Here’s our step-by-step guide to growing a Venus flytrap from seed.
It’ll be eating in no time.
Seeds should be sown as soon as they are available.
ROSLYN ROHMAN / Getty Images
Gather together these supplies and follow the steps below:
1.
Mix the Germination Medium
A soilless mix is the best option for germinating seeds.
Combine approximately one part sphagnum or peat moss with one part silica sand.
Mix in a handful of perlite.
Seeds need heat, light, and humidity to germinate but they also need ventilation and air circulation.
A glass dome or something that doesn’t allow for air circulation won’t work.
Scatter Seeds on Top of the Medium
Scatter Venus flytrap seeds on top of the germination mix.
Do not press them into the mix or bury them.
Use a strainer to sift a fine dusting of sphagnum moss over the seeds.
Cover the seeds only enough that it’s possible for you to still see them through the moss.
Spray the Seeds
Moisten the sown seeds by lightly spraying them, ideally with distilled water or rainwater.
Continue to spray seeds once or twice daily to keep them moist at all times.
Provide Ideal Growing Conditions
Venus flytrap seeds germinate best in temperatures between 78F and 90F.
They should begin to sprout in 13 to 15 days.
Seeds will germinate at lower temperatures but may take as long as five weeks.
Give them as much bright, indirect light as possible, ideally 13 hours daily.
Supplement with grow lights.
Move containers to a location that receives more direct sunlight, 3 to 4 hours daily.
Watering frequency can be reduced, but continue to keep the seedlings consistently moist.
Use combinations of moss, sand, perlite and soil.
Avoid any potting mix with fertilizers.
Your tiny new plant will have a small delicate root.
Make a small hole in the plant’s new pot and carefully place the root into the hole.
Cover it with potting mix and use your fingers to gently press the plant into an upright position.
Venus Flytrap Care
Venus flytrap can be grown as a houseplant but thrives best in outdoor conditions.
Give plants plenty of sunlight with at least 4 hours of bright, direct sunlight daily.
Native to boggy, swampy environments, these plants should be kept consistently moist.
Grown outdoors, plants are able tofeed themselvesand can go for several months without consuming prey.
You may need to supplement plants grown indoors by feeding live insects.
Venus flytrap seeds do not need to be soaked or cold stratified before planting.
They should be sown immediately or sealed in a bag and kept refrigerated.
Once placed on top of the germination medium, seeds must be kept consistently moist.
It takes from three to five years to grow a mature Venus flytrap from seed.
