>>Really a VFT should be kept cool enough in winter that it goes fairly
dormant, and >won't notice whether it gets any flies.<
I have seen comments regarding the "requirement" of a winter rest period
before, both on the digest and in print, and have never thought to mention my
experience in my years of growing VFT under lights. I usually shorten the
duration of light to 12 hrs. in Oct. and grow them drier during the winter.
They respond with flatter, greener winter leaves but have perfectly
functional traps and occasionallt catch an ant or a fly in winter with no
apparent problem. In fact, mine grow right though the winter and usually
flower normally in Feb. or March - often they flower twice in spring. The
plants are huge.
When I was younger, I visited Wilmington N.C. in Nov. and again in Feb. and I
remember finding functional traps at both times. Can anyone who lives in that
area or visits tell me if that is their experience? Maybe other indoor
growers can tell me if they have similar experiences of winter growing VFT ?
Does anyone know if VFT are induced to dormancy by short days, low
temperatures, or both?
Regards,
David O. Gray