Pete (or do you prefer Peter?)
>My Byblis Gigantea still hasn't sprouted despite following the
>instructions to scorch them when planted, with a couple of burning
>leaves etc. ( Slack's 'Carnivorous Plants' I think. )
>Anyone know how long they can take - I planted them in March, so
>I'm beginning to wonder if I should chuck them out and try again?
>( Or are they like the infamous tuberous drosera? )
I have never succeeeded with Adrian's patented "create a widerness
fire" method. I suspect that he was a frustrated australian arsonist
with a really good imagination (he certainly was familiar with Pink
Elephants, for example!).
All my seed came from Allan Lowrie. Allan recommends the use of
Kangaroos (at this point you may doubt the seriousness of this mail but
I promise I am NOT telling stories - this is real data). Allan insists
that the seeds germinate really well following an excursion through the
alimentary canal of a Kangaroo (sorry, no data on whether the Kangaroo
species is relevant). I've no first hand evidence of anyone succeeeding
with brush fires (except Nature perhaps). I've tried mini-bush fires
and popping (as in creating pop corn) but all with equal lack of success
(I waited up to two years for subsequent seed sprouting).
I'd be interested in anyone telling how they succeeded with the bush
fire method!
Regards
Paul