FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello , I was wondering if there is any chance to succeed in planting VF seeds this period. The temperature here in Greece is about 20 - 32 C except the last week in which it was around 15 - 18 C. Supposing that temperature remains at the low rates I mentioned do I have to use ziplock bags ? Also what about the soil ? What mix would you suggest ? Thank you in advance !!

Ziplock bags would be a good idea to maintain humidity, but if they are out in the sun with those over them they could potentially bake if left unattended. Even if it stayed around 18 C, the seeds would still germinate but it would take longer for them to do so. I use a standard 50/50 mix of sphagnum and silica sand, and the seeds seem to grow just fine in it


You can read more on flytrap seeds here

http://www.flytrapcare.com/growing-venu ... seeds.html

What about the period ? Have I delayed too much or there is still a good chance to grow healthy plants if I plant my seeds these days ? Is it better to keep my seeds for the next spring in the refrigator or to plant them now ? Because I know that many of the seeds may not grow plants if I use them next year even if I retain them in good condition. Thank you !!

How old are the seeds? If you have fresh or viable seeds, then plant them as soon as possible. The sooner you plant them, the higher the rate of germination.

If you are interested in storing the seeds, here's the paragraph located on the link above about seed storage

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 too much, 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 enclosing the paper envelope keeps them from drying out too much. If harvesting your own seed, allow them to dry in a small open container for 2-3 days before storage in the refrigerator.

iliasthess wrote:What about the period ? Have I delayed too much or there is still a good chance to grow healthy plants if I plant my seeds these days ?

Yes, it's perfectly fine to start seeds this time of year. In fact, in the wild, Venus flytraps are nearly ready to set seed for the season and the seeds will germinate and grow until dormancy in the fall.

iliasthess wrote:Is it better to keep my seeds for the next spring in the refrigator or to plant them now ?

It's better to plant seed as soon as possible. Storing it will decrease germination rate.

You should use a nutrient poor soil for the venus fly traps. It it's freezing cold (IDK Celsius, I only know Fahrenheit), let the plant indoors where it's heated.

venusflytrapfan76 wrote:You should use a nutrient poor soil for the venus fly traps. It it's freezing cold (IDK Celsius, I only know Fahrenheit), let the plant indoors where it's heated.

Depending on your location this isn't required. My night time temps can get into the upper teens and I've never lost a CP's to freezing. They are covered in frost in the morning and are fine once the sun comes out. If your daytime temps are below freezing you may want to move them, or if you use pots that are small enough to freeze through. The main thing is that the rhizome doesn't freeze.

Also, freezing in Celsius is 0. 0 degrees Celsius is where water will freeze.