- Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:56 pm
#412923
Ok, so I'm a glutton for punishment. I got a mix of flytrap seeds from @hollyhock. Thanks, hollyhock, the USPS *finally* got them here regardless of their attempts to delay them or maybe the letter-lady's mule got the colic....hmmm!!!
Anyhoo....
So, here I sit. Don't even know how to grow a living flytrap much less start one from scratch, er...seeds. I think I need to turn this over to my granddaughter as her flytrap is apparently doing better than mine...naturally I can tell her that but she's gonna find out sooner or later. She's the expert, I'm the rank newb!!! Why I decided to plant flytrap seeds I don't really know...I might have flytraps growing on top of me (depending on whether they dump me in a bog when "my day comes" before these seeds grow to adult plant size!!!! Ah, well, we all gotta have a reason not to go taking a dirt-nap, I guess.
So, to get this started...
First thing... It sounds like I need to sterilize the peat moss before planting the seeds. I've seen where some people microwave the peat moss, some people pour boiling water over it, other people soak it in bleach (just kiddin' on that last one, really!<g>). I could do either the microwave or the boiling water method. The microwave is in an old trailer at the edge of the property so my wife won't be taking a broom handle to me for stinkin' up the house. And boiling water is a no-brainer, I suppose. Any advice or other feedback on sterilizing the peat?
Next thing... People say to simply sow the seeds on top of the growing mixture. Other folks say to cover them with a tiny amount of moist peat moss. While others even say to sow them on the surface and then lightly sprinkle fine peat moss dust over the seeds and wet them. Actually, all methods are usually followed by a "mist to settle seeds into the peat moss" or either "mist to settle the peat moss around the seeds"....you know, "tomahto" or "tomater" (I think that's the usual saying. Tiny seeds of tiny plants with basically no stem or stalk to shoot up out of the surface can't be covered very deep. I kinda lean towards the "fine peat moss dust" method. But, I'm flying blind here so feedback is appreciated.
Container... It looks like probably a minimum of a year before the traps will need transplanting. Looking at the time span of growing this to maturity I see no need in holding back on the number of seeds I plant so I'm going to plant all of them...the vial I have has roughly 100 seeds in it. I figure to split the planting up between two or three pots. But...what size pots should they be? I've got some of the long planter-type containers...18"L x 5.5"W x 5"D...they'd need some good scrubbing. Maybe just plant two of these planters? Or, would it be better to stick with maybe two or three smaller 6" round pots that are probably 5.5" deep?
Humidity/moistness and light... I've found it *often* recommended to have a vented cover for the pot your germinating the trap seeds in so as to keep the humidity/moisture level high. I also see it said that the pot needs to be in the sunlight. Well, down here south Alabama I think that would equate to a solar oven...of sorts. Comments on covering the pots *and* sunlight that the pots sit in are most welcome. I'm thinking to do the first week or week-and-a-half under tree shade and then after than time has elapsed to move the containers to open shade that might give them an hour or so of early morning direct sun. But, once that time span has elapsed would it be better to simply uncover the pot and leave it in the (hot) sun?
I won't be planting them until Saturday so I've got plenty (I think) of time to plan some more.
Overthink things? Me?
Anyhoo....
So, here I sit. Don't even know how to grow a living flytrap much less start one from scratch, er...seeds. I think I need to turn this over to my granddaughter as her flytrap is apparently doing better than mine...naturally I can tell her that but she's gonna find out sooner or later. She's the expert, I'm the rank newb!!! Why I decided to plant flytrap seeds I don't really know...I might have flytraps growing on top of me (depending on whether they dump me in a bog when "my day comes" before these seeds grow to adult plant size!!!! Ah, well, we all gotta have a reason not to go taking a dirt-nap, I guess.
So, to get this started...
First thing... It sounds like I need to sterilize the peat moss before planting the seeds. I've seen where some people microwave the peat moss, some people pour boiling water over it, other people soak it in bleach (just kiddin' on that last one, really!<g>). I could do either the microwave or the boiling water method. The microwave is in an old trailer at the edge of the property so my wife won't be taking a broom handle to me for stinkin' up the house. And boiling water is a no-brainer, I suppose. Any advice or other feedback on sterilizing the peat?
Next thing... People say to simply sow the seeds on top of the growing mixture. Other folks say to cover them with a tiny amount of moist peat moss. While others even say to sow them on the surface and then lightly sprinkle fine peat moss dust over the seeds and wet them. Actually, all methods are usually followed by a "mist to settle seeds into the peat moss" or either "mist to settle the peat moss around the seeds"....you know, "tomahto" or "tomater" (I think that's the usual saying. Tiny seeds of tiny plants with basically no stem or stalk to shoot up out of the surface can't be covered very deep. I kinda lean towards the "fine peat moss dust" method. But, I'm flying blind here so feedback is appreciated.
Container... It looks like probably a minimum of a year before the traps will need transplanting. Looking at the time span of growing this to maturity I see no need in holding back on the number of seeds I plant so I'm going to plant all of them...the vial I have has roughly 100 seeds in it. I figure to split the planting up between two or three pots. But...what size pots should they be? I've got some of the long planter-type containers...18"L x 5.5"W x 5"D...they'd need some good scrubbing. Maybe just plant two of these planters? Or, would it be better to stick with maybe two or three smaller 6" round pots that are probably 5.5" deep?
Humidity/moistness and light... I've found it *often* recommended to have a vented cover for the pot your germinating the trap seeds in so as to keep the humidity/moisture level high. I also see it said that the pot needs to be in the sunlight. Well, down here south Alabama I think that would equate to a solar oven...of sorts. Comments on covering the pots *and* sunlight that the pots sit in are most welcome. I'm thinking to do the first week or week-and-a-half under tree shade and then after than time has elapsed to move the containers to open shade that might give them an hour or so of early morning direct sun. But, once that time span has elapsed would it be better to simply uncover the pot and leave it in the (hot) sun?
I won't be planting them until Saturday so I've got plenty (I think) of time to plan some more.
Overthink things? Me?