FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi everyone,

I did my first TC experiment yesterday. I used only seeds like cephalotus, venus, drosera...
Doing TC for bigger seeds was easy but I got trouble for tiny seeds. I used paper filter. I put seeds on paper filter. I rolled it and droped my sterilization mixture. However, some seeds got away and paper filter melted a little bit. After sterilization it was like hell to put seeds from filter to jar. They are so tiny to hold and put.
Do you have any good methods for tiny seeds?
I read that some people put seed with paper filter. Some people just sterilize with H202 and put seeds with a little H202

I use centrifuge tubes and tweezers. It is still difficult to get a hold of them but usually by tipping the tube I can herd them to the edge of the tube and then pull them out. I've heard using an inoculation loop can be helpful.

I have used filter paper discs for years, for seed sterilization. They don't disintegrate unless truly abused; and the seed can be transferred, via forceps, directly from its surface. Its porous nature ensures that the cleaning solutions reach the seed surface, especially for odd shaped or filamentous seed, such as that of Nepenthes or Heliamphora.

They are generally folded into small pouches and affixed with color-coded plastic paper clips, as seen below. The codes allow for multiple species to be cultured at the same time, without confusion . . .