Question

vft   Hello,
I have some fly trap seedlings that I started earlier this past winter inside. I live in Portland, OR, zone 8. I put them outside when the rain stopped, and they have done well. They get probably 6-8 hours of sun/day, perhaps a little less now with the season. I have them in a 1:1:1 of peat, perlite, and silica. I keep them in clean water. My question is about their dormancy and leaving them outside. I would like to leave them outside for the winter, but they seem small and fragile, the bigger traps only being ~ 1/4" wide. That's my question. Will they be ok outside? We get a lot of rain, but the temps stay above 30F for the most part. I was considering a small rain shelter to protect them from the heavy stuff.
Thanks for any advice you can give me!
-Marshall

Answer
Your flytraps look old enough to withstand a winter outdoors in the Portland area.  You can shelter the plants from heavy rain, but make sure they can still get lots of sunlight whenever possible.  You should also follow regular winter protocol whenever temperatures go significantly below freezing.  This usually happens for no more than a week at a time in this region.  I recommend reading our care guide on our main website.  Also sign up for our monthly newsletter.  We provide monthly tips to help you care for your plants throughout the year.
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com/careguides

Good growing!
Jacob Farin