What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

I'm back home this week for Thanksgiving so I thought I would post some pics of the nepenthes I leave at home. In order they are densiflora x black truncata, ventricosa red x carunculata, a veitchii flower, and just for fun my favorite cactus which always flowers this time of year. If anyone has any pollen they would like to try with my veitchii I should have time to show my mom how to pollinate the flowers and I might even be home before all the flowers open so I can do some of them myself. Last time I was back for just the weekend it had another flower but I didn't have any time to deal with pollinating it but this time I'd like to try if I can.
 
i still have the flower off my maxima X its driend now for 4 days n still has yellow pollen balls on flowers is it still good? <a href="http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h337/rball0406/?action=view&current=maxim.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h337/rball0406/maxim.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <a href="http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h337/rball0406/?action=view&current=max.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h337/rball0406/max.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
I'm not sure I'm understanding you correctly but it sounds like your pollen may no longer be viable. I think the general rule is to give pollen a couple days to mature after the flower opens until the pollen looks a little bit fluffier and not so compact on the flower. After that you collect it and let it dry for a couple days then put in the fridge preferably with a silica packet to keep it dry. I may have understood you wrong but it sounds like your entire flower has been dried up for days which would mean it probably finished flowering over a week ago.In that case I don't think much of the pollen would still be good. If anyone else know better about how long pollen is viable please let me know since I'm not as experienced as a lot of growers here.
 
I am assuming your plant is female then? Awesome!

It just so happens I have a male hamata x truncata (predator) that will be flowering in the next week or two. I imagine the first flowers will open any day.

I would love to cross it with a veitchii.
 
It is a female for sure since it has flowered once before. I would love to cross it with your predator. I'll pm you.
 
Cool. I'll post a pic here tonight to give you an idea of how far along it is.

EDIT... Duh, it is a male truncata x hamata... not hamata x truncata.
 
Last edited:
@ dashman
Here's an update on the flower. I'm not sure whether the pollination is successful or not yet but I'll keep pollinating every couple days and hope for the best. <a href="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/?action=view&current=DSC04329.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/DSC04329.jpg" border="0" alt="veitchii bareo flower"></a>

I'll also use this opportunity to share pics of some other plants
<a href="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/?action=view&current=DSC04324.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/DSC04324.jpg" border="0" alt="qoh x kos"></a>
My black truncata which is now refusing to color up for some reason despite getting more light

<a href="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/?action=view&current=DSC04320.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/DSC04320.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
New pitcher opening on my densiflora x black truncata

<a href="http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/?action=view&current=DSC04330.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk144/sotohpym/Nepenthes/DSC04330.jpg" border="0" alt="jacquelineae"></a>
And last but not least my new jacquelineae which from what I've read may take a while to settle in considering the lower humidity and my conditions being geared toward intermediate/highland and not straight highland. Still it's one of my favorite plants and I'm willing to see it pitcherless for a while in hopes that as it gets larger it decides it can tolerate my conditions better.
 
And last but not least my new jacquelineae which from what I've read may take a while to settle in considering the lower humidity and my conditions being geared toward intermediate/highland and not straight highland. Still it's one of my favorite plants and I'm willing to see it pitcherless for a while in hopes that as it gets larger it decides it can tolerate my conditions better.

This might also be the cause of your QxK not coloring well. A friend and I are growing them in ultra highland, highland/intermediate, and lowland conditions. The ultra highland specimens are clearly the darkest, the lowlanders have very weak color and the h/i's are in-between. There are certainly other uncontrolled variables, but it looks like cold temps might have some influence on color.
 
That flower is absolutely beautiful. I hope you get many awesome seedlings!
 
  • #10
Your neps look awesome!

Seeing threads like this here really helps to push me with this hobby. It's amazing how beautiful these plants are.
 
  • #11
@ dashman
Here's an update on the flower. I'm not sure whether the pollination is successful or not yet but I'll keep pollinating every couple days and hope for the best.


Good luck! I let it dry and stored in the fridge so I am hoping it is viable...

For others who are waiting on pollen from me I plan on sending more out tomorrow.
 
  • #12
That's one of my favorite cactus too! It has never flowered for me though.
 
  • #13
Thanks for all the kind comments. It has taken a lot of trial and error to learn how to get my plants to grow well in my conditions and I still have more to learn but I'm glad I'm getting closer.

@SDCPs
That is the only cactus that I have that never gives me problems. I can over water it, repot it, give it very little light while overwintering, etc and it does fine. On top of all that it is one of the coolest looking cactus' in my opinion and I never have to worry about getting poked by it. It has never given me any problems flowering. It seems like a week or two after I bring it in for the winter it starts to make flowers and bloom.
 
Back
Top