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How Do I Harvest Gammae?

Nepenthesis

Formerly known as Pineapple
Just got two pots with pygmy drosera and they have gemmae. The nursery owner was the one who pointed it out... They're so small I can barely see them. How do I harvest them?
 
There are numerous methods:

- Take the pots out of the tray and let the dry out several hours to overnight. Place a piece of paper on a flat surface (table, floor). Gently turn the pots over and nudge the gemmae loose with the point of a pencil or something so they fall on the paper.
- Dip the tip of a toothpick in water and gently lift the gemmae off - they will stick to the toothpick
- Use a mouth aspirator (commonly called a "pooter" by entomologists and botanists), gently loosen the gemmae with toothpick or the point of a pencil and suck them into the aspirator bottle. Google is your friend if you are unfamiliar with a mouth aspirator.
- Pluck the gemmae off carefully one at a time with fine forceps. This method usually results in the most gemmae ending up flung around.
 
The toothpick method sounds the easiest. I'll try that, and if it fails, then I'll use the first method. Thanks! :)
 
Instead of starting a new thread, I'll just bump this one... So I got some pygmy sundews yesterday and I don't know much about them. One of them, D. patens, is producing weird little rose-like "petals" on it... What are they? Also, do they look like they have gemmae? I can't see anything...

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the rose petals are gemmae i believe.
 
could they be going dormant?is it too hot or dry?they should fall off if gemmae i would of thought ,but they do look like gemmae
 
  • #10
Some species have slightly different methods of gemmae release, so patens might be one of the odd ones. But yeah, the flat petal-shaped leaves are the gemmae, not all species have round gemmae. Quite a few have the flat kind, actually.
 
  • #11
Hm... Okay, I'll try pulling them off I guess... ???
 
  • #12
Holy fudgemuffins you guys were right, they are gemmae! I harvested them, about 40 total realistically, maybe more. How long can I store them for in the fridge?
 
  • #13
I hear a few weeks. Congrats!
 
  • #14
I wouldn't store them more than a couple of weeks. If much longer they will either go bad and mold or start to germinate.
 
  • #16
I like this pink color, very stunning!
I have to try this someday, i have only south african droseras.
Thanks for sharing.
 
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