FlyTrapCare Forums

Hello, I have just requested some Drosera Capensis mixed seeds from the seed bank (Thanks Shadowtski I couldn't ask for more help than you've given me) and I think I have it down how to grow them but I want to make sure. What I know now is that you disperse the seeds evenly on the media, keep the media moist, put it in a bag for high humidity, and give it sun for half the day. I heard that you have to keep it cold for a period while they are germinating, can anybody confirm if this is true for me please? Please also tell me if there is anything else I need to do.

Thanks,
Sanguinearocks101

You've got most of it down. My process goes something like the following:

• 1)Mix and hydrate soil — I use 1:1 peat perlite

• 2) Fill growing container to just below the top, lightly packing the soil down

• 3)Evenly sprinkle seeds over the surface of the soil

• 4)Lightly mist the surface to help settle seeds and place in growing environment

I grow most of my plants in an enclosed space in a tray with T8 lighting which keeps humidity at 65-70% and temperature around 80°F when the lights are on (12 hour photoperiod). That being said I don't bother to enclose my seeds with a bag, whether or not you do so yourself will depend upon your growing environment.

As for keeping the seeds cold, some do have to be cold stratified before being seeded. However D. capensis does not need this and will appreciate it if you can keep them on the warmer side. I don't know where you live but I assume it is winter there which means you will want to place your plants on a sunny windowsill in a bag (make sure if you do this that the seeds don't get cooked) or under growlights if you have them.

This is certainly not the only path to success, merely my way of doing things. Capensis is very easy to grow and should be a good place to get your feet wet in the world of growing from seed, enjoy the process!

Patrick

That's pretty much how I sprout my dew seeds, except I keep them under intense light. They sprout fine for me either way, they just grow faster under brighter light. While temperate dew seeds do need a cold period to simulate winter, capensis, a tropical plant from South Africa, does not. Capensis is a really easy plant to sprout and reaches maturity very quickly. Good luck!

Do you use long-fiber sphagnum moss for drosera seeds?

I use 1:1 peat perlite myself, I believe LFSM is a popular choice for Drosera though.

Patrick

I'm about to plant Drosera from seeds for the first time and am doing some research on it. This post helped me alot on where to get started.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Here's a great resource.
growsundews.com

Just some musings based on my experience, YMMV:

-LFS is fine for germination, but it can be a pain to flatten it so that the seeds have ample contact with the rest of the pot. This is important when the seedlings need to start sending down deeper roots. Some people suggest blending or chopping it up.
-Wash your media, wash, and wash again. There is nothing more annoying than running into algae or mold with seedlings. I'm considering baking or microwaving the media next time I do a round of seeds to see if that helps.
-Related, but sometimes bagging can create more problems than it is worth. It is nice for water conservation (you never want your seed pots to dry out), but with little air flow it can promote algae/mold and also becomes an unnecessary issue when you have to transition your seedlings to your ambient conditions. Unless your growing space is super low in humidity, I wouldn't worry about it with most sundew seeds.

Capensis are a great one to start off with though. Best of luck!

i planted my seeds from the seedbank last week, may i know how long does it usually takes for it to sprout? i cant wait to see it!

Personally I haven't used LFS for drosera seeds but I've had better success with LFS overall when it comes to germinating other types of seed. I would chop it up as fine as possible if I were to do it though. For Capensis I'd keep it simple with 1:1 Peat/Sand or something to that effect.

Capensis seeds are pretty forgiving overall. If I'm trying to germinate them, I personally keep them under a light as well and provide a bag or humidity dome and just keep the pot damp by filling the bottom of my tray. The water level doesn't really matter so much as keeping the pot damp so any water level will pretty much work. If you have a water tray with plants, go ahead and place it in there with them. I'm a fan of using a clear plastic bag and using a rubber band to seal it from the top and keep it in the tray. My conditions are subtropical overall. The days ride just under 80 and nights are about 70. I recently had a mass germination in one of my byblis pots in an open air environment because I didn't clip my flower, RIP. I think the only thing that would really change is the time it takes to germinate.

They're very cool to watch as they sprout up. They take a little time from germination before they hit their stride though so don't be too concerned if they stay small for a bit. Very rewarding, good luck!