Karsty Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 (edited) Hi Folks, I finally found the web page from experienced growers stating that VFTs can easily take -7°C, and for brief periods -12°C, although freezing drying winds necessitate protection. I have recently tried growing VFTs outside in the UK as I just stated in another post, and brought 6 different clones through unscathed (just north of London). All I did was place an open transparent cylinder of glass or plastic over the plants to protect from winds. In my limited experience they don't like blustery conditions at any time of year. I guess it keeps setting the traps off and they lose their energy. It wasn't a particularly cold winter, but they did experience frost. They all came through unscathed. I'll work my way around to post some pics. I just want to state here also that there was a healthy colony growing for many years in the New Forest in the UK, until it was recently apparently removed for not being native. I never saw them, but it was well known in an esoteric kind of way amongst CP growers, and I know the location. One of these days I will check it out just in case any are still there. Does anyone have any frost-experiences with VFTs to share? Is anyone prepared to experiment? Hi to Tropicat who said she would experiment (~8 Check out this web page: https://www.growcarnivorousplants.com/Articles.asp?ID=257 Karsty. Edited July 27, 2017 by Karsty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 Polystyrene fish boxes are good for insulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tropicat Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 (edited) On 26-7-2017 at 11:20 AM, Karsty said: Is anyone prepared to experiment? Hi to Tropicat who said she would experiment (~8 I have left my plants outside before in a winter and they completely died off (it was still a little VFT) and in the spring it completely came back from the roots. Now, I don't know if it has been freezing that winter, so i figured that one doesn't count. I will put a thermometer out there this year. This is what it looked a while after winter: and 3 months later: I really like to know the limits of the plants. I only do this with my spares! Edited July 27, 2017 by Tropicat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsty Posted July 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 (edited) Nice one Tropicat (~8 I read one account of someone in native VFT habitat expedition in the Carolinas, they said they were growing in a white sand with a thin layer of organic matter on top. The journey continues... Karsty. Edited July 28, 2017 by Karsty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 (edited) Mine have been out for a couple of years, the coldest they have been is -4C, for a short time, couple of frosts at -3C. The leaves didnt even die off. Other years they have died off and grew back from the rhizome. Edited July 28, 2017 by manders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 I have a 16 acre farm on boggy land, and have some typical VFT's that have been growing outside for over 10 years. The first few years they really struggled but gradually they adapted to the new conditions, after about the 5th year they did as good if not better than the ones in my greenhouse. They now flower and set seed every year without any help from me, I just go by and say hi once or twice a year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tropicat Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 oh super interesting! Id love to have a CP filled garden! I think it will be easier for plants who aren't in pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsty Posted July 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 That's amazing Trev, it is also a kind of cross between amazing and weird that they took 5 years to adapt and thrive. Did they get particularly bad weather in the first few years? I would have thought they would adapt within a year if they were going to. My first efforts looked like the VFTs got too much wind through the summer and just couldn't deal with it. Hey Tropicat, can you not build a bog garden? I built one 40 years ago in my mum's garden and it's still there. I just built it like a pond, using a liner called ABSAT (they don't make it any more). I filled it up with moss peat, and sphagnum moss on the top, and made a pool of water at one side of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Karsty, yes we had 2 very cold winters not long after they were planted out, so it could well have slowed down their acclimatisation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsty Posted December 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2017 My VFTs today!.... https://photos.app.goo.gl/CyYSB9Xb9h4dGTJw2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsty Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Just before sunrise this morning, top line... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 All mine are outside, under fleece. It got down to -7C last night here. All I know is that 2010 was too much for them, even in a greenhouse. It was -10C at night and only reached a maximum of -5 / -6 in the daytime a couple of times. But it was below freezing, or just above for about 2 weeks in total during that month, so I think it’s protracted freezes that is the issue. 2 or 3 days of hard frost before a thaw is ok I’m guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsty Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Hi Alexis, thanks for your input (~8 I'm a couple of floors up in a fairly built up area, so I reckon the temp was several degrees less down on the ground. Going by the data from their native habitat, I think the VFTs can take the low temperatures because they are in the ground so their subterranean parts are more protected. One time in a suburban spot in Garston, I watched the temperature drop from -1°C to -10°C in the half hour just after sunrise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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