Seed Germination : Germination of Carnivorous Plant seeds can be a slow process. Some species require an extended period of cold temperatures before they will sprout. Sarracenia and Darlingtonia seed will both require a minimum 2 months between 33 and 40 degrees temperature.

Sarracenia tend to be one of the easiest seeds to be successful with as long as you have patience.

Of course, you have to have the seeds and that will only happen if your flowers (hopefully) have pollinated. If you want to ensure pollination, you can hand pollinate them.

Carefully lift up a petal and pick up a little pollen with a soft artists brush and deposit it on the stamin (indicated on the picture with the red arrows).

After the flowers have died the seed pod will begin to swell and you can do one of two things: (1) You can allow the pod to stay on the plant until it dries then you can shake out the seed onto a piece of white paper. You'll lose the seeds if you let it dry and crack open completely. Just wait until the pod is dry and papery and you can hear the seeds when you tap the pod. (2) You can harvest the seeds before the pod completely dries, sometime around the end of August.

It's really according to when you want to plant. If you are going to put your plants outside (Assuming that's an option for your climate or you have greenhouse) then you probably want to harvest your seeds in August so they will be ready to put out in the spring. If you are going to keep them in a terrarium then you can allow the seeds pods to stay on until they dry because you can plant them in a terrrarium at any time of the year.

However you decide to harvest the seed, they must experience "winter" before they will germinate. However we can artificially winterize the seeds and one good way to do this is to sprinkle the seed across a slightly moist paper towel, fold it up and put it in a plastic bag, and place it in your refrigerator for the required amount of time. Sarracenia require a minimum of 30 days. Check on them from time to time to be sure they aren't getting any mold, you might also want to use a light dusting of fungicide powder. I would do that as a precaution.

Start seeds when they are ready by spreading them evenly on sphagnum, do not bury them, keep them damp and in high humidity and bright light. As with all CPs, use only rainwater or distilled water. It can still take some time for them to sprout, and they will grow very slowly. They first true leaves are actually tiny little pitchers. In seedling stage you have to be careful of mold so use a fungicide powder if needed. If you're using live sphagnum you may have to trim it back to keep it from competing with the tiny seedlings. When your seedling are thriving they can be planted in a normal medium.

That's all there is to it. You can keep sarracenia in a terrarium for two to three years and then you must give them winter dormancy. Three year old plants are becoming mature and will need to observe seasons.

Drosera and Venus Flytrap seeds do not require the "cold treatment" to sprout.

Start seeds when they are ready by spreading them evenly on the preferred medium, do not bury them, keep them damp and in high humidity and bright light. It can still take some time for them to sprout, and they will grow very slowly. In seedling stage, many Carnivorous Plants can be overtaken by mold, or may be outgrown by the peat moss they are planted on. Be careful to keep the seedlings growing free of any such conditions. Fungicide powder can be used to combat the mold, and growing peat moss should be trimmed back.