geminating ping seeds??

[MICKEY]

what is the best way to germinate ping seeds ( Pinguicula grandiflora)
how long a strat, 1/1 peat pumice ok temps

 

[potted_plants]

A mixture of peat, silica sand and vermiculite is what most people use for them. I'd go 1:1.5 peat pumice, but use whatever you want. Between 2 and 12 weeks of cold stratification is recommended, the latter preferred. The longer you put them in, the more seeds sprout. At two weeks, you get about 10% to grow. At 12 weeks, 95%+ grows. If you choose to sow the seeds outside you simply need to place them in the plant pot and place it outside in early fall. The seeds need cold temperatures to germinate... 15-40 F is the best for them. Keep the soil very damp (not wet) at all times and don't allow it to dry. Make sure no fungus or mold appears! They require little, if any, humidity to germinate and can be grown in a greenhouse if stratified first. Like all pings, these seeds need bright light to germinate. Due to the fact they need to be sewn and kept in cold temperatures, you can grow them outside. I am making this sound harder then it is. With this, your pings should grow in four to twelve weeks (typically around 10 weeks). Once adults, this things grow like crazy! Nearly impossible to kill once you get them to germinate.

 

[jesse]

What I found out for me: Different from many other winter hardy Pinguicula the species P. grandiflora can also germinate with acceptable germination rates without previous cold stratification. So P. grandiflora is one of the easier Pinguicula species to grow them from seeds.

If you have enough seeds: Split the seed portion and try different treatments (w and w/o cold stratification, different substrate, pot placement etc.) and provide a good change in daily high/low temperatures as they can occur in the mountain regions within their natural habitat.

With sowing and growing hardy Pinguicula I found that only small differences in the cultivation conditions can have dramatically effects on success or failure with the plants.

 

[jlechtm]

My P. caerulea (and caerula f. alba) open pollinated in the greenhouse this Spring and I opened the seed capsules onto the surface of the same pots where the plants are growing. This is the first time I've ever had Pinguicula seeds. Based on the fact that the seeds formed in early spring, I would assume that the seeds would germinate the same year (i.e. without stratification). Is this not the case with this species? Most of my experience is with Sarracenia, and stratification makes sense with them, given that their seeds aren't ripe until well into summer and early fall in the wild.

I'm fine leaving the seeds in the pots until next spring, but I'm curious as to when I should expect to see (hopefully) the baby Pings.

 

[jlechtm]

I saw my first tiny Ping seedlings yesterday in the greenhouse ....

 

[jeff 2]

suite

for temperate ping you have 3 substrate ,according to the species . Grandiflora subsp grandiflora is the more easier from the acids species .

with blond peat and vermiculite 50/50 it is OK , but always a wet substrate ( often sodden 'in situ' )

P.caerulea is a subtropical US ping , without stratification no problem from the seeds to germinate .

some time with grandiflora the seeds germinate before the winter , but in all cases the hibernaculum must be done before this season.

jeff

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