D. capensis questions

My D.capensis is flowering right now and i had a few questions

1. About how long does it take for seed to be made after the flower closes?

2. Is it normal for it to basically stop growing and stop producing a ton of new leaves?

3. Whats the best way to collect the seeds and keep them from spreading into all of my other pots?

Thanks for any answers
Ktulu

Hey ktulu,

For me, flowers take about 2-3 weeks. I think it may depend on the maturity of your plant and humidity? The experts will know. It is normal for it to slow its growth while its flowering. That's where a lot of the energy goes. For seed collection, the flower heads will turn brown one by one. Wait until they're all brown and the stalk begins to turn as well. Some people cut them off at this point, I just hang a piece of paper folded into a cup shape onto the stem. Or, I'll bend the stalk to a safer spot, with some white paper there.

As a side note, capensis self-pollinates. But if you want to be absolutely sure to get a good seed set, you can GENTLY roll the bud (heh heh) just after the flower closes. That'll make sure the pollen rolls around inside. It's okay to wait a day or two after the flower closes.