Question
Hello! I recently acquired some sarracenia seeds(Sarracenia alata Pubescent Black, Sarracenia rubra gulfensis)and have done much research on stratification and growing. I plan to soak the seeds overnight in distilled water with a drop of dish liqiud, as proposed by the ICPS for older seeds,(which these are more than likely.)I would then like to stratify them in pots, in the refridgerator. My question is, do they need to remain dark during this stratification period? I was going to cover the pots with plastic wrap and rubberband them closed, but then this dilema occurred to me! If so, I could always add a layer of foil.Two other questions I had that the answers I found did not seem clear...After statification, and while under lights, should the pots be in a tray of water(plastic wrap still on top for humidity), and what would be the optimum distance from the lights (4 x t5 veg)? This is my first experiment with seeds to my relatively new hobby(obsession!)Thank you for your consideration to my questions.

Answer
Hi Terri,

The seeds don't have to be dark during stratification, but it's fine if they are.  They just need at least a month of cold, wet conditions.  We do highly recommend spraying with a sulfur based fungicide first to prevent mold.

After stratification, the pots do need to be in some water to keep the media wet, but I don't recommend the covering.  Instead just make sure the seeds are barely covered with a little peat, or a very small piece of sphagnum moss.  Apply another misting of fungicide too.  Indoors mold spore counts are always high, so this is an important preventative.

Since you're using T-5 lights, keep them about 1 foot away from the lights.

One other quick point of clarification.  John Brittnacher of ICPS that wrote the piece on Sarracenia seed germination said to use a touch, not a drop, of dish soap to help break down the waxy seed coat.  A full drop unless you're using lots of water could be too much and cause problems.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com