factors that can affect outcome. Your climate is essentially the same as ours, so we'll need to carefully look over your setup and growing conditions. However, I don't discuss growing questions through this format, but send us your information through Ask the Growers.

[@LanceKirkman]

@@SarraceniaNorthwest thank you Jacob I really appreciate you!

[@drlnstza9802]

Great info! Thank you!!!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@DimasFajar-ns4vb]

wow and peace be upon you sir from me

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you!

[@mynameisjim999]

Great video, thank you!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad you liked it! More to come!

[@barneymiller6204]

I had to give up my carnivorous plant collection due to not enough sunlight anymore. The trees around me group up to where there was just too much shade. I now need a new hobby.

[@mikebarnard531]

You might be able to get by with a very bright, full-spectrum, LED grow light.

[@DJJumpdancer]

you could also cut the trees ^^

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. Yes, many of these temperate carnivorous plants require full sun. It's no fun growing them when your yard is heavily shaded with trees. You could try growing tropical carnivorous plants indoors. Many tropical varieties don't require as much sunlight as the temperate forms. Visit our website for recommendations. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/start-here/

[@melaniejones-williams9326]

Can I bring mine in for winter and put them under grow lights? I'm in Indiana it's going to get very cold here

[@twunderaquatics1770]

They need dormancy. I would leave outside but put a layer of pine needle for protection.

[@mikebarnard531]

Try to find a place where the winter temperature range is 35-55°F / 2-13°C, preferably one where the plant can still get a few hours of sun every day. If nothing else, you can stash it in an unheated garage on the really cold days and then put it outside on days above freezing.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching our video! Watch our Volume 1 playlist. One of the videos is about winter care. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/carnivorous-plant-videos/

[@fritzschumacher6047]

I can't get my plants red, Too much overhead cover. I should give up at this point.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching. Yeah, not having unobstructed direct sunlight can be a problem for many of the temperate carnivorous plants. But, partial sunlight is okay. Not great, but it will keep these plants alive and looking relatively decent. Another option is to grow tropical carnivorous plants. Try out this feature on our site. Answer a few short questions, and you'll get a list of plants best suited for your growing conditions. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/start-here/

[@melaniejones-williams9326]

Ahhhh so I can leave it out in winter with water in a good mix with some cocer from the winds... got it

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching. Be careful about generalizing the information in the video to care information specific for your region. Our climate is quite different than yours. Watch our Volume 1 playlist. One of the videos in the playlist is about winter care. www.growcarnivorousplants.com/carnivorous-plant-videos/