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B. liniflora experiment

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
I am conducting an experiment with the B. liniflora seeds. I poured some on moist media, without pretreatment. Another group I tried the 10% bleach solution, which yielded that purple dye within like 15 seconds. The rest are sealed, in the fridge, for a month, where I will try both the pretreatment and just immediate sowing.

After one week, both pots began germinating seedlings the same day. However, there are 5 in the pre-treated pot and 2 in the untreated pot. We'll see what happens as the month pregresses and the fridged seeds get sown.
 
Jimscott + experiment = bad :-))
 
I always picture jimscott holding a beaker and wearing a white lab coat... Is this just my imagination, or does he have that picture here somewhere?? lol
 
I predict Frankenstein-like monsters that will grow & grow and take over your house. Not only that, but they'll raid your 'fridge a lot and never offer money to help pay for groceries. :-D

Well, I used a very weak solution of gibberellic acid on my Byblis seeds (lamellata, liniflora & filifolia) and after three months nothing has sprouted. I either got some really bad seeds or I’m not giving them enough light and warmth. I don't know whether to give 'em more time or just toss 'em out. ???
 
3 months was certainly long enough for germination. I'm sure you also had them in at last 21 C, with a little light and moisture. It's probably due to unviable seeds. My very first batch of seeds came from Wicked Thistle - 23 of them. I did absolutely nothing to them other than put them in a pipette container, slightly moist, covered, at a window sill. Within 10 days all 23 seeds sprouted. I just wanted to see if the 10% bleach solution really makes a difference or if cold storage, a la, D'Amato & Pietrepaolo makes a difference. So far I see no appreciable difference between pre-treatment and no treatment. We'll see for sure within a week on that part.

And yes, there is a picture taken from the lab, with a blue labcoat. It should be in PAK's forum member picture topic, still hosted.
 
Awww fudge.........

Yeah, I've figured by now that my seeds were not viable. Man, what a waste of time and hopes.......

Oh well.........onward and upward................
 
Don't worry, seeds will be offered again. You'll have more opportunities to kill... I mean cultivate them. Works for me!
 
I just set up the remaining seeds, from the fridge. Part were bleached and the rest were scattered on the soil surface. The other (fresh) seedlings are doing fine. So far no difference between germination times or rates.
 
Sounds good Jim.

I recently got a new batch of B.liniflora seeds from a different supplier and will soon be sowing them. I was told they are very fresh.

Also got some Drosophyllum seeds I'm gonna sow someday soon. :)
 
  • #10
Drosophyllum? May the force be with you! The only way I can get that to germinate is to have it be an accidental hitchhiker from someone else. Intentional scarification and germination attempts have been failures.
 
  • #11
I know!

I'm 'prolly wasting my time & money, but what-the-hey.........

I'm counting on prayer and hard work for anything that does sprout...
 
  • #12
Update on B. liniflora seeds, cold storage, bleached and unbleached. As of this morning, in roughly the same amount of days as the freshly sown seeds, I see one germinated in each pot. More will likely germinate over the weekend.

Not that one experiment with 4 variables proves anything, but if I had to draw a conclusion, I would say that neither bleach nor un-bleached makes a difference. As to cold storage versus fresh, I would probably go with fresh, but that isn't yet conclusive. I think that the variability that people experience is more likely to what they didn't have control of - viability of seeds upon arrival.
 
  • #13
Jimscott,

On contrary for me, bleach helps. And refridgeration too! :-))
 
  • #14
What does the bleach do for them? wouldnt it actually just sterilize them or kill them?
 
  • #15
The bleach is supposed to remove the purple dye, which I undertsand to be a growth inhibitor, making sure that germination doesn't occur too soon. I am parrotting what I have read. I'd like to know what happens in nature. Bleach isn't occurring there! Next time I get seeds I'll try just plain old water and see what happens.
 
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