how to get my darn seedlings to grow faster/better

[Millipede]

i have a whole bunch of flytrap seedlings that are about 6-7 months old and they wont grow. in fact they seem to be slowly declining. i grow them outside in full sun in a mix of milled sphagnum and peat moss. there are a FEW that seem to be growing but the rest have been the same size for almost 2 months. i know feeding them should give them a growth spurt but i have no idea how to feed such tiny traps.

i really want them to get bigger before their dormancy period coming up

 

[jimscott]

I don't really see anything that you're doing wrong.

 

[mmlr38]

Full sun can be a bit tough on seedlings especially if the weather is very warm. I've noticed that they tend to do better under 40% to 60% shade cloth or at least out of the heat of the mid day sun. As for feeding, you could try dumping some ants into their pots. If they're 6 to 7 months old, they're likely ready for their first dormancy now, so they may not do much growing the rest of the season. Also remember that they're simply slow growing plants

 

[Millipede]

ready for dormancy already? dang i thought that would take at least 10 months at the least.... should i stick them in my fridge for a couple months? im gonna try giving them more shade first though and see what that does

 

[mmlr38]

Remember that in the wild flytraps are native to North and South Carolina. It's quite cool there from mid November through mid March, which is normally when flytraps are dormant (about 4 months). That only leaves 8 months of growing season. Anything longer than that (i.e. 10 months) and they tend to slow in growth and not grow much.

I certainly wouldn't stick them in the fridge. I'd just leave them outside until summer ended, fall began and they entered dormancy naturally.

 

[Alexis]

VFT seeds fall to the ground in June and grow for about 5 months before first dormancy.

ICPS page mentions they naturally stop because they are expecting their first winter. If they've been growing for 7 months that must mean they germinated in January?

 

[tommyr]

I have learned in the past month, month and a half that they are REALLY SLOW. It's murder I tell ya! So just relax and watch them mature!