Venus Flytrap Dormancy
The dormant period, i.e., Winter, is the most common period where you should completely avoid feeding this plant. We do this because it is the best season for your plant to rest and carry out recovery processes with minimal disturbance. Additionally, there are certain instances when its critical to avoid feeding the plant, and they include:
Understanding the Dormancy Period
Dormancy usually happens in winter, between November and February, or sometimes early March. The surrounding external environment usually features less daylight and significantly lower temperatures. Besides that, the soil is also usually dryer. Try to ensure that you keep the soil moist will help it to survive harsh winters successfully.
Winter dormancy is essential since it helps the plant to work internally to facilitate the recovery process. Based on the location and climate, your plant may end up getting 3-5 months of pure sleep. It should also be mentioned that without winter dormancy, then your plant will weaken and die eventually.
If you are a new plant parent, don’t be shocked by what happens during dormancy. Since Venus Flytrap usually stops growing during this period, its leaves will turn black and die. However, don’t throw your plant away because this is only a survival mechanism that triggers the traps to close.
If you are growing your plant indoors, you need to put it in a cool location such as a basement or unheated garage during the dormancy period. Understand that your plant won’t need much lighting.
The ideal temperatures during this period are between 50 degrees F and 35 degrees F. However, if the flytrap is being grown outside and temperatures don’t drop below 30 degrees F during the cold months, then there is no need to change the location.
