What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Could it be? A baby dew?

NaRnAr

Ive got Crabs!
It seems like I planted these little capensis seeds forever ago...probably three weeks ago in reality! They have been sitting in a ziplock baggie in their mini tupperware cup in the window...and much to my surprise I think I might have some babies!!! These will be my first from seed :D
DSC05597.jpg


Should I just let them grow in their zip baggie?
At what point shoud I take them out of the zip baggie?
How big should they be before I replant them? (I know they have a ways to go!)
 
It's really hard to tell, but it might be. I'd let them stay for a while longer, let it get bigger. When to replant, when they get too cramped?
 
looks like it. next time dont put em in a ziploc baggy, just sow em in a pot
 
They are in a pot, well sort of...they are in a little tupperware cup that has a tiny crack on the bottom and some drainage holes on the sides. It looks like they are right in a baggie in that pic, but they arent. :) I have the tupperware sitting in the baggie so I can close it around the cup...the pics of germination I have found all have the seed pots in somesort of greehouse looking thing...and a ziplock bag was all i had.

Would they have grown if I would have just had them open to the air and kept them moist?
 
Would they have grown if I would have just had them open to the air and kept them moist?

Yes. D. capensis is notorious for not needing any sort of anything to sprout. That's why many times you'll find D. capensis seedlings in pots of plants you get from nurseries. Seeds just spread and grow. I imagine the "little greenhouse" things you mention was for more particular seeds that germinate better under higher humidity conditions, like Nepenthes.

D. capensis grows quickly so you'll have some nice sized plants in a few months. I wouldn't even worry about spreading them out. Just let them do their own thing.

xvart.
 
You didn't do anything wrong. They'll germinate in a number of conditions:

http://www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/D_capensis.htm
Sow seeds of Drosera capensis on the surface of your medium of choice. Finely chopped live sphagnum moss over long fibered sphagnum moss or CP mix works very well but the moss can overgrow the young plants. Finely chopped dead sphagnum or sand over CP mix also work well.

What you do next depends on what works best for you. Everyone has their own preferred routine. I put pots with seeds in plastic zip-lock bags under but not too close to fluorescent lights. You could also use an aquarium in a greenhouse. The purpose of the plastic bag is to maintain very high humidity and to keep out fungus gnats. Fungus gnat larvae will eat the seedlings. A temperature between 20°C to 25°C (70°F to 80°F) works best. The seeds should germinate in a few weeks. When the new plants have a few true leaves, remove the pots from the plastic bags and put them in a bright terrarium or greenhouse. The seedlings may be a little slow growing at first. Have patience.
 
thanks NotaNumber. I knew I saw something about baggie/greenhouse somewhere. :)

But knowing that they will germinate in an array of conditions, Ill have to try some open air next time as well. :)
 
I checked on them this morning...they are indeed little sproutlets! :-D THere are TONS of them! WAHOO!! :D

I just love growing from seed, its exciting when they sprout and are growing happy :-O

Ill have to see about getting another picture.
 
You may want to consider setting up a few pots and spooning out plugs of seedlings to each pot. I've had the expereince of having a bazillion seedlings in a pot, only to have them crowd each other out a few months later.
 
  • #10
When my first capensis seeds sprouted, I thought the seeds had failed and there was some algae and moss growing.
:-))
 
  • #11
Thanks JimScott, I will definitely do that because there are a bunch of them.

I too thought they were just algae bunches when they first started coming up, I was kind of sad that they didnt sprout. So I waited another week or so and looked again and much to my amazement I found a few like the first pic there. Now there are a bunch that are clearly visible with a few that are just starting to show up. :D
 
  • #12
I always have a magnifying glass on hand. It's helpful for not only germination but also pests. It's also good to have backups just in case something goes wrong.
 
Back
Top