Are my venus flytrap seeds going to grow?

Using tap water just once probably isn't going to affect the health of your seeds. They should still germinate, but definitely use distilled water from now on. However, I'm not sure you will see much growth this time of year because of the short days. If you want them to get a jump start on their growth, you should supplement their lighting with artificial lights. Any kind of fluorescent lighting will do. I use a 16 hour photoperiod, meaning the light is on 16 hours every day. Keeping the humidity artificially high, like you are doing with a plastic bag over the pot, is a good idea. But once you see them start germinating, you can remove the bag. If the humidity is kept too high, this dramatically increases the chances of mold and fungus growing, which can easily kill seedlings.

Under perfect conditions, it can take up to 4 weeks before you see any germination. If you bought you seed from one of those little seed kits, it's possible that you won't see any germination because the seeds have been on the shelf too long. If you want to get some good seed, I think there are some people still giving it away on my website forum:

http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/

Just join the forum and look in the Sales, Trades & Wants.

I planted some seed that I am growing oustide back in mid August and it has just now finished germinating. I also have quite a few seedlings in my terrarium that are under fluorescent lights. They are growing much faster than their outdoor counterparts.

Also, if you have the desire to grow Venus Fly Traps, I would suggest purchasing a full grown one. Seedlings can take as much as 5 years to mature to adulthood. You can enjoy a full grown one right now. Also, the full grown one will produce seed for you if you wish to try growing from seed again.

Feel free to read more about propagating Venus Fly Traps here:

http://www.flytrapcare.com/propagation-of-venus-fl...

Here is an excerpt from a web page about carnivorous plants. http://www.carnivorousplantnursery.com/

"Seeds

Generally speaking, the seeds of CPs are quite small and very slow growing. It takes a typical pitcher plant 3 to 4 years to gain a height of over 2 inches. Because of this, most CPs generally are not practical for classroom germination and growth. There is one nice exception: the sundews. These can germinate within a few days or weeks, grow quickly and even flower within a few months.

The best medium for seedlings is finely chopped, live green Sphagnum mixed with an equal amount of clean, washed sand. Mix and water thoroughly. The medium should be soaking wet. Sow the seeds directly on the surface. Do not overcrowd them and do not cover any CP seeds with medium. Cover the growing area with plastic to keep humidity extra high. Place the seeded pots in the same growing conditions that the mature plants require. Use slightly filtered, rather than direct sunlight.

As a general rule, seeds that mature in the spring are ready for immediate sowing. Seeds that ripen in the fall must undergo a period of damp cold treatment called stratification. This can be accomplished by placing the seed-sown pot upright in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating it for 6 to 8 weeks."

You could water the seeds with purified water which should help remove any chemicals added to the water by the water utilities company. The water in the area where fly traps grow in nature is acidic.

Venus Fly Trap Seeds

Some how I knew you where going to email me back oh yeah and you finally took your email off that's great I am glad I made an impression on you. I emailed that little girl and she said her cat is fine so you can stop worrying about the cat. I am sorry if you had a bad impression on me but I do know what I am talking about when I answer a question. If I had no clue about a question I won't even answer it. you never know I may be a Vet Assistant too.

He this website answers your question.http://www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/...