Rhys Ki

Thanks, I'm definitely not giving up on them!

Thanks, I can still see the vast majority of the seeds (those that are not too small of course) on top of the medium. They also get a drop in temps at night as I do keep the fan running and most heat sources are timed to shut off with the lights besides 1 to keep it at a reasonable temp. They were stratified exactly to instructions I've found on multiple sources and after much advice received and research, but the other seeds I've recently sown are doing better than these by miles. I understand Ceph seeds will take their own time, but it's been since mid-April and only 2 VFT Seeds have even begun to germinate from those CPS seeds. I included a few new pots of batches of NEW seeds from other suppliers (ie. Fly Trap Store VFT seeds from late last year and user-sent Droseras - 3 different types - that were seeds from just this May) and those have begun germinating like CRAZY in the same conditions as the others: some only took 2 weeks! I'm starting to think the ones from the CPS were simply old due to not as many people sending in seeds unfortunatley...

Oh, wow. I definitely don't plan on giving up, but will try to keep my patience (and keep in mind that my high electricity bill will pay off with seedlings soon.) Perhaps I'll put in a separate pot with some other plant that can grow in similar conditions just to have something green in there in the meantime.... maybe a bonsai? I'm not sure what else can co-habitate with them.

I might, though some seeds are so small I cannot even see them in the wet medium. I may lose a few seeds by removing the top layer, but if it's worth saving the rest I may just try that.

Thanks for the input! Yes, I've grown several of Dionaea the same way I started these out just fine with no problems in germinating... Plus, it wasn't until about 1 1/2 weeks ago that I added the light dusting as I read from other forum posts on a few different forums that it may be necessary to help them push their roots into the medium and to help maintain humidity near the seeds, but I see your point. Do you think if I dusted them off a bit that it would improve, though, knowing that they had been completely left undusted for several weeks beforehand? I do appreciate the response.

Greetings,Your help or advice is greatly appreciated as this carnivorous plant parent is in pain. As I've begun my second set of carnivorous plants, I requested and received (with much difficulty during the process) over 200+ seeds of 6 different species from the Carnivorous Plant Society. Due to the sheer volume of seeds I received, I thought certainly by now at least some would have germinated in similar conditions as the other carnivorous plants I'd successfully grown first. However, it has been 7-10 weeks (depending on the species, plus some obviously required different stratification lengths and strategies, which add a few to several weeks onto that - I've even done a few as 1/2 and 1/2 stratified differently or some so & not at all to see if there are different results) and NONE of the seeds have germinated: NONE. I've done extensive research from many sites, including this one, and have done all as appropriate for stratification, germination, and prepared environments for their various needs after sprouting (hopefully.) What's more, I had inquired a few times with CPS to see how old these seeds were before they were sent to me, and there has not been any response since I inquired a few times during the shipment process and after receiving them...The seeds are temporarily (as I also have a greenhouse for grown plants & another growing area) in a germination tank near the top with 1/2 covers, keeping 76-82 F temperatures regularly night and day, 50-75% humidity within the enclosure, fan ventilation from top (not shown in picture due to distance& placement,) peat moss and perlite (mixed at various levels of each per species recommendations) rinsed many times over with R/O water until there was no dust or cloudiness in either, the seeds were sprinkled on top (most are almost impossible to see on the dark, wet medium) with a very, very light dusting of peat moss dust that I sifted through fabric sprinkled about, the water tray that is filled and cleaned (safely of course) weekly, soil mix is always moist but not water logged, they receive tons (about 16 hrs full cycle) of light from the plant spectrum Fluval nano LEDs (7500K 1000lm 6 band light with 24 hour changing light cycle) and the T8 Fluorescent Aqueon full spectrum FloraMax light (I have a different UFO red, blue, white, infrared, and uva/uvb LED light for the Greenhouse when not outdoors.) You can see photos of my germination setup at https://sites.google.com/view/jessica-teeters/vfts. There was for a short time some white fuzzy mold popping up randomly here or there, but that has stopped for quite some time now since I dabbed those areas of medium with a q-tip of neem oil. I've read here that this should not hurt the seeds in any way, so it shouldn't be that - nonetheless in such targeted, small doses. Here are the species I'm working with, so some had stratification methods applied to them. Again, I had so many that some species that had mixed results from stratifying or not were split up into 1/2 being stratified and 1/2 not just to see. Cephalotus Follicularis typicalD. Muscipula mixedD. anglicaD. Montana var tomentosa , Serra de CarracaS. Judith Hindle opStylidium macranthumThey were shipped to me twice: once toward late last year/early this year then again in late February due to shipment (Post Office) error. Then stratified (to those applicable) and sown onto their soil. They did come from the UK to here (Indiana) through the USDA, but the first time the label wasn't looked at correctly so it was sent back and then re-mailed to me again. Could it be because they were air mailed and then post mailed in colder climates back and forth so much for an extended period of time before I got them? Any advice, tips, help? I feel like I'm at a loss. It'd be greatly appreciated!

Greetings,Your help or advice is greatly appreciated as this carnivorous plant parent is in pain. As I've begun my second set of carnivorous plants, I requested and received (with much difficulty during the process) over 200+ seeds of 6 different species from the Carnivorous Plant Society. Due to the sheer volume of seeds I received, I thought certainly by now at least some would have germinated in similar conditions as the other carnivorous plants I'd successfully grown first. However, it has been 7-10 weeks (depending on the species, plus some obviously required different stratification lengths and strategies, which add a few to several weeks onto that - I've even done a few as 1/2 and 1/2 stratified differently or some so & not at all to see if there are different results) and NONE of the seeds have germinated: NONE. I've done extensive research from many sites, including this one, and have done all as appropriate for stratification, germination, and prepared environments for their various needs after sprouting (hopefully.) What's more, I had inquired a few times with CPS to see how old these seeds were before they were sent to me, and there has not been any response since I inquired a few times during the shipment process and after receiving them...The seeds are temporarily (as I also have a greenhouse for grown plants & another growing area) in a germination tank near the top with 1/2 covers, keeping 76-82 F temperatures regularly night and day, 50-75% humidity within the enclosure, fan ventilation from top (not shown in picture due to distance& placement,) peat moss and perlite (mixed at various levels of each per species recommendations) rinsed many times over with R/O water until there was no dust or cloudiness in either, the seeds were sprinkled on top (most are almost impossible to see on the dark, wet medium) with a very, very light dusting of peat moss dust that I sifted through fabric sprinkled about, the water tray that is filled and cleaned (safely of course) weekly, soil mix is always moist but not water logged, they receive tons (about 16 hrs full cycle) of light from the plant spectrum Fluval nano LEDs (7500K 1000lm 6 band light with 24 hour changing light cycle) and the T8 Fluorescent Aqueon full spectrum FloraMax light (I have a different UFO red, blue, white, infrared, and uva/uvb LED light for the Greenhouse when not outdoors.) You can see photos of my germination setup at https://sites.google.com/view/jessica-teeters/vfts. There was for a short time some white fuzzy mold popping up randomly here or there, but that has stopped for quite some time now since I dabbed those areas of medium with a q-tip of neem oil. I've read here that this should not hurt the seeds in any way, so it shouldn't be that - nonetheless in such targeted, small doses. Here are the species I'm working with, so some had stratification methods applied to them. Again, I had so many that some species that had mixed results from stratifying or not were split up into 1/2 being stratified and 1/2 not just to see. Cephalotus Follicularis typicalD. Muscipula mixedD. anglicaD. Montana var tomentosa , Serra de CarracaS. Judith Hindle opStylidium macranthumThey were shipped to me twice: once toward late last year/early this year then again in late February due to shipment (Post Office) error. Then stratified (to those applicable) and sown onto their soil. They did come from the UK to here (Indiana) through the USDA, but the first time the label wasn't looked at correctly so it was sent back and then re-mailed to me again. Could it be because they were air mailed and then post mailed in colder climates back and forth so much for an extended period of time before I got them? Any advice, tips, help? I feel like I'm at a loss. It'd be greatly appreciated!

So, I have published a page on my personal site with the graphs (could not upload the data files unfortunately) along with some photos on the bottom of a few of the traps as they are recently. You can either view the images attached for just the charts or go to https://sites.google.com/view/jessica-teeters/vfts . I hope this helps!

When i click on one it seems to automatically download... perhaps that's the problem, security settings? Is anyone else experiencing this issue? If so, how should I share these or what file types are supported?

Took it upon myself to carefully track detailed information on how Venus Fly Traps grow from seed as seedlings since it seemed like many do not grow from seed and little about their growth at those stages is documented (believe me, I spent hours trying to find info on this). The parameters are based on watering amount (I've made up my own metrics for this based on the amount and different methods of watering per week), # of traps (.5 meaning a trap is either dying off or ailing), height, and width. This may not be typical for all, but you can find individual plant data as well as their corresponding charts for growth attached. As you can see, some have had a hard time this winter, though a few are showing signs of shaping up while some may simply not bounce back (which I've heard could occur... however you can see my growing conditions and more details on that in my other post here if you have any advice: https://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/61263-vft-mystery/&tab=comments#comment-403981). I didn't begin tracking until they were 4 months old; but I have more seeds on the way, and I will be sure to do the same for those from the start. If you have Excel, please don't hesitate to use the spreadsheets, as well, to input your own data and parameters. The pdf's are for those who don't but wish to view and do a side-by-side comparison if you so wish. Feel free to let me know of any thoughts or feedback - and enjoy! VFT #1 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #1 Growth Data.pdf VFT #1 Growth.xlsx VFT #2 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #2 Growth Data.pdf VFT #2 Growth.xlsx VFT #3 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #3 Growth Data.pdf VFT #3 Growth.xlsx VFT #4 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #4 Growth Data.pdf VFT #4 Growth.xlsx VFT #5 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #5 Growth Data.pdf VFT #5 Growth.xlsx VFT #6 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #6 Growth Data.pdf VFT #6 Growth.xlsx VFT #7 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #7 Growth Data.pdf VFT #7 Growth.xlsx VFT #8 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #8 Growth Data.pdf VFT #8 Growth.xlsx VFT #9 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #9 Growth Data.pdf VFT #9 Growth.xlsx VFT #10 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #10 Growth Data.pdf VFT #10 Growth.xlsx VFT #11 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #11 Growth Data.pdf VFT #11 Growth.xlsx VFT #12 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #12 Growth Data.pdf VFT #12 Growth.xlsx VFT #13 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #13 Growth Data.pdf VFT #13 Growth.xlsx VFT #14 Growth Chart.pdf VFT #14 Growth Data.pdf VFT #14 Growth.xlsx

Certainly, here's a link to the pictures on a temporary hidden page on one of my personal sites for reference: https://sites.google.com/view/jessica-teeters/vfts

Sorry, here's a link to the pictures on a temporary hidden page on one of my personal sites for reference if the ones above don't show up: https://sites.google.com/view/jessica-teeters/vfts

Greetings All, Starting again on this forum like a few others are (unfortunately all of my posts & my account were gone, but we're moving onward!) I hope everyone gets back on their feet alright after the data loss upset. Also, my apologies; if this is not in the right place feel free to let me know and I will happily move or revise. However, I have perused and perused posts for hours trying to figure this out... So, before I get to it I will let you know the conditions which my VFT's are currently experiencing: I have about 12 VFT's grown from seed. They are 8 months old and about only 4 mm tall/wide, but some with anywhere between a few and up to 15 traps on each plant. They are planted in a large, wide tray with glass walls, insulated around the outside where the soil is with cardboard, and a ventilated / half-open top. The medium is 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) deep of 60/40 peat moss and black silica sand with a loose gravel bottom layer. They are "injected" (I simply use a needle-less syringe / eye dropper tool to squeeze water near each plant) about once a week and occasionally top watered with a spray bottle every now and then in between injections. The soil is typically moist and very rarely completely dries out before I water again, but just enough. Temperatures are kept at about 76 - 78 degrees F (approx. 24 - 26 C) when the lights are on, and about 74 - 76 degrees F (approx. 23 - 24 C) at night when the lights are off. They receive 16 hours a day of artificial light from 2 long T8 Full Spectrum FloraMax fluorescent lights that are about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the plants as well as at least a few hours a day of sunlight (as long as it is not terribly cloudy) through the glass door they stand beside. For outdoor temp zone reference, I live in Indiana, USA. SO, here is the mystery: I have a few plants that simply have wanted to give up in the last several weeks, specifically once it got colder, with many traps just turning black on an every-other-day basis at times for some plants. Yet, they are right next to plants that are thriving and doing fantastically! For instance, I had 2 plants that are planted not but 1.5 inches (4 cm) apart, and one is doing amazing (very green) with over a dozen traps on it - but its direct neighbor who up until recently had just as many traps looks wilted and has had its traps almost all go black in a matter of a very short time. There are a few others in the same environment but doing the same thing - near seemingly well-performing plants but have been struggling like none other for some reason since winter cold, and I can't figure it out... Why would some be doing well, but others next to those ones be ailing and not creating new growth as old growth dies off? Could it be that the medium needs refreshed, they're trying to go into dormancy for some reason, competition or simple natural selection, change in closeness/amount of light/water, or is it the fact that they had been eating some aphids in the late summer/fall before I took care of the issue and they haven't eaten since (or ate too often before to help the newer growth thrive?) It seems so complex to me, and I keep reading differing opinions on what this could mean... The sand is black and does have some "sparkly" bits in it. I think quartz, just fyi that it isn't mold or fungus... Anyway, you can kind of see how some are doing fine it seems while others are somewhat dying away... For instance, the one in the first image with the 2 right next to each other (1 very green on right & 1 turned half black on left) occurred in just the last several days (about 4-7) when at one point they looked almost exactly the same. Some have been (like a few of the others shown with red/black leaves/traps) simply on a downhill slope the last few weeks. Perhaps I'm overreacting, though I'm not sure. Any help and feedback would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Greetings all, Starting again on this forum like a few others are (unfortunately all of my posts & my account were gone, but we're moving onward!) I hope everyone gets back on their feet alright after the data loss upset. However, I have perused and perused posts for hours trying to figure this out... So, before I get to the mystery itself I will let you know the conditions which my VFT's are currently experiencing: I have about 12 VFT's grown from seed. They are 8 months old and about only 4 mm tall/wide, but some with anywhere between a few and up to 15 traps on each plant. They are planted in a large, wide tray with glass walls, insulated around the outside where the soil is with cardboard, and a ventilated / half-open top. The medium is 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) deep of 60/40 peat moss and black silica sand with a loose gravel bottom layer. They are "injected" (I simply use a needle-less syringe / eye dropper tool to squeeze water near each plant) about once a week and occasionally top watered with a spray bottle every now and then in between injections. The soil is typically moist and very rarely completely dries out before I water again, but just enough. Temperatures are kept at about 76 - 78 degrees F (approx. 24 - 26 C) when the lights are on, and about 74 - 76 degrees F (approx. 23 - 24 C) at night when the lights are off. They receive 16 hours a day of artificial light from 2 long T8 Full Spectrum FloraMax fluorescent lights that are about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the plants as well as at least a few hours a day of sunlight (as long as it is not terribly cloudy) through the glass door they stand beside. For outdoor temp zone reference, I live in Indiana, USA. SO, here is the mystery: I have a few plants that simply have wanted to give up in the last several weeks, specifically once it got colder, with many traps just turning black on an every-other-day basis at times for some plants. Yet, they are right next to plants that are thriving and doing fantastically! For instance, I had 2 plants that are planted not but 1.5 inches (4 cm) apart, and one is doing amazing (very green) with over a dozen traps on it - but its direct neighbor who up until recently had just as many traps looks wilted and has had its traps almost all go black in a matter of a very short time (about 1-2 weeks for this one.) There are others in the same environment but doing the same thing - near very well-performing plants but have been struggling like none other for some reason since winter cold, and I can't figure it out... Why would some be doing so very well, but others next to those ones be ailing and not creating new growth as old growth dies off? Could it be that the medium needs refreshed, they're trying to go into dormancy for some reason, competition or simple natural selection, change in closeness/amount of light, or is it the fact that they had been eating some aphids in the late summer/fall before I took care of the issue and they haven't eaten since (or ate too often before to help the newer growth thrive?) It seems so complex to me, and I keep reading differing opinions on what this could mean... Any help and feedback would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!