2 replies to this topic

[LUFCDrosophyllumKing]

I have some VFT seedlings which germinated last spring and will be coming up to their natural dormancy time.
They are still quite small, I am worried about dormancy killing the young plants. Should I give them a dormancy period but with slightly less harsh conditions than adult plants? Do they even need a dormancy period in their first winter?
I would be very grateful for any help with this!
LUFCDrosophyllumking

[mantrid]

LUFCDrosophyllumKing, on 29 September 2011 - 17:02 PM, said:

I have some VFT seedlings which germinated last spring and will be coming up to their natural dormancy time.
They are still quite small, I am worried about dormancy killing the young plants. Should I give them a dormancy period but with slightly less harsh conditions than adult plants? Do they even need a dormancy period in their first winter?
I would be very grateful for any help with this!
LUFCDrosophyllumking

I have found that seedlings are just as capable as the more mature plants re the winter. But if you want to play it safe you could minimise any severe temp drops with some sort of added warmth

[carnivoor]

2 years ago I left my seedlings out for winter. Most were smaller than my thumbnail and all but one survived. For some strange reason the one that died was the biggest one.
If you don't want to take too much risk just put bubble wrap over the pot your seedlings are in, it'll keep the cold wind out and that's usually what kills the plants.
Last winter I put bubble wrap over some of my pots and when I took it of in spring my Sphagnum was still green and few of my sarrs had dried out patches.
The cold wind takes away the moisture and because the soil is cold or even frozen the plants can't pull new moisture up through the roots,as a result your plant dries out and dies.