Can you winter sow VFT seeds?

Can you winter sow VFT seeds?#394139

By Cosmickitty -  Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:54 am
Location:  Corpus Christi, TX
Posts:  84
Joined:  Tue Nov 02, 2021 1:10 pm

- Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:54 am #394139

Right now my “winter” is like 80 degrees… but can you winter sow VFT outdoors?

Re: Can you winter sow VFT seeds?#394140

By optique -  Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:49 am
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1925
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:49 am #394140

I would wait till after last frost. I do plan on sowing some sarracenia when things cool off some more. It's going to be my 1st natural stratification. Unless you count my volunteers sarra's i get from time to time.

Re: Can you winter sow VFT seeds?#394144

By ChefDean -  Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:17 am
Location:  Clarksville, TN
Posts:  9364
Joined:  Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:44 am

- Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:17 am #394144

You can sow VFT seeds anytime of the year, they don't need stratification. But they do need warmth and light to germinate.
If your winter stays as warm as it is now, go for it. If it will cool off more, toss the seeds in the fridge when they arrive and sow them in the Spring.

Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that I make bad decisions.

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Re: Can you winter sow VFT seeds?#394146

By Cosmickitty -  Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:54 pm
Location:  Corpus Christi, TX
Posts:  84
Joined:  Tue Nov 02, 2021 1:10 pm

- Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:54 pm #394146

Might be best to wait then…. Last year I grew tomatoes till February xD but I live in Texas and the freak freeze we got last year scares me still. It was the coldest it’s been where I live since like 1920, a lot of my garden is still recuperating. Unless a few days indoors in a cold spell won’t hurt them?

Re: Can you winter sow VFT seeds?#394149

By ChefDean -  Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:48 pm
Location:  Clarksville, TN
Posts:  9364
Joined:  Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:44 am

- Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:48 pm #394149

Agreed, might be best to wait.
While a few days inside due to a cold snap won't hurt them, it would suck if they germinated then, due to the fluctuating temps and shorter photoperiod, went into a mini-dormancy. They probably wouldn't have the reserves stored in their rhizome (if they had a rhizome at that point) to bounce back.
Wait until Spring, consistently warming temps, longer and longer days, and you should be good.
However, if you're impatient, sow them now and put them under a grow light for 16 hours a day until Spring. This would give them a little boost until sleepy time next winter.

Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that I make bad decisions.

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Re: Can you winter sow VFT seeds?#394193

By MikeB -  Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:06 am
Location:  Clayton, NC, USA - Zone 8a
Posts:  1911
Joined:  Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:13 pm

- Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:06 am #394193

You can sow flytrap seeds indoors at this time of year; it just takes longer for them to germinate. In the summertime heat and humidity, it's 2-4 weeks; at typical house temperatures, it's more like 4-8 weeks. I have a pot sitting under a grow light, and the seeds are sprouting just fine. The temperature at that location hits 70°F (21°C) during the day and drops to 60°F (15°C) at night.

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