FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I'm heavily considering buying some seeds from the Flytrap store and giving germinating them a go. I already have two small clear plastic food containers that I'm thinking about using. They are Tupperware like containers, with removable clear lids. I am thinking about poking holes in both the lids and the bottom of each container to allow for drainage, and filling them up with peat moss mixed with a tiny amount of perlite.

I've read the "how to" on this site about growing from seed a few times, but I still have a few questions. Would keeping the plastic containers (lids on until the seeds have sprouted), in a tray in my back porch and misting them with a spray bottle work? Are seeds and seedlings more sensitive to tds in the water than say, a more mature plant? The water from my tap reads at 48-49ppm for reference. Would this be too much for seedlings? I can get rainwater if needed. I just need to wait until it rains again.

My porch is nice and warm, it's whatever the temp outside is, as the windows are wide open and it's been in the high 80's during the day and low 80's-high 70's at night. Would that be warm enough for successful germination?

Artchic528 wrote:Would keeping the plastic containers (lids on until the seeds have sprouted), in a tray in my back porch and misting them with a spray bottle work?

Yes, that should work fine. And the temperatures sound perfect for quick germination.

Artchic528 wrote:Are seeds and seedlings more sensitive to tds in the water than say, a more mature plant? The water from my tap reads at 48-49ppm for reference. Would this be too much for seedlings?

Possibly. It depends on what minerals are in the water. I'd suggest using rain or distilled water instead until the plants are a little larger.

Alright. I've purchased the seeds from this site's store, they came yesterday and I set up the nursery chambers, what I like to call the small plastic containers I'm using to germinate and grow the seedlings in, and sowed the seeds in them. I used two clear round containers made from soft, rubbery plastic and poked some holes in the lids and bottoms with a large nail for drainage and air circulation. Right now they are sitting outside on a small bistro table next to my bog container that holds my 3 Venus Fly Trap plants. I also used some rainwater I collected earlier to moisten the peat moss I'm using and int the spray bottle I'm using to water the seeds with. I'm also keeping the two chambers in a plastic tray.

I checked on the nursery chambers earlier in the evening and noticed that there was a lot of condensation on the inside of the lids and the chambers felt very warm. I fear they may of gotten too warm today. Should I move them to a shadier spot? Also, how long does it normally take for them to germinate? I know keeping them in warmer temperatures helps to speed up germination a bit. Also, how often should I spray-water the nursery chambers? I also fear mold taking hold and destroying any and all potential plants. How do I avoid that?