The Venus flytrap can be an ideal option if you want to add an exotic plant to your collection. However, these carnivorous plants require great amounts of care, especially if kept indoors. Further, they can often be a relatively expensive buy in comparison to other daily houseplants.
So, the best option is to grow your plant from seeds. The Venus flytrap seeds can be bought from gardening stores as well as collected from the Venus flytrap if you already have one. Germinating the seeds of the Venus flytrap is an easy and economical option.
How to grow Venus fly trap from seeds?
So, let us discuss the steps to follow to grow healthy Venus flytraps –
- Soil
- Germination
- Transplanting
1. Soil
The wrong type of soil can be very damaging to your Venus flytrap seeds. To grow well, it requires porous soil that is low in nutrient content. If you provide a type of soil that is high in nutrients, your seeds will get oversaturated and eventually die.
Avoid using store-bought potting mixes due to the high mineral content. So, it’s best to prepare our potting mix. Mix one part of peat moss and one part of perlite to make your potting mix. This mixture is low in nutrient content and well suited for your plant.
You should also sterilize the soil before planting the seeds. Heat the soil in a pan or a pressure cooker. It helps avoid fungal infestations in your seeds and ensures a healthy seedling.
2. Germination
The germination should be done in a small potting medium. Fill the medium with the homemade potting mixture. Avoid burying the seeds too deep into the soil. Merely scatter the seeds on top of the moistened soil and lightly cover it with soil to ensure that it remains moist.
Spray distilled water on the top before covering it with a vented lid. The seeds generally take ten to thirty days to start germinating. If you keep the conditions warm and humid, most of the seeds should start germinating by thirteen days and be done germinating by twenty days.
However, avoid placing your germination chamber in direct sunlight as it may cause serious damage to the new seedlings. Try keeping the medium at twenty-four degrees as it is the optimal growth temperature of the plant. Use a water sprayer to ensure routine spraying of distilled water to keep the soil moist. Lift the lid at least once a day to ensure circulation of fresh air.
Once all the seeds have germinated, remove the covering permanently.
3. Transplanting
Once the first two leaves fully extend out of the seed, your Venus flytrap is ready to be transplanted to a bigger pot. Be careful to handle the plant well during transplantation.
The easiest way is to use a toothpick to poke a tiny hole in the new tub after filling it with your homemade potting mix. Carefully lower the seedling into the hole and lightly cover any remaining gaps in the soil.
Your new plant has successfully germinated. Carefully take care of it to ensure that it grows into a healthy Venus flytrap.