Post by nikolai on Sept 2, 2011 13:03:51 GMT
Hello, I am fanatical about my venus fly traps, I refuse to give them up. But two months ago I moved to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and I am living off the grid. (no electricity, except for a generator).
Using the generator, I have electricity for approximately five hours per day, more or less, it is too expensive to run it all day. Before I moved, My VFT's were under a grow light for 12-14 hours/day and absolutely thrived, now they get about five hours.
Here on the Peninsula, they are under a grow light substantially less time during the growing season. Every sunny day we have, which are very long days in the summer (May-August) I put them outside for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, there are a substantial number of rainy and cloudy days. Under these conditions, the VFT's are growing, slowly, but they are not as robust as they once were and don't seem to be able to catch insects on their own as they used to, because the traps don't close as quickly.
If I continue to keep them under these conditions, will their condition decline or will they acclimate? Has any one experimented with their lighting needs, the minimum amount of lighting they require to flourish, not just survive?
Does anyone have any suggestions or experience keeping them off the grid, in Alaska, or similar climate? I'm hoping that the long, sunny days here in Alaska will compensate for the excessive amount of rainy days and the low exposure to grow lights.Could they survive the inconsistency of two to three 18 hour days of direct sunlight, two to three days of five hours of a grow light on and on, approximately?
Looking forward to your expert advice. Thank you for your help!
Using the generator, I have electricity for approximately five hours per day, more or less, it is too expensive to run it all day. Before I moved, My VFT's were under a grow light for 12-14 hours/day and absolutely thrived, now they get about five hours.
Here on the Peninsula, they are under a grow light substantially less time during the growing season. Every sunny day we have, which are very long days in the summer (May-August) I put them outside for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, there are a substantial number of rainy and cloudy days. Under these conditions, the VFT's are growing, slowly, but they are not as robust as they once were and don't seem to be able to catch insects on their own as they used to, because the traps don't close as quickly.
If I continue to keep them under these conditions, will their condition decline or will they acclimate? Has any one experimented with their lighting needs, the minimum amount of lighting they require to flourish, not just survive?
Does anyone have any suggestions or experience keeping them off the grid, in Alaska, or similar climate? I'm hoping that the long, sunny days here in Alaska will compensate for the excessive amount of rainy days and the low exposure to grow lights.Could they survive the inconsistency of two to three 18 hour days of direct sunlight, two to three days of five hours of a grow light on and on, approximately?
Looking forward to your expert advice. Thank you for your help!
>(*~*)< / >(*U^)<
