Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 22:46:51 -0400 From: "Carl Mazur" <ccp@vaxxine.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3003$foo@default> Subject: Sarrs in the North.
Hi all,
It seems that hardyness of Sarracenia is a topic that comes up quite often.
Someone (I think Tom in Florida) suggested that someone from a more
northern local share some info. We'll, being a Sarraceniaphile, and living
in Canada, I guess I fit the bill. Before we start thinking ice fishing
and igloos, let me preface by saying, I'm in one of the most mild parts of
Canada (about 40 minutes west of Niagara falls, on Lake Ontario). I live
in USDA Zone 6. Thats winter minimums that don't get much colder than
-23C, thats is usually during the coldest of cold spells. On average,
January low temps are between -5C and -10C. We get thaws in all the winter
months, some days getting as warm as 15C in January, however, thats very
rare. Our growing season is 185 days, with first frosts about mid to late
October and last frost about early to mid April. By the book, the earliest
frost can come as early as September 25, and as late as May 22 or so.
However, I don't every remember frost that late or early.
OK, what have a grown here year round
S. flava, S. rubra, S. minor, VFT, S purpurea ssp venosa, all forms of S.
purpurea ssp purpurea and purp ssp purp x flava. My concern at this
lattitude is not the wintering process, its the length of growing season.
For the above mentioned plants, they are pretty much have only one form of
leaf, other than rubra. Most of the Deep South Sarrs, Gulf Coast types, S.
rubra wherryi, gulfensis, leucophylla, alata, alabamensis etc, tend to put
up their best leaves in the fall. Here, these plants start putting up
their fall pitchers in September, and continue well into November. Here
they'd be long killed off by frost. I also find, that plants I winter in
the greenhouse, tend grow larger than plants I winter outside, however, its
just a casual observation, I've not really looked into it.
If there is anyone out there that wants to discuss Sarr culture in cold
climates or has any questions please feel free to contact me.
Best Regards,
Carl J.Mazur
Cherryhill Carnivorous Plants
Grimsby, ON Canada
http://www.vaxxine.com/ccphome
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