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Sarracenia seeds

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Last year I was given a packet of S. alata seeds and I was successful in sprouting them within a month.

I have 4 sets of Sarr. seeds that stratified for 3 months and attempted germination, in moist media and covered. It has been several weeks now, and they neither mold nor germinate. Today, I took off the covers and filled with water. Any other ideas?
 
put on the covers and stick back in the fridge for 3 weeks. They may need dual stratification. I do it and it has always worked (so far).
 
3 months at 40 degrees wasn't long enough for them?
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Well thye should have been 3 weeks first. But give them another couple and see. If no sign put them back in. Some times if the seed is too fresh it will not germinate and needs to be restratified.
 
If you pick up the seeds between two fingers, do they still feel firm and plump?? If so, they should still be good. Good luck!!
 
When you say 'several weeks', how many is that. I had concern about S. purpurea seeds that I sowed at the beginning of April. Within the last week, they sprouted like mad. I had them sitting outside, pots standing in water, in full sun. I had the pots covered with sheer white panty hose! Maybe that's the trick! One thing I did before sowing was to put them in a small tupper ware container with a little distilled water, and stuck them in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Prior to that, they were in the fridge dry for the winter.
 
Sheer white pantyhose does the trick?
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Anyways, they were in the folded paper envelopes, dry, and in the fridge for 3 months. I would say that I have had them in media for 4 or 5 weeks now. Why the freezer? Should I try that at this point? Should I try putting them outside?
 
Jim,
From what I gather, dry in the fridge does not count as stratification. See this article at ICPS site.

http://www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/Sarracenia.htm


If they've been in media indoors for the past 4-5 weeks, you would not have met the cold/wet requirement. But then again, it was only 4-5 weeks and they can take 6-8 weeks to germinate (mine did).
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jimscott @ May 22 2005,7:07)]Sheer white pantyhose does the trick?  
I guess I better explain. I sowed seeds in a six inch azaelea (sp!) pot. I didn't fill it to the top--left about 2". The cover of sheer white hose (or a similar substance) allows light in, but prevents heavy rain, birds etc from messing with the seeds/seedlings as I have these outside. I held the hose in place by using two of the longest black plastic cable ties connected in series and placed around the outside of the pot. they secure very tightly and will not come off.

In the fall, I'll bring them in and continue to grow under lights only for the first season. This is my first time with this, so I hope it works.
 
  • #10
Joe, that is one informative link! Thanks! Looks like I will have to do things over.

Just wanted to make sure you had noble uses for the pantyhose!
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Does it have to be sheer? What brand? Was it "Just my size"? As it sandalfoot or open toe or whatever they put in those plastic egg things?
smile_m_32.gif
Does Joe Namath recommend it?
 
  • #11
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jimscott @ May 22 2005,10:27)]Joe, that is one informative link! Thanks! Looks like I will have to do things over.

Just wanted to make sure you had noble uses for the pantyhose!  
laugh.gif
Does it have to be sheer? What brand? Was it "Just my size"? As it sandalfoot or open toe or whatever they put in those plastic egg things?  
smile_m_32.gif
Does Joe Namath recommend it?
Jim,
Too many hose questions!! just make sure it feels right to you, and don't let anyone make you feel ashamed--I don't!

Next year, I'll be using a piece of crop blanket to cover pots. My father gave me a large piece of this to cover my plants if I put them out earlier to protect from frost. This should also give a faster start to seedlings. It will protect down to upper 20s fahrenheit.
 
  • #12
But seriously, back to the seeds, do you think I can just take those pipette containers, moist, and covered and put in that fridge upstairs? How long do you think I should keep them there? The site recommends putting them in a bag, but as long as the cover seals things, do you think it will fly?
 
  • #13
I stratified my seeds this year in rubbermaid bins that don't seal at all (the storage kind, not the food kind.) I've had excellent germination rates so I don't think air circulation hurt. The folks I bought my seed from even said that covering wasn't necessary, as long as they were kept moist and sheltered from being washed out from rain. The covers were pretty much just to keep the critters out and the water in. I barely lost any water to evaporation, but a fridge can get dry inside if it frosts up, so if those containers are airtight it would probably help.
~Joe
 
  • #14
It's been a bunch of years since my last mass Sarracenia germination but **blasphemy alert** I didn't do any stratification and had decent germination with all Sarr subspecies except S. purpurea (which makes some sense).

I think it was either Tom Hayes or Dave Evans (I think Tom) who did a controlled experiment on Sarr seed stratification. He split groups of seed from the same species and stratified half of them. All were planted at the same time and germination and growth were tracked for both groups.

IIRC, stratification did improve germination (and possibly initial growth rates) but it was not required to get germination for most of the seeds.

Whether or not this would have changed if I had stratified the seed, I do not know - but I did have random germinations over the next year to 18 months in those pots. Most germinated in several weeks but some seeds just took their time....

Good luck w/ your seed - didn't get it from A. Lowrie by any chance?
 
  • #15
Gotta love discussion forums! No the seeds came from a private grower. Maybe they just need some more time?
 
  • #16
I think they need more time JS.  I thought I saw a post from Bugweed that said it could take 6-8 weeks.  It took that long for mine, and they were S. purpurea, so I guess the stratification was needed.  Let us know how they do.


Found it! An exact quote from Bugmeister in a thread here called 'How long will it take to sprout'.

"No. Don't cover them with peat. Just leave them alone and let them do what they do best---sprout! Sarracenia seed can take as long as six to eight weeks to sprout, but can definitely sprout sooner than that."

Edited by Bugweed on Dec. 31 2004,9:16
 
  • #17
In the Ellison 2001 study, only 0-5% of seeds germinated with no stratification. The average time at which the first seeds germinated was about 10 days for S. purp ssp. purp, alata and leucophylla. For most of the species, most of the seeds had germinated after 20 days.

S. purp ssp. purp, S. alata and S. flava had the most seeds germinate. S. psittacina and S. rubra ssp. jonesii had the least.
 
  • #18
LOL! Not one response is identical to another. I'll give it more time. That somewhat inpenetrable wax coat has me intrigued. I wonder if anyone has tried nicking the seedcoat or taking as rasp to it some do with Morning Glory seeds.
 
  • #19
The same 0-5% germination rate was obtained with scarified seeds. The coating needs to be chemically broken down by water over time.
 
  • #20
Now THAT's good to know! Thanks Alexis!
 
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