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Growing venus flytraps from seed

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:08 am
by lilim10
It says in the directions to put them in the refridgerator for 8 weeks for stratification and then to take them out and put them in a sunny place. Is stratification really necessary? I have doubts about shoving my VFTs into my refridgerator for 8 weeks. Are there any pros and cons to it? Note that I am trying to grow it from seed.

Re: Growing venus flytraps from seed

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:57 pm
by Matt
A stratification period for Dionaea seeds is not necessary. Simply plant them in peat moss or your chosen media and keep the humidity fairly high. They should germinate in three to five weeks.

Re: Growing venus flytraps from seed

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:45 am
by WORMSS
Sorry to Raise a very old thread from death but Is there is
"Idiots Guide to Growing VFT's from Seed"

nice simple Step 1, 2, 3 and dumb down everything with a time scale so I can write the 'predicted dates' down on my calender.
Photos would also be great :D

Few questions:
  • Time:
    • Best time of the year?
    • If I need to wait whats the best way to store the seeds, and how long is Too long?
      Note: I am in england and we only have about 2-3 months of Decent sun a year, and even then its not even constent
      One day it can be very very sunny, next day it can be raining.. and some times raining WHILE Sunny.
  • Storage:
    • best way to store them if needed?
  • Lighting:
    • I know sun is best, but as you can guess from above its not always an option so I might be using florecent light(s).
    • Time:
      • 12 hour cycle
      • 18 hour cycle
      • leave it on perminatly?
    • Distance:
      • Closer the Better?
      • ~4-6 inchs away
      • Further away be allowed due to positioning of plants?
  • Soil: I know Peat Moss but the only thing I have found is Sphagnum Peat Moss which looks nothing like what you have been using. Yours looks like regular soil, this looks like a bunch of long grass been curled up into a ball.
    • Can I:
    • use Sphagnum instead
    • use something else?
    • use both if I can find any
    • use sphagnum on top?
    • use Perlite?
  • Watering:
    • Do I still water by Tray?
      • Constent Water or
      • Fill tray, allow to dry out, wait a day or 2 and fill again?
    • Do I need to water from the top?
      • spray it all with a thick mist until it socks all the way down
      • just Pour water on top of the seed
      • Pour next to it.
  • Pots:
    • Use Little Propergater tray which has lots of little divided areas with Cover
    • Regular Square Pots
    • Minimum/Maximum Depth
      Can I use the above in combination/instead of with:
    • A Tarrainium? My friend has one she keeps her Turtouse in. During summer she wont need it anymore as it will live outside perminatly.
It would be nice to see peoples different apporches to these questions.


Also, the Soil question is for Normal plants too..

Re: Growing venus flytraps from seed

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 3:22 pm
by Steve_D
Venus Flytrap Seeds are easy to germinate and grow.

There are a few things to consider and remember:
  • Stratification or no? -- Venus Flytrap seeds don't need to be chilled or frozen for days, weeks or months before sowing. In nature they sprout very soon after they mature and fall to the ground from a parent plant, during the same growing season. There is no need for "stratification."
  • Bury the seed? -- Don't bury the seed, but it's OK to sift a little fine dust of sphagnum peat moss (ground between the fingers, for example) onto the surface of the germination/growing medium to settle around the seeds to help retain moisture and keep the emerging root from drying out and becoming calloused and stunted. It also helps give the seed something to push against as the root emerges and seeks to dig itself into the medium instead of merely pushing itself along the soil surface.
  • Water -- To water the seeds, use a spray bottle to mist the soil surface, and/or water from below, allowing the soil to suck water upward from a tray or bowl of water. While germinating seed the soil should be fairly moist. Later when the plants begin to grow well the water content can be lowered and the plants allowed to have more air and less water in the soil. Venus Flytraps, once they are past the tiny seedling stage, grow very healthy in moist rather than soggy or saturated soil.
  • Warmth? -- Yes, keep the seeds and growing container warm. A temperature between 75-85 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit (24-32 degrees Celsius/Centigrade) will greatly help to stimulate more rapid germination and early healthy growth.
  • Keep moist -- Don't allow the soil surface to completely dry out, and try to keep humidity high during germination, although it can be lowered once the plants are growing. If you live in a dry climate, it helps to germinate Venus Flytraps in a covered container. A disposable plastic food storage container makes a fine germination chamber. Cut or punch holes in the top for heat escape and air circulation, and poke some tiny holes in the bottom of the container to drain excess water. Lift the lid of the container at least once a day and fan the air for a change of fresh air. The germination chamber should not be placed in direct sunlight because it will overheat both the air and soil inside and may bake and kill the seeds and germinating plants.
  • Transplant? -- If grown in a germination container, Flytraps can be transplanted soon after germination to a more permanent home, uncovered. The best stage to transplant them (this is merely my own preference) is when the cotyledons (the two first leaves, the "seed leaves") are almost fully extended out of the seed and the first tiny true trap leaf is beginning to form. At this stage the plant has a base and tiny root that can be transplanted, which helps to anchor the plant in its new growing medium and helps it to adapt to conditions of lesser humidity and more light. An easy way to transplant is to use a moist wooden toothpick. Poke a tiny hole in the new home of the plant, gently dig the plant with the tip of the toothpick, transfer the plant to the tiny hole in its new growing container and gently orient it properly (leaves up, base and root down) then very gently settle it into the new hole with the toothpick or a very light touch of a finger.
  • How long to wait? Be patient. Venus Flytrap seeds can look "dead" for up to three weeks or more before they germinate, although fresh seed often germinates in 13-14 days. After the first seeds germinate, it can take up to several weeks or even a couple months for the others to germinate, although at least a few probably won't germinate at all. Don't give up, and don't let the soil surface dry and kill a newly emerging root from a just-germinated seed! :?
  • Storing seeds? -- To store excess seed for later germination, place them in a small plastic bag or (if very fresh) in a paper envelope inside a plastic bag, and store them in the refrigerator. Keeping them cold helps prevent them from trying to germinate prematurely (warmth stimulates germination) and helps keep them fresh, and keeping them from drying out too much keeps them fresh longer and keeps their germination rate (percentage) higher. Placing them in a plastic bag and squeezing out most of the excess air keeps the seeds from drying out, and placing them in a paper envelope helps overly-moist fresh seed to dry just a little and keeps them from developing mold in long term storage. The plastic bag that the paper envelope is inside keeps them from drying out too much. :)
  • Anything else? HAVE FUN! Venus Flytraps are very interesting to watch grow from seed. Most Venus Flytraps that are available for sale are tissue cultured (micropropagated) or are natural divisions of known cultivars or clones, but seed grown plants are all different: each is genetically unique, each is one of a kind.
Steve