I Can't Germinate D. aliciae

[jimscott]

I can't get D. aliciae seeds to germinate for me if my life depended upon it. Right next to that pot is a pot of D. burmannii seedlings, sown the same day, in the same way as the D. aliciae. They're in the heated terrarium setup. Is it too warm for them?

 

[CPlantaholic]

hmm...shouldn't be too warm. Sounds like you're doing everything right. Mine germinated faster than Capensis. Could it be the seed is too old? I can hook you up w/ an Aliciae in the spring if nothing still happens, Jim.

 

[jimscott]

Yeah, i've had them sitting in the terrarium, covered, with the Grolite over them. Just can't figure it out.

Here's the thing about seeds... we all look for ripe pods (black) and cut the scape. Often times the seeds just burst doing that. Tapping the scape against something solid also works. Sometimes we have to rub the pod. They get sent out and who knows how viable they are?

Sounds good, Aaron. Maybe they just need more time? Doubt if they needed stratifying. Who knows...

 

[CPlantaholic]

yeah, they definitely don't need stratifying. you could leave them for a while longer, but don't expect much if they haven't already germinated for you. Just lmk what happens.

 

[trek623]

Did I send you these seeds? Mine usually take a few months to germinate. If they don't pop up in another few weeks I can send you some more.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

From my experiences with this species I conclude it is a slow germinator compared to other South African species, so my advice is to stay the course awhile longer. This is a semi-tropical requiring no stratification. Also a thought: we assume seed so produced is from self seeding, but the possibility exists within cultivated plants for uncontrolled fertilization with another species, and seed might be genetically defective. Best wishes for germination Jim!

 

[jimscott]

Did I send you these seeds? Mine usually take a few months to germinate. If they don't pop up in another few weeks I can send you some more.

LOL! I don't remember. They came with the D. burmannii's. I'll just leave them be.