VFT dormancy

[kath]

My VFt has been making dormant rosette leaves for about 4-5 months now, but not slowed growth. does this mean it is dormant, or getting ready to go dormant, or is there some other reason?
Should I keep it cold, or move it to warmth again?

[ICPS-bob]

It would be helpful if you added your location to your profile. Then tell us how you are growing the VFT. They generally respond to daylength and temperature. For example, my plants growing in my greenhouse are rapidly growing and putting out spring leaves and flower stalks. Those same clones that I am growing outside are still dormant. Both areas receive the same daylength, but the ones outside are subjected to much colder days and nights.

[kath]

Temperature dropped by maybe 4 degrees most, and light stayed practically the same, perhaps even more sunlight. It made dormant leaves so I put it into a colder place, thinking it was going dormant, but it just won't stop growing! Is it actually been doramnt, and just still kept growing vigorously anyway?

[Alexis]

4 degrees from what?

[ICPS-bob]

Kath, again: it would be extremely helpful if you added your location in your profile. I just looked up your ip address. Are you in New Zealand? If so, this information would make a tremendous difference in the help you request, because whether it is spring or fall does make a difference to VFT growth.

[kath]

Sorry, yes I do live in nz. I'm finding it hard to answer the questions, because my Venus Fly Trap is not acting normally. You see, I got it last year, and I didn't know what to do with it! So when winter came I nearly killed it. To save it I took it round to my nana's where it was warm and humid, because the fire was going all the time. So it skipped dormancy. It stayed at my nana's, and then, when summer came, it started making dormant leaves, as though it knew it was time for dormancy, even though the only changes would've been a tiny temperature drop, probably not even 2 degrees at that time, and the humidity lowered. It got the same light it always had had, even more probably, so I was confused.
I left it in the kitchen, to see if it would go dormant, but it just carried on making the dormant leaves, even faster than it had made the summer leaves, for three months. So I decided maybe it was ready for dormancy, but was awaiting the right cues, so I moved it to the wash-house, where it is warm (24 degrees now, it was warmer inside the house when it started supposedly going dormant) but cold at night (down to 10 degrees) It is still making dormant leaves, but it certainly hasn't slowed down! It's making them so quickly it's at the stage where if it was spring, you'd be expecting to have a flower, and you wouldn't have to worry about killing it! In fact it's traps have actually started making an abundance of nectar, so much that occasionally, when I look at the trap that's making the most, it looks like it's dripped down and set, like candle wax.

So, I'm utterly confused! This plant has been making dormancy leaves for maybe 4-6 months now, without any weather to tell it such. So, is it dormant, still going dormant, finished dormancy, or just very weird?

[Not a Number]

Some VFTs only produce more or less one form of leaves regardless of the season.

Just give it relatively stable conditions. Either leave it outdoors or on a sunny windowsill but don't keep changing conditions every few weeks.

If worst comes to worst you can probably skip another seasons dormancy indoors and then let it acclimate outdoors mid-late next spring.

[kath]

Ok, so bring it inside?
It made upright leaves last year, but then again, it didn't have the best conditions last year...

[Not a Number]

It's been in the wash house how long now? And the temps are 20 - 6 Celsius vs 24 - 10 earlier? Off hand I'd say it's okay where it is, depending on how cold it gets in the dead of winter.

[semin]

Hi Kath -

I agree with Not a Number - give it a stable condition. I live in Hamilton and leave my VFTs outside.

Cheers
Sam