Question
QUESTION: Hi.  I had my plants in a screened in porch (south sun) all summer and fall
until a few days ago.  I would bring them in at night into my front foyer b/c it
was too cold outside. Then during the day I put them back outside to get sun.
You said this was babying them and that I need to keep them in one place so
they get used to it.
I listened to you. They have been in my front foyer "only" now for 2 days.   
The only problem is that my foyer is a little heated.  It's not insulated, though.
The temp at night there for the past few days is 55F.  Maybe when it gets
colder outside the temp here will drop.  I don't remember. If my foyer stays at
this temp,  Is it too warm for them?
They appear to be semi dormant from when i had left them outside on my
porch in the 40s and high 30s. Some of their leaves and traps turned brown
or traps don't work anymore, but I noticed that now since they are in my foyer
they are growing a few new leaves and traps. It is normal for them to still be
growing? They are also only getting north sun through a window here. should
I get them a 40 watt cool light bulb?
I would like to leave them outside on my screened in porch, but I am afraid b/
c some of my venus fly traps are in small pots (4 inch by 3 1/2 inch pots) that
their roots will freeze.  My other plants are in 5, 6 and 7 inch pots. I know you
said to leave plants outside all winter long, but what size pots do you mean?
Large pots? I bought cedar mulch to use to try to insulate the small pots.
Would this help?  It's been very cold here in NJ. There's even a frost advisory
for tonight.  
Thinking about everything I told you, where would be best to winterize them.  
I don't want to keep moving them around. You're right. This is bad for them.
Thank you again.

ANSWER: Hi Tracy,

I commend you in taking this venture seriously.  Many first-time growers have made the same mistakes you've made, but in the end threw up their arms and declared that growing carnivorous plants is too difficult.  In all reality, growing carnivorous plants is no different than growing any other type of plant, whether it be a pothos ivy, a ficus tree, a rose bush or a tomato plant.  All plants need sunlight, water and soil.  Temperature and humidity are secondary issues as plants will acclimate to changing conditions.  What they cannot acclimate to is improper sunlight, water and soil.

Here's wht I recommend for your North American plants, keep them in a sunny east or south window for the winter.  The reason for this is because you've moved your plants around too much and they haven't had time to acclimate to a frost.  You will risk losing them if they experience the frost too suddenly.  I just don't know what type of condition your plants are in, so I just don't know whether or not they can tolerate a frost at this time.

So keep your plants indoors in a very sunny location.  You may need to skip winter dormancy this year.  The flytrap may or may not make it in the constantly warm conditions, but the other option is placing it back outside where it may or may not make it because it wasn't properly acclimated.  If your plant doesn't make it indoors, just chalk it up to experience.  Your pitcher plants are most tolerant of skipping winter dormancy.  While indoors for the winter, avoid keeping your plants in standing water.  Water the plants only enough to keep the soil moist.  Watch for fungal infection and treat accordingly if you see any pop up.

Next spring, AFTER the risk of frost has passed, acclimate your plants for outdoor growing, and keep them there.  Please review our care sheets for more information about growing carnivorous plants:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:        I did what you recommended. My carnivorous plants (a doodle bug,
purple pitcher, cape sundew, mexican butterwort hybrid and venus fly traps)
are in one place now. I have not moved them around. I swear! :) They are now
in my dining room in front of a large window that gets east sun. I don't have a
place in house that gets good south sun and I do not have any windowsills
large enough to put pots on. They have been there for almost a week now.  I
have a few questions to ask you.  
    First, I don't know if I mentioned this to you, but they had experienced
cold temps before I began to bring them in and out.  I kept them out on my
porch until the 2nd week of october. The night temps somedays were in 40s
and mid to high 30s.  They became I guess semi dormant.  Most of their traps
have either died or don't work anymore.  But on the other hand, they are still
growing new traps.  Since they are in my house now are they going to "wake
up" from dormancy and grow again? I don't keep my house very warm.  I keep
it at 63F in winter, so there is a chill in the house.
    Question2-I don't feel they are getting enough light.  My sundew doesn't
have any dew at all on it, but my doodle bug has alot of dew dripping from its
mouth.  I wanted to get a florescent light to put over them here.  I am
unfamilar with these type of lights. Should I get one 40 watt long light or
bulb? Where can I get it? Home Depot? Is there a type of light or brand you
recommend? How long should I keep these lights on? 10 hours all winter?
    Question3-  When it gets very cold in my house this window will be
covered with heavy curtains and therefore no more light.  Can I grow them in
my living room under only artificial lights? This would be just for the winter.  
Come spring I willl begin to grow them outside in full sun.  


ANSWER: Yes, definitely use the shop lights from the hardware store.  Use a couple 40-watt tubes, and keep the lights 8 inches above the plants.  Use a timer to keep the lights on for 12 hours per day.  Also use the cool white tubes.  Avoid full-spectrum or plant lights, unless you have the funds.  They tend to be 3-5 times the cost as cool white tubes, but without any significant benefit for the plants.

So keep your plants under the lights all winter.  Your temperate plants won't go dormant, but that's par for the course when growing them indoors.  In spring when the risk of frost has passed, you can acclimate them to outdoor growing.  If you notice any flower stalk occurring on your North American plants, cut them off.  You should allow them to flower only when they've had a proper winter dormancy.

For more information, read our recent newsletter article online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/autumn

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:          I did what you said. I just bought a 4' shop light that  holds 2- 40
watt tubes.  I bought this b/c  I have my plants indoors this winter (as you
recommended to do b/c they may not be acclimated for the winter outdoors-
this winter only!!) and  they are not getting enough sunlight. As a result, I am
having a real bad problem with MOLD.  This leads me to my next question....
         
         For a few days now I have noticed alot of fuzzy mold COVERING the top
of the soil in ALL my carnivorous plants' pots.  The mold is also in the middle
around the plants.  I kept trying to remove it  with my fingers and a tweezer,
but it keeps coming back.  The other day, I sprayed all my plants with my
fungicide spray- Garden Safe Fungicide 3 (you said you used this product on
your plants too).  The mold is still there.  I have my carnivorous plants on a
table under the shop light with my  non-carnivorous plants.  My non
carnivorous plants didn't have any mold in their soil.  Now my cactus has a
little mold in it today.  This really upsets me. :(
         
         How do I get rid of the mold? Should I have tried to remove all of the
mold before I used my fungicide spray? Should I repot my plants? I didn't
really want to have to disturb them by repotting them if I didn't have to.          
If you recommend that I repot, how do I do this so that the mold doesn't
come back? For example. should I remove all of the soil (including around the
roots)? Should I disinfect pot with soap and water before I put plant back in it?
(etc.) This leads me to my next question- How to water so you don't
overwater
        
         I am new to caring for plants. I have and had alot of animals as pets,
but never had plants.  I am having a problem with overwatering.  I know I am
having a problem with mold b/c I made plants too wet for the amount of sun
they were getting.  Can you please tell me how to water so I don't overwater
again.
        
         You said to top water, but to keep the soil moist, not wet.  I had read
to give a GOOD WATERING- you top water until alot of water runs through the
bottom and then wait 30 minutes. I read that this is A GOOD WATERING and if
you didn't water this way there's a chance the WATER WOULDN'T REACH THE
ROOTS and therefore the plant would die.  This makes the plant very wet,
though.  I am guessing you disagree with watering this way.
      
        How do you water so plant is just moist? A little amount of water but
more frequently? I've been watering my plants once a week to once every two
weeks. I guess this means I am overwatering.  I don't water more often b/c
the soil doesn't dry  b/c of lack of light ((besides my overwatering).
       
         Also my soil mix is mostly peat moss with a handful of perilte.  I potted
them before I knew the correct 50/50 of peat to perilte. 2 of my plants only
have the correct ratio.  
         
         How much do I water them now that they are under the shop light b/c
it seems that the shop light produces heat? You had said that mold cannot
survive under natural sunlight.  What about the florescent lights?

         How much water do you use when you first pot a plant? Should you
put the soil in and then water it, making sure water comes through the
bottom? Or do you just MOISTEN the soil before you put in the pot? Or do you
SATURATE the soil before you put in the pot so plant to ensure that the plant
is watered well?

         My last question/ problem is about insects. 3 of my plants have alot of
bugs in their soil (non carnivorous plants). I was going to repot them. Are
there soil bugs that are not harmful to plants? I am  ot sure what type of bugs
my plants have.
        In my pincuchions plant's pot- there are green little bugs.  The plant
doesn't appear to be dying from the bugs. Is green bugs aphids? My other
plant, a prayer plant has tiny long cream colored bugs that jump. Maybe
springtails? In one of my venuses pots, I was shining a flashlight in it to see if
there was more mold, then all of a sudden out comes two little worms with
black heads.  I killed them with a tissue.  Do you know what this is?
  
        Sorry for the book.  I thought it would be best to type all of my
questions here, b/c my past problems are listed above.  Thank you again.

Answer
Yes, mold is a big issue when growing carnivorous plants indoors.  This of course depends on the age of your home, how it was constructed to keep out moisture and where you live.  Some growers are not afflicted with mold, while others are.  So it always comes to a toss up of whether to risk plants overwintering outdoors, whether they are prepared for it or not, or risk plants getting a mold infection indoors.  This is the type of decision that growers have to make on their own based on what growers are willing and not willing to do.

At this point, you may need repot your plants to remove as much of the mold as possible.  Rinse the roots and spray the plant with a sulfur-based fungicide before repotting it in fresh soil (1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite).  Use a sulfur fungicide because this will help prevent future outbreaks of mold.  After repotting, also spray the soil surface with a sulfur-based fungicide.  Neem oil is more appropriate if you see an actual outbreak.

Next, keep the soil moist but not wet.  Do NOT allow the pots to sit in water.  Top water only enough to keep the soil moist.  Avoid drenching the soil.  If you're uncertain about the moisture level of the soil beneath the soil surface, just stick your finger in the soil.  Avoid getting caught up with actual frequency of watering your plants.  When trying to control mold, water only when you suspect the soil is getting too dry.  The frequency of watering will depend on your home conditions.

The UV light from the fluorescent tubes will also help reduce mold and fungal outbreaks.  Follow the lighting recommendations as you would care for tropical carnivorous plants.  See our care sheets for more information.

If bugs are an issue, you can use pyrethrins or Neem oil.  These products are safe to use on plants.  Safer?makes excellent prepared solutions of these compounds.  Follow the directions on the bottle.

(It's always a good idea to treat for insects if you are not able to identify the insect as a beneficial insect.  When in doubt, treat.)

Now I commend you for growing plants as a hobby, especially carnivorous plants.  Growing plants is hobby that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.  As with all new hobbies, you will make mistakes.  You will kill some plants.  You will encounter obstacles.  Your learning curve will be steep initially, and that's normal.  Everyone goes through it, including me.  I killed many plants, including garden perennials such as azelea and vinca.  Whenever a plant died, I just tossed in the compost bin and tried a different plant that was more suitable for the area and my gardening method.

So even if your plants don't make it, just take a step back, reassess your techniques, identify which plants would be most suitable for your growing conditions and skill level and start over.  Think of it like learning how to cook.  Initially you may burn the meatloaf, under cook the chicken or make your cakes too dry.  You may even need to toss out some of your dishes.  That's the learning process.  

If you get too caught up with trying to make every plant a success when you first start off growing plants for the first time, you will experience more stress than need be.  Remember that taking on a new hobby is supposed to be fun.  You have the rest of your life to master this new hobby, so give yourself permission to make mistakes.  You'll find the process much more enjoyable.

On another note, you might also find our upcoming instructional DVD very beneficial.  Volume 1 will cover North American carnivorous plants.  In volumes 2 and 3 (due in 2009), we'll cover tropical carnivorous plants and how to grow them indoors.  In the meantime, you might find our e-book useful.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin


ADDENDUM
To control the mold on a long-term basis, top water your plants with a hydrogen peroxide solution.  Use 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide (3%) in a gallon of water.  The soil will fizz, and this is normal.  The idea is to kill off mold spores on the soil surface.  This is sometimes a more economical if mold is a constant battle in your home.  Let me know how this works for you.