Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 18:03:03 EDT From: k4zd@juno.com (Robert L Hanrahan) To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1980$foo@default> Subject: Re: Sarracenia Stratification
Hi Guys,
I think David answered the question about winter temp's along the Gulf
Coast rather accurately.
Typically, the Panhandle will get a few freezing nights each year and
some years the temp drops into
the teens (F deg's).
I have stratified millions of Sarracenia seed over the years and use a
real simple method. I mix my seed
in plastic bags with milled (and wet) Canadian Peat moss around the first
of the year and place the bags in a refrigerator (40 deg. F/3 deg. C) for
a couple of months. Some years when I have too much seed, I simply put
the sealed bags outside and let 'em freeze. I typically sow them in
March and usually get well over 90% germination. When you sow a few
hundred thousand seeds, you don't worry about germination percentages.
Unless your going to force seeds, I prefer to use the normal growing
cycle/season for my seedlings. Very important fact is to get the
enzyme/bacteria action started on your seeds and the wet peat has worked
for me over the years. Dionaea m. seeds do not require stratification.
In fact, as a general rule, only fall ripening fruit needs the
treatment to duplicate mother nature's plan.
For those of you not familiar with Sarracenia habitats and seed loss,
the majority of all dropped seed never even germinates. Seed survival
percentages to maturity are probably less than 1 in 5,000 in a typical
wire grass bog. I'll elaborate on that later.
C-Ya Bob Hanrahan in Powder Springs, GA
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