can i grow this in denmark ?

[Alexcpdk]

Hi all :)

I have over the last few years kept Sarracenia flava, Sarracenia purpurea ssp purpurea and Sarracenia oreophila with great success in the unheated greenhouse. I would really like to try some other species of Sarracenia.

Sarracenia alata

Sarracenia minor

Sarracenia leucophylla

Sarracenia rubra

Sarracenia purpurea venosa

Sarracenia psittacina

is there any possibility that I can keep them here in Denmark during the winter in my greenhouse? Sometimes we get down to minus 15 -20 degrees. could be there was a way to protect the plants in?

Best regards,

Alexander Dittmer

[gardenofeden]

leucophylla and minor might suffer, but worth a try!

[billynomates666]

Hi Alex

I've had all those outside in the Uk in a bog, and they survived minus 15-18C last year with minimal protection, so as Stephen says well worth a try in a greenhouse!

Cheers

Steve

[Megs]

Hi Alex,

you can sure keep them in the unheated greenhouse. The problem is not our low winter temps (though my garden faced minus 24C and below but thats not typical) its our cool summers, cool spring etc that are the problem. Many of the species you mention have a longer growth periode than our outside summer can provide them. But in the greenhouse its another matter.

I grow some of the species you mention in hybrids which work well but I also only grow CPs outside unprotected and not in the greenhouse.

Martin

[Cedric-666]

If you have a greenhouse, I think that you just have to protect them from the cold in winter, but don't neglect this aspect. I recently met a guy who lost most of his S. leucophylla last winter in his unheated greenhouse (we two very cold weeks in February with temperature around -10°C / -13°C in Belgium). I grow my own Sarracenia outside near Brussels but I put them in plastic trays buried in the ground sheltered by fir-trees and protect them with a layer of pine bark, pieces of polystyrene and cover them a plastic fleece during the coldest days. All my Sarracenia survived the winter without any problems.

During previous years I added a layer of snow, but this year we had very little snow.

Kind regards,

Cédric

[Megs]

The key is to keep the rhizomes wet. When plants are growing in a deep layer of compact Sphagnum moss that covers the rhizomes there is usually less problems. An alternative is to cover them with betula leafs which also gives better survival. Snow is also an excellent material and even water is good. Most of my sarracenia are at some point covered with water above the rhizomes in winter. In fact mild winters can be more devastating for your plants as fungus can kill more than frost usually does.

Martin

[ceadi]

What species I can grow here Finland? For temperature, it easily goes down to -15 - -20 degrees Celsius, and over -20 for a week. Just now the first narcissus and crocus are growing, some crocus flowering. At this moment outside is 8 degrees Celsius. I'm currently growing my sarras, flytraps and cobra inside, maybe next year i could grow some outside in the winter?

Here's list of my sarras:

alata, leucophylla minor var. okenefokeensis, psittacina, purpurea var. venosa, x mitchelliana, x readii, x swaniana, 'Red Neck', catesbaei x purpurea.

[billynomates666]

What species I can grow here Finland? For temperature, it easily goes down to -15 - -20 degrees Celsius, and over -20 for a week. Just now the first narcissus and crocus are growing, some crocus flowering. At this moment outside is 8 degrees Celsius. I'm currently growing my sarras, flytraps and cobra inside, maybe next year i could grow some outside in the winter?

Here's list of my sarras:

alata, leucophylla minor var. okenefokeensis, psittacina, purpurea var. venosa, x mitchelliana, x readii, x swaniana, 'Red Neck', catesbaei x purpurea.

Hi ceadi

With those sort of temperatures I would suggest you are in about zone 6. Here in the UK I am in zone 8 (ish) and grow all those plants outdoors myself, with minimal winter protection. (minus 18c is the lowest tempeature I have had) There are a lot of people who grow many varieties outside in your sort of winter temperatures, I post below a link to a blog (hope that is allowed) from someone who does exactly that and documents how he achieves it.

Purpureas and some of their their hybrids should have no real problem in those temperatures though.

http://zone6b.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/today-we-have-a-guest-bog-to-blog-about/

Hope this helps or gives some inspiration!

Cheers

Steve

[Megs]

Ceadi, I have similar low temperatures here in Z6 Denmark and from your list I think you could grow catesbaei x purpurea, readii, mitchelliana outside if you have a warm corner of the garden. I also grow Darlingtonias outside despite they were below minus 24C last winter.

I believe southern Finland is warmer than Denmark during the summer?

I can send you some flava types and oreophilas that would also suit your conditions. Maybe also x popei.

Martin

Edited March 28, 2012 by Megs

[ceadi]

Okay, I'm going to put my sarracenia x c. x p. outside right now, as I did last year! Last year it grew a bud when outside, but I wanted vigorous, not flowering plant so I cutted it of. I think I'll let it flower this year. Believe me, as I'm young, I'm so very exited!!

And, Megs at southern Finland our usual summer temperature is about 27 degree celsius at day, and about 15-20 degree at night.

Edited March 29, 2012 by ceadi