FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

It's been super helpful reading everyone's posts here, to learn exactly how to raise lovely flytraps. I am following all your instructions to the letter and know I'll get good results.

Sure, it's true that most of you recommended that new growers like me get mature plants. Good advice, I bet, but I decided to start with seeds, because isn't that more like having a cute snuggly puppy instead of adopting someone else's old unwanted dog?

But I do feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's been four days since I planted those seeds and STILL no baby traps! NONE. WHY WHY WHY. The eBay guy said it would take only a day or two for these to grow into finger-biting day-glo plants.

The experienced growers all seem to use long-tailed shagnum moss or whatever it's called. But have you seen that stuff? It's disgusting. Ugh, I didn't want to touch it. The forums say soil with no nutrients in it, so I planted my seeds in coffee grounds. It looks like dirt and doesn't have any vitamins, so I figured that would work.

The grounds got a good soak first, for sure. Moist but not wet, right? Everyone says "use distilled water" and "plenty of peat" so I used my favorite whisky: Lagavulin! It's both distilled and peaty, so it's perfect.

But other than that, I'm definitely doing everything just as you say on the forums. What's the other thing? Oh, yes, light. Light is important, even to tiny seeds, and those fellas are getting plenty of screen time each day. Like, 12 hours. I just prop the iPad against their covered terrarium and run the Xmas "fireplace" video. Nice and hot.

So, thanks from wonderful Wisconsin for all the help so far!

Welcome! VFT seeds might take several days, weeks, or even months! That is why we recommend buying young but already mature plants that can feed on its own. Sphagnum moss and peatmoss mix is a debate, some prefer peat and some prefer moss. I don’t know what coffee ground is and I’m not even sure if it is safe for carnivorous plants. I have heard of coffee stuff being used as a fertilizer though! Also, as for lights I keep the seedlings under a T5HO sunblaster light about 3 inches plus away from the light and they get sun through the window too nvm I can’t even take your post seriously XD whiskey?!
iPads fire place?!

This cant be for real, gotta be a troll.

It sounds to me from what I read is that you have everything set up perfectly for failure. You have a great sense of humor
Still rooting for "zebra" but "olive" would be a cool Flytrap too.

Just saw your older posts

I see now that you are trying to make a funny lol

Wow! The Whisky is a good idea for sure. I use it for years now, and healthy as it. So it should work on your babys?

Ok. This is my favorite post so far.

Oh, I just thought it would be fun to have my intro be something other than the typical "hey, noobie here." Thought it would give some of you a chuckle.

I do really truly have seeds from the Flytrap Store planted. Only on Day 5, so no action yet. If anything exciting happens, I'll post here.

schmeg wrote:It's been super helpful reading everyone's posts here, to learn exactly how to raise lovely flytraps. I am following all your instructions to the letter and know I'll get good results.

Sure, it's true that most of you recommended that new growers like me get mature plants. Good advice, I bet, but I decided to start with seeds, because isn't that more like having a cute snuggly puppy instead of adopting someone else's old unwanted dog?

But I do feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's been four days since I planted those seeds and STILL no baby traps! NONE. WHY WHY WHY. The eBay guy said it would take only a day or two for these to grow into finger-biting day-glo plants.

The experienced growers all seem to use long-tailed shagnum moss or whatever it's called. But have you seen that stuff? It's disgusting. Ugh, I didn't want to touch it. The forums say soil with no nutrients in it, so I planted my seeds in coffee grounds. It looks like dirt and doesn't have any vitamins, so I figured that would work.

The grounds got a good soak first, for sure. Moist but not wet, right? Everyone says "use distilled water" and "plenty of peat" so I used my favorite whisky: Lagavulin! It's both distilled and peaty, so it's perfect.

But other than that, I'm definitely doing everything just as you say on the forums. What's the other thing? Oh, yes, light. Light is important, even to tiny seeds, and those fellas are getting plenty of screen time each day. Like, 12 hours. I just prop the iPad against their covered terrarium and run the Xmas "fireplace" video. Nice and hot.

So, thanks from wonderful Wisconsin for all the help so far!

I just show my fly traps photographs of water, sunlight and soil. It's working pretty good for me.