In article ,
SDD wrote:
I purchased a pair of flytraps in may, during the summer each pot
grew about 20 or so heads.
Over the past few weeks all the growth has started dying off, due to
the cooler weather and less sunlight onto the plants.
(They are in a south facing window, which is usually at more than 15
degrees).

So far, so good. Incidentally, they will enjoy spending the summer outdoors.
Just be sure to introduce them to full sun gradually, and don't ever let
them dry out too much.

Anyway, quite unexpectedly, one of the plants started growing a vertical
shoot with a small head ... at the moment its about 5 inches in length.
There are signs of a second shoot on the same plant, also the starts of
two shoots on the other plant.
Whats the best way to pollinate each plant, where do the seeds form???

They produce a few somewhat disappointingly normal looking white flowers
on each stalk. I tried self-pollinating one once (I had only one blooming
plant) and no seeds were set. This doesn't prove that self-pollination
doesn't work, so go ahead and try it, since you probably have no suitable
pollinators in your house! Btw, most of the commercially available flytraps
are cloned by tissue culture, so attempts to cross pollinate your two plants
may not be successful, even if the species is not self-fertile.

Btw, I might suggest that you think twice about trying to produce seed from
your plants in the dead of winter like this. Maturing seed can use up a lot
of a plant's resources, and your plants are not exactly living under ideal
conditions, despite your best efforts. You can buy seed from several
specialists.

Both pots are in an ice-cream tub, which has always had about 1-2cms
of distilled water in it .... should i cover the plants with some form
of clear lid to maintain a "warm,humid" atmosphere .... or maybe
just leave the plants to their own devices at this time of year??

I'd leave them cool, and with some air circulation. Winters are cool with
some frost in their native bogs. Mine bloomed in late spring after spending
the winter near but above 0C. I had a nice group of temperate carnivorous
plants for several years until it got totally trashed in one night by some
urban raccoons that shredded the pitcher plants to get at the dead flies and
generally flung the rest of the plants off the table to dry up and die on the
concrete.

I'm no expert on carnivorous plants, but I thought I'd post a reply since
no one else had. Perhaps a real expert will correct me where I'm wrong and
give you better advice.