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How do you

How do you get U. Longifolia to flower? Mine is starting to fill its 6 inch pot and still no flowers. I know some Utrics need a flooding or dry period to start flowering. Is there some kind of cultivation technique to make this species flower? I've heard theories that this species needs to be really overflowing its pot in order to flower, is this true??

SF
 
It might be. Mine had very compacted stolons when it did flower, and it was during a period of lower temps. Of course, this might just be coincidental. I can tell you one thing it takes: patience, and lots of it.
 
Thanks, I guess I'll just wait... and wait.... and wait....
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SF
 
In your estimation Tamlin, how many *years* is my longilolia away from flowering.  I know everythings a factor in this, but in the wild is there a general timeframe from germination until they produce flowers??

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This is a 6" pot btw.
 
Durned if I know. This is what is so frustrating about limited experience. We tend to generalize based on limited successes and failures, and this is not always optimal. Now, I have grown U. longifolia many times. In my experience, when the plant has a large area it can colonize, it does so with abandon. I have never had flowering when the plant was in this type of rapid growth. From this, I conclude that some stress factor is what initiates the flowering process. I picture the plant in habitat spreading as it will, until the stolons encounter some obstruction. Then, they begin to compact, and the sub-surface stolons are forced towards the surface. I *speculate* that this might provide the trigger. The 2 times it has flowered for me in the past have always seen cooler temperatures associated with the short days of winter, so I also conclude that this might also have to do with the initiation of flowers. Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

Then I heard from a grower in Australia who grows his plants outdoors in a garden bog. No restrictions there to the stolons spreading where they will! He says his plants flower best in warm conditions as the daylength increases. Go figure.

I think Dodec flowered the plants once when they had very short "leaf stolons" (we really need a better term for these, like lollons, leaflons or something!) and I doubt the rootlons
:) were much compacted. Am I right with this Dodec?

Dodec always says "flowering is more related to photoperiod and temperature"...others say it's the compaction and substrate dryness....

I stick to my theory: These plants flower when the invisible fairies come by with their wands and touch them. They do this whenever there is a big party going on and they need a supply of aprons and skirts. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong!
 
Fairies? Here I was thinking it was the elves! Oh well, goes to show how much I know!
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SF
 
Different subspecies I think. Please refer to "Fantasia" by Walt Disney.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Different subspecies I think.

Tamlin - what are you like? You split Drosera species on the slimmest of differences, but call fairies and elves one species?
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Arrrgg.  My longifolia's leaves have been browning on the ends
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  The temps don't get below 65 F anymore.  It usually stays around 70F or so.  Photoperiod is currently 13 hours.  Water level about 1 inch.  I've been gradually lowering the waterlevel since they do have a dry dormancy, according to The Savage Garden.  Any ideas why this might be happening?

-Homer
 
  • #10
This problem has surfaced in past posts. Consensus was it was d/t too high a light level. I don't believe that this species has any dormancy requirement, at least, not in my cultural conditions.


Giles,

What!!! Considering I consider (sic) all the karyotypical species in South Africa to be ONE species I can't believe you take that impression.

I do however feel very strongly that variateal status be allowed for the Australian species but there is a big difference between variety and species rank ;-)
 
  • #11
Tamlin,
I wasn't trying to make any comment on Drosera taxonomy, just on the fairies and elves.
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  • #12
I have never been able to observe a clear reason why any species of utric decides to flower. I hae had plants that have never flowered flower within weeks of having been repotted. I've had plants that had een in the same pot for several years under the same conditions, then decide to flower.

I have been able to observe that many species that I have trouble getting to flower, flower easily for those who grow them in greenhouses. Thus, I feel that temp and photoperiod are important, at least for some species.

I have had U. longifolia flower both shortly after repotting, and when the stolons were so compacted that you could no longer see the potting media from the sides or bottom.

I suppose the trick is to grow enough species so that something different is always about to flower. Then you don't have to fuss over the reluctant ones.
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (dodecatheon @ Nov. 12 2003,2:34)]I suppose the trick is to grow enough species so that something different is always about to flower. Then you don't have to fuss over the reluctant ones.
Ha! Yet another reason to add another grow shelf!

I'm going to see if drought causes flowering, since i'm trying the drought treatment for mine, anyway.
 
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