I just bought Sarracenia seeds. The directions are to plant and then to give them a cool period, by refridgerating for a number of weeks. If I did this, my husband would definitely have a hissy and probably throw out my seeds, pot and all.

Can I wintersow these seeds in the spring with my tender annual seeds? This would be Aprilish. I am in zone 5b.

Thanks so much.
Carolyn

Sorry but no. There is no easy way around this: Sarracenia seed need cold straification to germinate. That means planting them in good quality Sphagnum (on the wet side of damp but not drowning) and letting them chill for a minimum of 4 weeks in refrigerator temperatures (35 - 38F). The longer the cold stratification, the better the germination rates. Don't let them freeze.

The hard part will be finding the moss. It MUST be Sphagnum - the bag will say "New Zealand Sphagnum", any other type of moss will kill your plants. AND the moss must be un-fortified. Most moss has added nutrients. New Zealand moss does not - it is especially for orchids and carnivores.

The other hard part will be finding a spot to chill them. If you bought 1 packet of seeds, you could probably plant all your seed in two 2-inch pots sealed in a quart size bag.

I always plant my seed in 2 inch pots and put them in the refrigerator for 2 or so months. You can also sprinkle the seed on damp moss (in a ziplock bag without pots) and pot them up after they germinate. But these plants are so incredibly small - you will be looking with a magnifying glass to check for germination.

Thank you Daisy.

I appreciate your help.

Carolyn