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staying outside?


amnda

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Hi every one

I have been reading the dormancy section and am now concerned that i have not been doing things right as i have been leaving all of my sarracenias outside over winter as well as my venus fly traps  i have even left them in trays of water!

I dont seem to have had any problems though i have may be lost one or two of the sarracenias that were small

they stay by my hedge in full sun all winter i have been doing this for the last 4 years oops.

 

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a good friend of mine has been growing sarracenia outside in huge tanks since the late 70s early 80s, he does nothing more than leave them outside, if the tanks flood or freeze it completely escapes his notice and when I asked him about mould/fungus he just shrugs and swears he has never had an issue.

he has only ever lost a few rubras and psitticinas over the years but is adamant he doesn't get mould or botrytis issues,

you already have four years of successful outdoor growing under your belt, don't fix what isn't broken

paul

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Hello Amnda.

 

I don't have a greenhouse so keeping cp's "indoors" isn't an option. I live in the southwest of England so it is milder but I have had - 12c.

I haven't lost a pitcher plant yet but red vft's seem to suffer most.  Droseras and temperate pings don't seem to suffer the cold at all.

 

Good growing.

 

Ian.

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Thanks ian 

i have never had a problem also  it was mainly down to not really knowing and just leaving them to their own devises over winter

My cobra ones are a bit challenging as some have thrived and others have gone brown and died i grow them in irish moss peat and perlite

Should i change the growing medium to live sphagnum moss as i had read on the cobra section that  they seem to do better in it ?

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My temperate carnivores encountered -6,8C last night in out outdoor shelter. Temps however will rise to +12C next week so I woudn't worry. So is everybody putting theirs in dormancy on Halloween? Mine will be put to our basement.

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Hi Amnda.

My Cobras do very well in Irish moss peat, perlite and granite grit. They must be quite happy as every year they send out loads of baby cobras on runners from the mother plant. I wouldn't of thought you could have "killed" your plants as they are very hardy and can withstand being frozen solid. One culprit could be

vine weevil grubs eating the roots, if you tip out one of your brown dead plants, look for a white grubs with a brown face, they love peat and plant roots. Another possability is tom cats spraying.

Happy growing.

Ian.

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I keep my cobras in peat/perlite mix, growing in standard seed trays.  I leave them outside and if it hasnt rained for a few days top the water up until it overflows.  They seem to be growing fine and this year I had loads of stolons in all directions.

 

The peat I use I get from the garden centre, J Arthur Bowles was my last bale.

 

I too have read all about the fussy requirements for cobras and have now realised that they will happily be pulled up and have the stolons pulled off, then be stuck back in the mix and keep growing fine.  They also spent all of last winter outside in a tray with no protection form the elements. 

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Hello Amnda.

You don't give away which part of the U.K. you come from so I can only say I get my moss peat and sphagnum moss from my local garden centre. (Exeter). Sphagnum moss has a natural antibiotic so cuts down on mildew.

You can't kill Cobra lilies in any compost. My original plants came from Cumbria from a bloke that tidied his

garden with a strimmer. They are just recovering.

Regards.

Ian.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi Ian 

sorry for delay in replying  computer went wrong 

I am from Suffolk.

I will need to pot on some of my cobras next year as they have spread to the edges of their pots i will invest in some wider shallower pots

Been very wet here  so having to drain off excess water nearly every day though the plants don't seem to mind.

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Hello Amnda.

 

I am trying to drain off my trays but everytime I empty the trays it rains.  I am now  scrounging mushroom trays from the local veg shop,

keeps pots in order but doesn't allow pots to flood. Personally I would go for narrower/deeper pots for your cobras. If you need photos of baby's I can send.

Regards,

 

Ian.

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I plant directly into shallow undrained trays of live sphagnum, pots I find are unnecessary. Ian, those mushroom trays are great if you plant directly into them too.

 

An example of a flowering sized plant in an undrained half tray.

 

14320419182_ff7cf891ca_o.jpg

 

I flood the trays regularly in the growing season.

 

Edit I forgot to mention another benefit of undrained flooded trays, as far as I am aware Vine Weevil grubs are not aquatic.

Edited by FredG
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Oh there are plenty slugs here. I used to feed them.

 

15238325063_c2e2a1920f_o.jpg

 

On second thoughts, I still do feed them. There's always plenty bird food out but I stopped going out to give them grated cheddar. They enjoy wholemeal bread and grain and if you're feeling really generous they would enjoy a helping of cream with the cheddar.

 

NB These Limax are harmless to the plants. The snails are the nasties.

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Fred you say you flood your trays in the growing season but how wet do you keep them out of growing season,I got a tray today and my sphagnum farm is looking great(thanks again for putting me onto the sphagman)also when would you suggest the repot.Sorry if off topic but growing in trays was been discussed

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Corky, they're still kept wet, the water level being maybe an inch below surface. If grown out side it's easily regulated with a small hole drilled in the side of the tray, the hole can be plugged with something like blue tack in the growing season to raise the water level again. Re-potting I would still do until the sphagnum is frozen solid.

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  • 2 years later...
On 10/29/2014 at 7:11 PM, ian said:

Hello Amnda.

You don't give away which part of the U.K. you come from so I can only say I get my moss peat and sphagnum moss from my local garden centre. (Exeter). Sphagnum moss has a natural antibiotic so cuts down on mildew.

You can't kill Cobra lilies in any compost. My original plants came from Cumbria from a bloke that tidied his

garden with a strimmer. They are just recovering.

Regards.

Ian.

Hi Ian,

Which Garden Centre in Exeter?.

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