Re: CP Germination Info Request

John Taylor [Catweasel] (rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.EDU.AU)
Tue, 23 Aug 94 13:03:50 DST

>Hi all. I could use a little help with some seed germination. A little
>over two weeks ago I planted some seed I obtained from the ICPS Seedbank
>and have not seen any signs of germination. I have read that Nepenthes
>are notoriously slow to germinate so I'm not surprised that the N. viellardii
>haven't shown up yet. I also planted S. alata, S. minor, S. flava,
U. chrysantha, Drosera neesii ssp neesii and D. peltata on sterilized
milled spaghnum which is contained in a plastic pot with a clear cover
sitting in a South-facing window. Am I being impatient? Could someone
provide me with some appoximate germination times for any of these speces?

Nepenthes - usually within 6 weeks - could take longer...
Sarracenia - about 6 weeks - "stratification" (cooling) of seed for a few
weeks (or even months) helps improve germination rates. Should
be quite easy to germinate & grow successfully.
Utricularia - a few weeks or more (?) (Utrics tend to be *too* easily
grown from seed... ;-) )
Drosera (tuberous) - 6 weeks (?) up to a couple of years! Sphagnum isn't
a particularly good "mix" for these plants, so you
will need to be extra careful with watering. D. peltata
should be quite easy to grow, but D. neesi could be a
bit difficult... Remember to let these plants dry
out in summer (or as soon as they appear to yellow or
die off). When they are dormant, replant any tubers
into peat/sand mix (about 1 to 2 : 1).

If any seeds fail to germinate this season (especially Drosera and Sarracenia)
don't discard them - they could germinate next year...

Good luck!

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Taylor [Catweasel] | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
| rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au | Department of Applied Physics |
| | Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA |
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