>I have same seeds from Pinguicula alpina. I get them last autumn and put
>them into the fridge. Now the spring is near and I want to ask, if anybody
>can help me with sowing or germinating conditions. Does it need in the
>substrate acid or base? Much light? Or what else? Thanks for your help!
P. alpina does not grow in pure Sphagnum or peat but in mineralic,
preferably calcareous substrate. I grow them in two substrates of which
both are ok. Either: each one volume third calcareous sand (not silicate or
quarz sand), loam and vermiculite. Or: each one volume third peat, sand (as
above) and vermiculite. P. alpina is a (sub)alpine and (sub)arctic species
and needs a long winter (8-9 months at 1C) and a relatively short summer
(3-5 months) with cool temperatures (night 4-12C, day 8-20C). If you sow
the seeds already now you should keep them at about 1C till mid April or
later. Otherwise they germinate to early. As a consequence the winter buds
will be formed already in August/September followed by vernalizing in
December and death in January. This happens both with seeds and plants from
(sub)alpine and (sub)arctic sites if germination is timed to early. The
ecological tolerance of material of the very few European lowland sites is
somewhat higher. P. alpina is the only hibernacula-forming Ping. with
perennial roots and it does not tolerate any rottennes of the substrate.
Therefore it is better to keep it rather a little to dry than a little to
wet. Although our climate in Bern is cooler than yours in Frankfurt I must
keep P. alpina in a shady greenhouse with an air conditioner which lowers
the temperatures in warm summer days. I add some UV light by growlux tubes.
Let me know if you do not succeed, I can send you seeds and plants of this
species almost any time.
BTW Ping. alpina was recorded in the last century from 4 sites northern
Scottland. Does anyone from the U.K. know whether this species is really
existing there or is it extinct?
Happy growing. Juerg
___________________________________________________
Juerg Steiger, Institut fuer Aus-, Weiter- und Fortbildung IAWF
University of Bern, Inselspital 37a, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Office: ++41 31 632 98 87, Fax: ++41 31 632 98 71