Drosera Seeds

[jimscott]

I have redeived a variety of seeds, mostly Drosera within the past two months. I have them in several plastic boxes from discarded pipette tip dispensers. They have an inner container that have 100 1'4" diameter holes to house the tips. I just take it and invert it and have an instant mini open tray with drainage. The outer compartment fits around it and has a lid that can either be propped open or sealed for humidity. since I am dealing with seeds, I keep it covered, on a window sill. It has taken 4 weeks to two months to see germination. I'm sure there are several variables as to why (light, warmth, viability, etc..) Seeds I have almost given up on are just now germinating. It REALLY requires patience!

 

[peter]

Alot of it depends on the freshness of the seeds also, I have found that older drosera seeds take months to germinate, while freshly harvested ones take only a matter of weeks. I think the seeds life span isn't very long due to their small stature.

 

[Bugweed]

I have had tuberous drosera that took four years to germinate. Giving them their wet, bone dry seasons too. I was going to dump the whole thing when d. macranthra, d. ramellosa, and d. platypoda decided to make an appearance. I took them to a CP society meeting, where macranthra and platypoda sprouted legs and walked out the door. That was nine years ago. I still have the ramellosa's. I hope whoever borrowed my babies knew what they were doing. I'd hate to think all that time germinating them was wasted.

 

[schloaty]

Bugweed, that's really bad! Swiped! Pilfered! Nicked! Unreal how some people can be so selfish.

Jim,
No doubt. They really can take a while. I never throw out a pot of sown seeds. If I really need the pot, I'll just sow OTHER seeds in there, too. I try to make sure I don't mix seeds from the same genus, though, just for the sake of avoiding confusion. I was getting rather impatient with my nep seeds (which STILL haven't germinate, over a year later....probably toast), so I threw in some sar seeds and drosera seeds.

 

[jon]

My pygmyies are just blooming and I planted them about 2 months ago. And a couple other Drosera's are hatching as well (2 months old). It seems that I have the quickest germination time I've found is Dionaea seeds (which took about a month)

 

[schloaty]

I had vft seeds germinate in under 10 days....but they were VERY fresh. I'm quite sure that's why they were so fast.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Patience is a real virtue when it comes to seed germination. I germinated seed sent to me of a supposedly invialble D. graminifolia from Caraca, Brazil that was poorly stored for 4 years. It took over a year. The same thing happened with D. montana var tomentosa: well over a year. So it's not just the Australian species that are reluctant germinators. I would say a year is the minimum period before you can even think of giving up hope.

 

[jimscott]

Jim,
  No doubt.  They really can take a while.  I never throw out a pot of sown seeds.  If I really need the pot, I'll just sow OTHER seeds in there, too.  I try to make sure I don't mix seeds from the same genus, though, just for the sake of avoiding confusion.  I was getting rather impatient with my nep seeds (which STILL haven't germinate, over a year later....probably toast), so I threw in some sar seeds and drosera seeds.[/quote]
That's exactly how I intend to deal with the last remaining holdovers. Thanx!

 

[Lauderdale]

I put my burmanni seeds on pure peat in 2" plastic containers, covered them with an upside down drinking glass and they germinated within four days.
Unfortunately I sowed the seeds too close together and I now have about a hundred little guys growing so close together that it will be darn near impossible to seperate them.  Any ideas as how to seperate them and what size should they be when I try it.

Heck, I'm going out and take pics of them.  

 

[Lauderdale]

This isn't the greatest photo in the world since my camera had no idea which plant to focus on but here is my plethora?...flock?...covey?...herd?...anyway, a whole bunch of burmanni.  They are two weeks old and no larger than the head of a pin.  I have two containers of these little cuties.

 

[jimscott]

Yup, that's exactly what my burmannii look like - a mass of green seedlings. Prolific little buggers!

 

[SnowyFalcon]

I would suggest you transplant them as soon as possible, Lauderdale, before they get intertwining leaves and root systems. Then, it's a pain!

SF

 

[jimscott]

How would you suggest transplanting them - and don't say carefully?

 

[jimscott]

Wait, here's an idea - right out of P. man's page. Take the whole thing and shock them by putting them in a container of DI water. After they separate from each other, place them in new containers, an inch a part. Saturate the container and keep a lid on them for a few days. The strong will survive. The idea is tp keep them moist at all times while they are in shock - just like when they are shipped from Nebraska to everywhere - in moistened paper towels. I'm never at a loss for experimentation - but I have a lot of Edison experiences.

 

[SnowyFalcon]

I used a pair of pointed wooden dowels and carefully separated each seedling. I poked a small hole in the new media and carefully inserted each individual plant. Worked for me.

I like the soaking in water idea, but I feel too many would be lost. As you try and get one out, the other gets buried in the tidal wave of media you create. It could work if you were gentle enough, or the seedlings were big enough to find again.

SF

 

[jimscott]

Of all the seeds I have received this was far the most prolific! Did you saturate the new media and keep it covered for a few days? Are they as easy as plucking spats and just placing them on new media?

 

[SnowyFalcon]

Quote[/b] ]Of all the seeds I have received this was far the most prolific! Did you saturate the new media and keep it covered for a few days? Are they as easy as plucking spats and just placing them on new media?

Yes, yes and yes. I always put a cover over the plants for a few days to two weeks after transplanting, just to make extra sure they pull through. All the Drosera seedlings I've tried this with have survived, so it just requires patience and a lot of small muscle control!

SF

 

[jimscott]

Oh, manual dexterity

You should see my penmanship and typos! I'm liable lacerate the poor things

As Sylvester would say, "There are thousands of them!" Would you believe (Maxwell Smart) hundreds?

I'm gonna need several hours of this delicate endeavor.