A few Pics of Sarrs Seed Germination

Hey Fred. Good pics! The plants and the moss look very healthy. Well done.
Brian.

Sound like me and my pygmy Drosera! ;D I've got them coming out of my ears now..
Bri.

About that medium- is it milled sphagnum on top of peat, or milled sphagnum all the way through?

Its 100% live sphagnum finely chopped. About 3-4 inches of it. I start all of my sarrs seeds in live sphagnum - I seem to get a better strike rate with less fungal problems.

Greg,

I wrote this bit for a fellow CP enthusiast who wanted some advice on starting Drosera seeds but it’s the same method I use for Sarrs. I saved a copy of it and thought I would post it for you and anyone else who wanted to see my method for starting Sarrs.

This is the planting media I use - Live Sphagnum Moss. I chop it up finely so the roots of the seedlings don't get tangled in large pieces of moss - it makes transplanting very easy. The moss does grow however and you sometimes have to keep it at bay so it doesn't outgrow the seedlings although I still feel it’s the best media. I use live sphagnum because it’s readily available to me and Sarrs love it. Use whatever you're comfortable with.


This is the container I use for starting all CP seeds. It’s clear acrylic and measures 4” wide x 4” deep x 7.25” tall with the lid on. Without the lid, it’s only 5” tall. You can get these at arts and crafts stores like Michaels. They can be a little pricey when buying a significant number of them but they hold up well over time. I’m still using the first ones I purchased six years ago. I prefer to use these for a few reasons. 1) They are small, easy to handle and great for packing side by side under the lights. 2) They provide a warm and humid environment which speeds the germination time. And 3) It’s an easy way to plant a large number of different seeds without getting them confused (I label each container). By the way, I get a great strike rate (almost 100%) when using these (because it’s sealed, humid and warm). Just a side note: when reusing them, I wash them with dish soap and then let them soak in hot water and bleach for about an hour to sterilize them as much as possible. Fungus and algae are your biggest enemies when growing seedlings.


I fill the container with at least 3” of moss and firm it somewhat but I don’t pack it down too tight (it settles on its own over time) (That’s 3” after I firm it down somewhat). I make sure the media is wet but not standing in water before I sow the seeds. That’s another nice thing about these containers, you can see how much water is in the bottom of them. If you have too much water in it, it pours out easily (especially with live moss). You will have the lid on so you want to make sure the media isn’t too sopping wet as it will not evaporate. In the photo below, you can see the amount of media I have in them and that is after it has settled on its own somewhat. I put the lid back on this container so you can get an idea of what it looks like. While the lids are on and before germination, I have the lights (48” 40w florescent tubes) as close to the container as possible without touching. The heat from the tubes warms the inside of the containers to about 85F degrees or so depending on what room you are set up in. I am in the basement so it is automatically cooler down there which is why I have them almost touching the bulbs. You will have to judge how warm yours are getting. I have found that around 80F to 85F degrees provides a very high strike rate.


As soon as the majority of the seeds have germinated, I remove the lid. Some say to acclimate the new seedlings to a lower humidity level before removing the lids completely but I have found it’s not necessary. I just take them off. The seedlings are deep enough in the containers so even with the lids off, there is still significant humidity surrounding the plants. I do mist the inside of the container though when I remove the lid and make sure the media is wet enough because as soon as the lid comes off, evaporation starts. You can see in this photo and the next, tiny D.Capensis seedlings that have just sprouted. I’m probably going to have a problem with these seedlings as I was originally trying to start some old Sarrs seeds in this container and after several weeks of realizing that the seeds weren’t viable any more, I thought what the hec, I’ll throw some Capensis seeds in there. Well, the moss already had about a month and half head start over the seedlings and I’m going to have to really watch the moss in this one. Usually the seeds sprout and start growing before the moss starts to take off. Not the case in this one.



The next two photos show some Sarrs seedlings that are about a month old. By the way, the only water I use on the media and seedlings while they’re in these containers is distilled. It’s not until I transplant them into larger growing containers or pots do I start using rain water. It’s just to cut down on contamination as much as possible while they’re in these acrylic containers. If you do get a fungus problem, spray the seedlings with a sulfur based fungicide. Again, some say to spray them at the time of sowing but I don’t. Once the lids are off, I lower the lights a little so they are a few inches away from the top of the container ( which is now only five inches tall). This still keeps it warm and humid inside the container. I also check them daily to make sure they are wet enough. You can never let them get too dry. I typically leave just a little bit of water in the bottom of the container once the lids are off.



After the seedlings get large enough, you can transplant them into pots or other containers that you are comfortable with. For Sarrs, I use a 50/50 mix of Sphagnum Peat moss and Perlite. Sometimes I throw in some sand and some chopped long fibered sphagnum as well. For Drosera, I have found that a 50/50 mix of Sphagnum Peat moss and Silica Sand works well. Below are some photos of nursery flats I use for Sarrs. Drosera I usually put in pots because they don’t require as much water as Sarrs. My nursery flats don’t have drainage holes in them so they hold the water nicely. I’ve never used these for Drosera but I’m sure they would work great for them. I purchased them from a distributor in Canada along with the deeper (4”) pots.



This by no means covers every little detail but should be good information to get a good start. If you have any questions, just let me know.

Good growing,
Fred

Chad,

I use damp paper towel (with distilled water) and plastic zip lock bags. I fold a paper towel a few times so it will fit inside the "snack" size zip lock baggie. I spray it with distilled water so it's wet but not dripping wet. I open the fold of the paper towel and sprinkle the seeds in and just fold the paper towel back over them. Label the bag with a sharpie and toss it into the fridge for 4 to 5 weeks.