Expert: Christopher Littrell - 9/9/2009

Question
I recently got some various VFT seeds, I was wondering that since they take several months for them to germinate and start to grow would it be better to attempt to sow them now or to put them in the fridge until spring? I would have them inside until they started to grow and it got warmer and then have them outside to get better sun.

Also what would be the best way to winterize the seeds in case I needed more pots or didn't want to use all the seeds right away. The site said that keeping the seeds in a Tupperware container with holes in the top and bottom is good to help them grow. It also said that they don't need to be put in the refridgerater if you wanted to grow them right away. Are these last two things good or okay to do?

Thanks,
Remag.

Answer
Hello Remag,

Venus Flytraps will remain rather tiny for the first year or two so space will not be a problem even if you wish to germinate all the seeds right away. If you refrigerate some, they will last about a year or so at most. It is important to germinate them within a year or the viability will drop rather rapidly after that first year.

Venus Flytraps do not need what is called stratification. Stratifying would be winterizing the seeds in a cold, damp place to weaken the seed coats like what needs to be done with Sarracenias. Venus Flytrap seeds are ready to germinate the minute they drop from the seed pod.

Venus Flytraps will germinate within two weeks in the proper conditions. I do not use a humidity cover for mine, but you might want to if your region has less than 50 percent humidity. The main thing is that the seeds need to remain rather moist all the time. Daily misting in the morning, and even several times a day, will help with that factor. Just drop the seeds on the surface of a pot of granulated sphagnum peat moss and perlite that has been premoistened and do not bury the seeds. If you want to cover them lightly it is fine to granulate some moss very well, until it is very fine and powdery, then just sprinkle it over the seeds very lightly to just barely cover them. That will help with moisture as well since the moss will hold moisture in. Keep the pot of seeds in a sunny or well lighted place and keep them around 75-85 degrees.

Personally, I just remove the seeds from my Flytraps' pods when they mature and just sprinkle them around the adult plants. They sprout in about two weeks and just help fill in the pot. Otherwise, I really do not do anything special for them other than what I do for the adults.

Christopher