Question

Potting   Dear Chris,
I am trying to propagate cape sundew or drosera capensis from seed. The growing media is mosser lee long fiber peat moss that has been rinsed. I am growing the plants in 1 1/2 to 2 inches of standing water. The water is just to keep the moss moist because i was trying to rely on the moss to keep itself wet. The water reaches about half way up to the top of the moss. It was drying up way to fast so I went to the water. The seeds were ordered from California carnivorous with a guarantee that they were harvested this season or last season and kept at temperatures around 40 degrees to keep them fresh. I live in zone 7a and it is cloudy and very humid for about the next week. I am growing them outside in about 8 hours of sun when the sun is out. For the next week it is going to be from 80 to 90 degrees and partly sunny with showers. Is this a good setup for propagating these plants?
         Thanks, Tyler

Answer
Hello Tyler,

Try keeping the water level down to about 1/4 the pot depth. It looks too wet. If there is a problem with drying, moisten the moss by spraying it from above with a spray bottle once or twice a day.

The main thing to remember when sowing most carnivorous plant seed is to simply drop them on the surface of the moss, keep the moss moist, but not waterlogged, spray the moss from above about once or twice a day, keep the temperatures and humidity stable, and be patient. Seeds should begin sprouting within two to six weeks. Cape Sundews like cooler temperatures around 65-75 degrees, but they can tolerate and adapt to a wide range of conditions. Mine grow in 80 degree temperatures just fine.

Long fiber sphagnum peat moss should be fine, but for the surface of the soil, try granulating it when sowing seeds to reduce the chances of seeds getting "lost." In all, it should be fine, particularly with the number of seeds Sundews produce and ease in growing Cape Sundews in general.