FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone. I've seen a few people ask when are VFT seeds ripe and ready to collect from the pod so I thought i'd post a couple of pics. Now, keep in mind not all pods will open like this but the nice ones that are full of seed usually look like this when theyre ready. Some you might have to open the pod to get the seed out. Hope this helps someone a lil anyway .

Great example Eric. This is going to help a lot of people that are getting seeds for the first time.

Good pics! Thanks!

Thanks for posting the photo Eric! I just harvested the first seed of the season here in Oregon today. I was surprised to see it ripened already when I went out to the greenhouses just a bit ago!

I only have a couple of more flower stalks. Guess I get a lil head start on you. Matt, i'd love to see some pics of your fields of VFTs...been a while:).

Matt wrote:Thanks for posting the photo Eric! I just harvested the first seed of the season here in Oregon today.

--And I just completed my Dionaea seed harvest about a week ago. Shows the difference in climate between Oregon and New Mexico, U.S.

Great photos, they will be helpful

Look for the seed pods to appear after the plant flowers. This can happen as early as April in the deep south or on indoor plants and as late as June in the upper areas of the native coastal areas of the plant. Cut the seed pods from the plant using sharp scissors. Place or let them drop into a small bowl or cup. Break apart the seed heads to remove the small seeds inside. Do this gently. Spread the seeds on a layer of newspaper and leave them to dry in a well-ventilated area. This will take two or three days.

Very nice Dionea!

Steve_D wrote:--And I just completed my Dionaea seed harvest about a week ago. Shows the difference in climate between Oregon and New Mexico, U.S.

Darn you Steve! Always have to have your plants break dormancy before mine and set seed before mine! I'd guess that means that your plants are probably at least a month ahead of mine in terms of growth this season. That's fairly significant!

Matt wrote:I'd guess that means that your plants are probably at least a month ahead of mine in terms of growth this season.

Right now a lot of them are getting fried from the uncharacteristic extreme heat here in New Mexico and the convection-oven-like hot, dry wind. Or perhaps this blast-furnace heat of the last several years is the "new normal" for this area. 20 years ago it used to snow regularly in the winter here. Now it rarely gets below freezing and only for brief spells.

Some areas in the southwest might see temps as high as 110F today!

101 for me today but 105 tomorrow and 106 Saturday.

Oh! That reminds me! One of my flytraps is doing something weird with its flowers-- they're low-lying, with non-carnivorous leaves, and growing out of a thicker base. I don't know what to make of it. I'm sure it'll pollinate, I just don't know how to explain what it's *doing*.

Some of my flower stalks came up really early this year, I wasn't sure what to make of that. :S

Good photos! My VFTs are flowering now. They are black and shine seeds when ripe. I've harvested mine before and even started the seeds! Fun stuff!