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BEGINNER GARDENER NEEDS HELP!!!

liamo2005liamo2005 Posts: 3
in The potting shed
Morning everyone. At a loss here as to what do do. 

I'll give you some background.

I bought some Venus Fly Trap Seeds (Dionaea Muscipula) and planted them about a month ago. I planted them in Moss Peat and used rain water I collected to water them, taking great care to not overwater them. I placed them in a south facing window to get the most sunlight possible. 

I was surprised to see sprouting so soon (2 weeks) as I read it can take up to 7 weeks for them to sprout. 2 of the sprouts have grown quite quickly I looked this morning and there seems to be no sign of any of the traps actually growing at all. 

Here is a picture of what has sprouted since 15th July 2020.

Did I do something wrong or was I not sold Venus Fly Trap seeds at all?

Posts

  • HalleSHalleS Posts: 105
    I should start by saying I’ve never grown VFTs from seed but I have a more mature plant and have done lots of research! 
    Apparently it’s common for seeds to sprout in about 2 weeks but those don’t look like fly traps to me. I’m fairly sure the seedlings develop traps right from the start as that is their source of nutrients. They are also typically low-growing and I never thought they had a main stem like your picture. 
    Again, I am definitely not an expert so maybe someone else could give you better advice but I don’t think they’re VFTs. I hope I’m wrong though!
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    They don't look right. Where did you get the seeds from, it seems that far too many cowboys are currently operating online. And frankly they're so easy to source them as small plants, not sure starting from seeds is a great idea for a beginner.  

    Here's a video showing seedlings: https://youtu.be/vFhMIYJGEWE
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • liamo2005liamo2005 Posts: 3
    amancalledgeorge said:
    They don't look right. Where did you get the seeds from, it seems that far too many cowboys are currently operating online. And frankly they're so easy to source them as small plants, not sure starting from seeds is a great idea for a beginner.  

    Here's a video showing seedlings: https://youtu.be/vFhMIYJGEWE
    I got them on e-bay. I wanted to grow them from seeds as opposed to buying a ready grown plant. There isn't a great market for the seeds here in ireland either. 

    Should I hold out and see what this mess grows into or just start over next year when growing season kicks off again?

  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    If they can't make sure the seeds they sent you are the real deal then I'm afraid you can't trust them to have sent you something that is safe enough to introduce to your garden/pots. Please destroy them as they could be harbouring diseases. 

    When shopping for seeds make sure the seller has a website and they have registration with Fera (Defra) so you can trust they have phytosanitary controls in place. You can try a new lots of seeds from elsewhere if you like. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • liamo2005liamo2005 Posts: 3
    amancalledgeorge said:
    If they can't make sure the seeds they sent you are the real deal then I'm afraid you can't trust them to have sent you something that is safe enough to introduce to your garden/pots. Please destroy them as they could be harbouring diseases. 

    When shopping for seeds make sure the seller has a website and they have registration with Fera (Defra) so you can trust they have phytosanitary controls in place. You can try a new lots of seeds from elsewhere if you like. 
    I will. Luckily they are in their own pot away from the rest of my plants.

    I will definitely keep an eye out for fera or defra registration. Thanks again
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I remembered seeing these in the Eden Project shop. Possibly a name to be trusted  :)

    https://www.edenproject.com/shop/exotic-plant-seeds/eden-project-grow-your-own-venus-fly-trap-seed-kit
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