Hopefully help with VFT pollination
saharris@iafrica.com
Thu, 25 Jul 96 16:59:50 GMT
Hi!,
Dio wrote requesting info on VFTs germination!!! it looks like
pollination was actually required. Germination comes after the seed are
obtained.
When my VFTs flower I find the first flower's pollen is of no use.
There is nothing to pollinate it with!. When the second flower opens (a
few days having elapsed) the first flower is now receptive to pollen,
and the stigma has become fuzzy, not just a little bump at the top of
the style, as it was when first opening, now is the time to use a small
paint brush, or the rubbing together of the different flowers, to
transfere the pollen from one flower onto the ripened fuzzy stigma of
the other. After a short period of time, the green ovary will enlarge,
and start to turn black, a paper thin membrane on the top will begin to
rupture, and then the +-1mm black pear shaped seeds will be seen, it is
at this stage I remove them. I find they tend to flower twice a year,
Spring and Autumn (Fall), the latter collected seed have to be stored
in my fridge, for sowing in Spring. I grow the majority of my VFTs on
the roof of my flat topped garage, exposed to full sun, in water trays,
with an automatic spray system mounted on the 10-15cm raised sides,
delivering 5 minutes of municipal water 3 times a day, in Summer, Cape
Town being a Winter rainfall area, the requirements at the moment are
less. I have a thousand or two growing under these conditions, the
"Dingley" lot are growing under 50% shade cloth, at least, until they
start to show their true colours.
Unfortunately I cannot help with your Darlingtonia, I have had mine
these past 10 years, 2 plants +-10cm high/decumbent, I did not have
them on my garage!!!!, but am trying some of the methods recently
obtained from our friends on the net. One 2 litre plastic water filled
coke container in the freezer.
ALL THE BEST Eric Green
> I have about 5 VFT with 2 flower stalks each. I rubbed 2 of the
> flowe stalks
> together so that they could pollinate but alas, nothing has happened.
> The
> flowers close up, then turn black. I shake them periodically gently,
> but I
> don't see any seeds coming out. This is the first time I am a parent
> to VFT
> and I thought they would be like my Droseras which will readily send
> out seefs
> when shaken. What should I do to get seeds from my VFT and how do
> the seeds
> look like?
>
> Also, I bought a D. Californica and was wondering how I should take
> care of
> it. Thanks for the help
>
> Dio
>
>