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Jcals ceph (Cephalotus) seed results.

Jcal

Jcal

Decumbent Fanatic
I had a lot of success with my Cephalotus producing seed this summer. I distributed alot of seed into the hands of growers. I have gotten a few pms and emails about them. I wAs hoping that all could share the results of the seeds you got from me this year!

Below are a few photos of the seeds I sowed. Already have a dozen of sprouts with some producing pitchers!



 
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Sweet! Seed grown plants are always nice...genetic lottery! BTW are they planted in the foam trays vacutainers come in?
 
Once, many years ago, when I was a member of the ACPS (Australian Carnivorous Plant Society), I obtained some fresh Cephalotus seed from their seed bank. It germinated and grew quickly and easily - which was very rewarding. I enjoyed it greatly.

I made a solution of my dried insect powder, in water, and placed a tiny amount in their teenie pitchers with a medium bore needle and syringe. They carry a wide assortment at our local livestock feed stores.

Before feeding them, they were hardly growing, but afterward they really took off.

Here is a link to my thread, back then. I hadn't started feeding them, at the time of the thread. I'm trying to locate the pic I had in that thread, if I find it, I'll restore it, and link it here, too.

Nice job Jcal, I never did get any seeds from my own plants. But maybe in the future I'll be brave enough to give them what they need to flower and set seed. Your efforts are inspiring, thanks.
* * * *
Okay, here's the pic of the seedlings I had, then. They sure start out tiny -->

i-RVLmTMX-L.jpg
 
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Thanks Joseph!
I've never thought to look at livestock stores. I have searched for tiny eye droppers and others various lab equipment to find something to feed those tiny pitchers. I've even read that you can use hollow deer hair for the purpose. Not sure how that would work, but livestock supplies are pretty easy to find in my area. Thanks for the tip! I'll go hunting this weekend.

Here's a few threads I started about my plants producing seed. I couldn't dig up any more pictures.

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php/136773-Cephalotus-flower-stalks

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php/137189-Cephalotus-seed-photos

My collection goes through a mild dormant period. I lessen the photoperiod and let them cool down for a few months. That seemed to do the trick.
 
Wish I had better news but none of them are doing anything on my end. The 3-4 types of Nep seeds I picked up over the last year giveaways are just starting to come up so maybe I still have hope.
 
Rss- I'm sure some will pop up for you soon. I noticed a few cephalotus babies in a drosera pot that was beside the flowering plants. They are becoming a weed, and I love it!

Joseph - I've noticed that you have used insect powder in a few other applications. Do you make it or can it be purchased?
 
I collect local insects in a bucket beneath an electric bug zapper, covered with 1" chicken wire (or the birds and lizards eat all the collected insects). Then I put them in my oven in a casserole dish, set at 100F, until they are quite dry. I then grind them to a powder in an electric coffee grinder. Then store them in recycled medicine bottles. Before I collected my own, I'd just grind freeze-dried tubifex and blood worms the same way, and they were already dried. But I was using so many, it was costing a fortune, and I already had the bug zapper and the coffee grinder, so, bingo.
 
Jcal sent me some seed a few months ago; I, too, have germination. #ProudParent

These are the best pictures I could take. You have to look quite close, but there are about seven with more hatching regularly.
 
Awesome! Thanks for posting photos and glad to see some sprouts.
Interesting media. Peat and turface?
 
  • #10
When did you guys sow the seeds? Did you cold stratify? I'd really like to do Cephalotus seeds sometime, but don't know much about the process.
 
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  • #11
No stratification for me. Sow and forget is my method.

I was experimenting with media at the time and used only peat and turface (technically oil dry from NAPA). I fear I may live to regret the turface, but so far so good! #fingerscrossed

I have recently moved these seedlings from my southern windowsill to my growlights in my classroom. I figure now that they are green they need more lumens.
 
  • #12
CorneliusSchrute said:
No stratification for me. Sow and forget is my method.

I was experimenting with media at the time and used only peat and turface (technically oil dry from NAPA). I fear I may live to regret the turface, but so far so good! #fingerscrossed

I have recently moved these seedlings from my southern windowsill to my growlights in my classroom. I figure now that they are green they need more lumens.
Click to expand...

Awesome!
 
  • #13
If they are fresh seeds there is no need for strat. The seeds I planted when straight from the pod to the pots. The seed I sent out were no longer than a few days old. If they are older they can benefit from it.

I use turface in all of my cephalotus mixes. From my experience they seems to like it. I believe I will continue using it for awhile. They best mix I have found so far is peat, turface and perlite.
 
  • #14
Here's some of my results with turface. This plant was divided last weekend in the potting mix described above.



 
  • #16
jwalker said:
Wow is that a squat
Click to expand...

I wish my squat was that big!
This is hummers giant. Mother plant of the division I sent you last week.

Growing tip:
I sacrificed the pot so that I could get the plant out without damaging the small hair roots near the bottom of the pot. I have learned from the past that plants bounce back a lot faster of you can save these roots. The recovery time is much shorter. They are very hard to keep intact of you just try pulling the plant out of the pot.

This is also also the plant that produced most of the seed I sent out during the summer!
 
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  • #17
That is a beauty that's for shore
 
  • #18
Very nice picture, jcal!
 
  • #19
It was about this time last year that I started getting seed from my plants and sending them out. I know this because I have ripening seed about to be collected this year!

Here is a photo of my yearlings

 
  • #20
Thanks for the update, Jcal! Looking great, nice job growing these.
 
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