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My Drosophyllum is flowering!

DJ57

I am a CPaholic...
Moderator
Hoping for lots of seeds. There are technically 2 plants in this pot, but a third growing from a stem attached to another one that fell down after I cut a flower stalk when it was just a baby; all three plants sending up flower stalks.

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First ones to open fully

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Wow, you are one lucky dude! Can I trade a firstborn male child for some seeds?
 
No thanx, my firstborn still living at home, but if you take him I will give you the whole plant, :-))
 
:love: Beautiful plants, beautiful flowers, beautiful pictures.
 
what do you do in the winter with this plant in this climate? I am attempting this plant for the second time and just dont know about keeping it outdoors here. your photo was taken indoors..?
 
Congrats! Love the tiny stalks on the flowers, what a hunter :)
 
what do you do in the winter with this plant in this climate? I am attempting this plant for the second time and just dont know about keeping it outdoors here. your photo was taken indoors..?

The first 3 pics were taken indoors, the last 3 outdoors the first day I put them outside after being in the garage all winter.

They are outside from mid spring until fall, then I bring them into the attached garage after the first couple of frosty nights in fall and put them next to a large south-facing window under shop lights, as close as I can get them, on a 12/12 cycle though winter, where the temps are mid 40's to mid 50's all winter. They stop growing and shrink back a bit, and don't produce near as much dew. I spray them once a month through winter with a very dilute orchid fertilizer/water mix (I really don't know if this is necsassary, but doesn't seem to hurt and makes me feel better, lol). When they start dewing up real good again with longer daylight hours at the end of winter, I feed them small crickets or whatever bugs I can find. I also leave the garage door open in late afternoon starting around March so bugs fly in attracted to the shop light and that helps feed them. I top water them much the same as the growing season, when the top 1 inch or so feels dry. I do not use the tray method for watering. These are in a 10" terra cotta pot, but I think 12" would have been better.

I don't have the expensive lighting system some do, like the halide lights, so that may be why they shrink back and pretty much stop growing and producing as much dew for me in winter. The temps they get in winter in my garage are not much different than their natural habitat from what I have read, and they do survive light overnight frosts without ill effect other than wilting some, but bounce back as soon as the temps rise above freezing in the morning.
 
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Wow!! those are beautifull plants!!!
 
  • #10
You'll get on average only a few seeds per flower. 8 per pod...if the flower turns into a pod. Some pods more (11 or so) others only 2. Depends on how well you pollinate.
 
  • #11
You'll get on average only a few seeds per flower. 8 per pod...if the flower turns into a pod. Some pods more (11 or so) others only 2. Depends on how well you pollinate.

Thank you. I have been using a small paint brush to help them along. The flowers are only open one day and then close, and usually only one at a time but sometimes 2, so I am out there everyday "playing God," hahaha. I don't know how long it takes to tell if they are pollenated? I have not seen any noticeable pod swelling yet, so hope that is not a bad sign, but it has only been about a week or so since the first bloom.

Interesting observation: I notice it is not catching and holding near as many bugs as it did last year at this time when not flowering and there are plenty flying around, so wondering if flowering has something to do with that? Like spending the energy on flowering instead of processing food? Maybe all in my head and a stupid question, huh. It seems to have plenty of dew.
 
  • #12
If you're not getting any green-looking protrusion after the petals die (looks like a seed pod)...might as well see my drosophyllum thread. There are photos and a video showing the pods. Video for sure at least. Anyway, if you're just getting a dead flower with a little black thing in the center surounded by little "leaves"--these are not threadlike--then you aren't going to get ANY seed. If you're seeing pods...they don't swell much.

I too have noticed (main cp collection) a lack of insects. I guess it's just not swarming season yet. My drosos are catching well enough though as they flower. They never did catch really large flies. Mostly moths and smaller insects.

Be careful on the watering. Some sources say they are suseptible to rot at this period. Just keep watering enough to get them through, but not excess.
 
  • #13
Just took a toothpick and went out and checked. The stalk that is done blooming has 4 green pods under the little pedals and 4 just the little black thing...so that is exciting! Interesting is the first 2 flowers I had left alone, did not help with pollenation, and they have the green "pod." Maybe I should just leave the other stalks alone, maybe I am messing up the self-pollenation thing? I am so new at this, your thread on them is very informative, thank you.

Crap. For watering, I have not been doing anything different and saturated the pot yesterday (it was very dry though). I push a thin long stick way down in the soil and, if it comes up moist, I don't water; if totally dry I then water until water runs out the bottom. Maybe now I will water just enough but not have it coming out the bottom. We are having a hot spell of weather right now, so I will have to watch for wilting of the leaves.
 
  • #14
They can do it themselves, but better if you help. Use a paint brush for self pollination. Just stick it down there and rub around gently. But try cross pollination whenever you can (if you have another plant!)

I would probably keep doing what you're doing with the water, just be catious.

Sounds good! Congrats on the seed!
 
  • #15
Thank you for all the info. I had two flowers from two plants today so cross pollenated those two.
 
  • #16
'Like'
 
  • #17
Took some more pics yesterday of what I am hoping are seed pods forming. Looks like 7 with the green pods so far

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  • #18
one of the seeds I got from SDCPs germinated now what?
 
  • #20
one of the seeds I got from SDCPs germinated now what?

Don't breath on it, don't touch it, don't look it straight in the eye, don't get it too wet, and don't feed it after midnight. Congrats on the germination.

How big a pot do you have it in and what kind of media?

The main thing is not keeping them too wet or too dry after germination, just moist, and having the right amount of light. I have a 2-bulb shop light, T12, 40w cool white bulbs and I put them roughly about 6" from the lights. If too close to the lights for the first couple weeks after germination, I have had them fry. I also germinate seeds in my south-facing garden window and they actually do better and grow faster there, but that is in late winter when it does not get too hot in there. I do not top water at this stage. After they get a few inches tall, I back off on watering and keep the soil much drier. I have more success keeping seedlings alive if they germinate in big terra cotta pots. The ones I germinate in peat pots I would plant the peat pots into their final pot soon after germination if I am going to keep them. I find it is harder to regulate moisture in peat pots as they tend to not dry out very fast and stay too wet if not careful and the seedlings die. They also benefit from good air flow. I try to put them outside in full sun as soon as danger of frost is gone and they are at least 6" tall as that seems to be where they do best for me.

This is just what has worked for me in my growing conditions. Others with more experience may have methods that work just as well or better and I would ask around to see what others have had success with as my growing conditions may not be the same as yours.
 
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