Expert: Christopher Littrell - 10/4/2009

Question
hi chris. i have just bought a sarracenea minor (by looking) i have also picked up sunshine canadian spagnum moss. is this good for transplanting? i would want to use steamed rice hulls instead of perlite, since it is a substitute for perlite in regular plantings. would you suggest this? i have MG perlite but like to stay away from it if i can.

also i have purchased some seeds of 5 different varieties. you suggest growing them indoors under flourescents for the first yr or 2? when would i first need to introduce a dormant period? i see now that they need moist stratification and not just in bags in the fridge. if so is the sunshine good for that also? thank you.

Answer
Hello Chris,

From what I can see of the product, the Sphagnum Moss you plan to use looks like it would do the trick so long as your sure it does not contain fertilizers. Some companies add fertilizer to all their products, so be cautious. I am not sure about the steamed rice hulls. From what I gleaned from online sources, the rice hulls resist decomposition, so they would not add appreciable amounts of nutrients to the soil. Even so, I would suggest repotting at least once a year if you use rice hulls and keep a watch on the plants' health.

For Sarracenia seeds, cold stratification can be done by sprinkling the seeds in your container of moist potting material and keeping them uncovered. Carnivorous plant seeds are so tiny that they can die off if situated too deeply under soil, so leaving them on the surface or under only the tiniest fraction of moss is advisable. Mist the moss once to twice a day and keep the seeds cold, down to about 40 degrees in temperature for at least 2-3 months. You and do this in a protected spot in a garage or patio if you have cold winters where you live. If not, you can substitute with an ice chest and some frozen water bottles around the pots. Replace the water bottles every 12 hours and open the chest by day to air it out and give it light to keep mold from forming. Sunlight would only keep mold from growing at first, but once the seedling sprout in warm weather after stratifying, strong light will be a must. You can grow them indoors under florescent lights for the first two years with no dormancy with no problems. After that, keep them on a regular yearly cycle for perennial temperates that require dormancy.

Christopher