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Cephalotus follicularis From Seed
- Thread starter dionae
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I like the idea of growing Cephalotus from seed, but from what I know, it is hard. Mature Cephalotus are hard enough. Problems are fungus, mold, bugs, sun and humidity. I am not saying that it is not impossible to grow it from seed. However growing Cephalotus seed is quite rewarding. How many and how expensive are the seeds? it could be a good idea if the seeds are reasonably priced.
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dionae
sarracenia lover
dionae
sarracenia lover
I get some seeds from my Cephs every year and one year I planted a few that I had left over. I got a bit better than 50% germination iirc. I've given away all but two of the offspring. Some thoughts:
- patience - lots of it. They grow slowly (my growlist has a few early pics)
- fresh seeds - while I have no direct experience, it 'seems' to be common knowledge that the seeds lose their viability quickly.
- cold stratification - some do it, some don't. Based on their home environment, I saw no need & just planted them.
- I would check with this guy for any advice he may have.
- many sources of seed sell old seed that is no longer viable (although they will never admit it). The guy on eBay who says that 6 month old U. nelumbifolia seed is 'fresh' has no credibility
Best of luck - seed grown plants are a great way to get new variations (ie: 'Eden Black')
dionae
sarracenia lover
Thank you very much RL7836. The link was very useful as were the tips. I know i'm taking a chance buying ebay seeds but, i'm sure you know, they're hard to find. I'll prob grab a few packs to up my chances. One of the main reasons I want to start from seed is variation so hopefully I can get them germed and find something special. Thanks again!
To provide some perspective; I harvested & planted seeds in the fall of 2008. Here's a pic of the seedlings on March 8 of 2009:
... and here are 2 of the seedlings from Dec 1st (3 days ago):
So, roughly 2 years and a month or 2 - to get to this size ..... (the pots in top pic are 1.75" dia and last 2 are 2.5" diameter).
... and here are 2 of the seedlings from Dec 1st (3 days ago):
So, roughly 2 years and a month or 2 - to get to this size ..... (the pots in top pic are 1.75" dia and last 2 are 2.5" diameter).
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thez_yo
instigator
dionae
sarracenia lover
As previously mentioned, seeds take a long time to grow into mature plants. I'm guessing the plants in the pictures started producing mature pitchers within the last 4-6 months.
If you want a mature plant faster (most people don't want to wait the 18+ months to get a mature plant, at least not for their first Ceph) you will want to buy a plant grown from division, leaf pulling or root cutting. These propagation methods yield mature plants much quicker than growing from seed. Based on what I have seen from eBay this fall, you can get a plant from leaf pulling with mature pitchers for $25-35.
Obviously seed growing is much cheaper and I would actually love to grow some Cephs from seeds to add diversity to my collection. The one attempt I have tried at growing seeds has yielded no plants so far (I'm getting the feeling the seed was too old)
I'm not trying to scare you out of seed growing, just trying to let you know your options.
If you want a mature plant faster (most people don't want to wait the 18+ months to get a mature plant, at least not for their first Ceph) you will want to buy a plant grown from division, leaf pulling or root cutting. These propagation methods yield mature plants much quicker than growing from seed. Based on what I have seen from eBay this fall, you can get a plant from leaf pulling with mature pitchers for $25-35.
Obviously seed growing is much cheaper and I would actually love to grow some Cephs from seeds to add diversity to my collection. The one attempt I have tried at growing seeds has yielded no plants so far (I'm getting the feeling the seed was too old)
I'm not trying to scare you out of seed growing, just trying to let you know your options.
dionae
sarracenia lover
thez_yo
instigator
I collected seeds from my Ceph typical late in the season, late September I think. I sprinkled them on the top of a very damp Sphagnum moss/sharp sand mix, sprayed them liberally with water to settle them down and placed a clear cover on top of pot to increase humidity. They sat for about three months on a cool windowsill, where they did not germinate so I suspect this was a form of stratification. I then moved them to my artificially lit growshelf, where they germinated within a month or so. I have read elsewhere that stratification isn't necessary and I didn't deliberately set out to give mine any, it's just that the day length and temperatures here are low that time of year.
While it's probably obvious, plant maturity is probably the most important condition for blooming. Until this past year, the only plants that were mature in my collection were the ones that spent winters in my basement under lights & summers in my driveway. Last year I decided to keep one of my windowsill plants around for a while & in the spring it sent up a stalk. Since I haven't played around with different possible scenarios, I'm probably not qualified to guess what's needed. Mine that have flowered experienced a different summer/winter photoperiod and cooler winter temps fwiw...
I originally only grew Cephalotus 'Hummer's Giant' clones, it is only recently that I've added a few more to the collection (& they are far from mature - I suspect).
For years I cut the stalks. when I 1st decided I wanted to get some seed, I went out every day and attempted to pollinate with a brush. This was mostly frustrating as the brush often got dipped into the nectar in the bottom of the flower and pollen doesn't appear to be consistently produced (or consistently obvious to my eye). Toward the end of that 1st flowering, I noticed 2 species of small native bees that were happily servicing the flowers. The following year, I allowed the bees to do all of the work and had more seeds than the 1st year (but not all of the flowers produced a full set of seed - during any year - so far).
When my non- Cephalotus 'Hummer's Giant' clones get older, i would love to try some cross-pollination. However, I'll want to talk to some who have done this to see what they recommend as an approach. The flowers are quite different from a 'normal' type flower (like a Drosera).
As for seed germination, I am curious why some people get absolutely zero germination while others do very well (even with the same seeds...)?
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I've never had to induce flowering. Mine grow on a windowsill so they naturally flower every year.
