Feed me Seymour! Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 With the recent night temps dropping to below freezing in the Midlands of UK - whats everyone been doing with there plants? I have been growing for a few years but been so lucky with mild winters that I have just left vft outside but this winter Im really worried about them! I did bring them all in on Sat night as I recorded it got to -7c and I just couldn't chance it with my flava, huntsmans cap and vft! Has everyone else been leaving there hardy cp's outside or bringing them in? Also what experiences have people had with growing vft outside? I have two indoors and outside - the indoors ones always grow back very quick in the spring but the outdoors ones seem slower to grow back but in the summer heat grow quicker and have a nicer red colour to them Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecpman Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Hi ye iv been quite concerned about my CPs because they were in a cold frame at the bottom of the garden. As these cold nights & days started i decided to move my cold frame so its alongside the house wall so that it would stay a bit warmer but it still got down to -3 degrees C there the other night , I have also purchased some of that fleece material and lined the frame with that. so far they seem to be sleeping nicely and have had no problems yet even with my purpureas which have stayed outside at the bottom of my garden for five years now and have come out of dormancy every time with no problems. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
An D Smith Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) Hi Paul Regarding growing VFT's outside, you should have no problems at all. Ok, so I am a little further south here in Bournemouth, but I have been growing them outside for over 10 years and have never lost a plant. Outside mine sit in a tray of water all winter, elevated off the ground and in a south-facing position, lowest recorded temperature of -5. There is a VFT ot two just up the road in a bog in the New Forest where it has grown very happily for at least 6 years. I also grow all Sarracenia species succesfully outside and several foreign Drosera and Utricularia too. I hope this is of some help. Cheers Andy Edited December 9, 2008 by An D Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 All the plants mentioned are frost hardy, as long as they are kept sheltered. Relax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 My VFTs are overwintering in a playhouse at the top of my garden. We have had some freezing weather here recently - over an inch of ice on the top of the water butt behind the playhouse - but they seem to be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faunista Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I keep dionea, sarracenia and other in a really cold site, where they go constantly below zero through the whole winter, from november to march. Temperatures can reach -13°C, and all the plants are growing fine. Marco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feed me Seymour! Posted December 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 I feel a bit less concerned now!!!! Thanks for the replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantrid Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 (edited) If you want to play it safe, your average garden centre or DIY place (B&Q etc) sell small paraffin heaters that are not large enough to heat a greenhouse but sit nicely in a cold frame and stops the temp in them going too low. I have these and the outside of the coldframe is covered in frost for days on end as I live in a valley and for 1 month the sun doesnt get up above the hill, so no direct sunlight. But the pots of VFT although cool do not freeze. Edited December 10, 2008 by mantrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Username Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 I'd had my VFTs and sarra outside in a mini unheated greenhouse, but night before last when I had just come back from holiday up north I found they were frozen solid. I'm afriad to say I panicked, brought them into the living room to defrost, and now they are in the toliet room next to the rather small window. No heaters in there (well there is but it's never on) and the window is usually open. Shall I leave them there or move them back outside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 Arrrgh. They're perfectly happy being frozen solid. Bringing them straight into a warm environment in the house can actually cause the water in the plant's cells to burst so that you end up with brown mush and a dead plant. Sarracenia should be fine, but VFTs hate being 'defrosted'. If they're still alive, put them somewhere cool for a bit and then back outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 All of my Sarracenia and Dionaea collection are kept in an unheated GH all year round. Some are even outside in a minibog or two. In fact I went out to the garden this afternoon in order to take a cutting from a Darlingtonia in one of my minibogs, but gave up when I found the soil completely frozen solid. I'm not worried in the least! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=Joel=- Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 I have moved out all of my purps and darlingtonia outside this year to make room inside the greenhouses. They have spend a good 2 weeks frozen solid and have had several snow falls without problem so far. The rest of the are in unheated greenhouses, they still freeze but are protected from the worst of the wind and rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimfoxy Posted January 4, 2009 Report Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) But not so good for Mexican pings.... the outer leaves of this one have turned like frozen lettuce: Edited January 4, 2009 by jimfoxy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan P Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Or cucumber (I found that out the other day when our fridge went below freezing I am leaving all my VFTs and Sarras out doors, and as of about 3 days ago they were still producing leaves ;o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feed me Seymour! Posted January 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 WOW What a storm we had in Leicester last night - Went out this morning and the sheltered spot I had my venus fly trap in got blown away by the wind and the poor fly trap looked a bit soggy and sorry this morning all the traps it had kept in it dormancy were shut due to the rain pounding on it during the night I assume - at least my cabbage plants got a good soaking as they were begging for a drink!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 My sarras and dionaea are outside covered in about 5" of snow at the moment! Fingers crossed they're ok! Dont think the drosera binata will have lived but oh well we shall see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carnivoor Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 No snow here only rain, but with the strong winds that are expected in the next day or so I think it's safer for my plants to take them inside. Since they are outside my window, on the second floor, leaving them outside might mean I'd have to go search for them somewhere at the end of the street tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimfoxy Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 It's worth remembering that snow/ice can actually be quite a good insulator. Plants trapped in or under snow will be better off during a short, very cold (i.e. well below freezing) period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muel Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Aye thats what im relying on, cant be any decay if everything is frozen under snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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