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I would like to discuss & see peoples Nepenthes seed growing setups and read your experiences.



What temps do you sow your seeds in, do you germinate HL seed in HL conditions or normal room temps?



Do you cover your seed after a few weeks to "spur germination".



Do you let your germination trays sit in shallow water (1/8" or so just to keep the moss wet) or let them be a bit drier?


How long do you wait before writing off a pot and dumping it?





Since I brought it up I'll start off with my setups:



This is my main seed sowing shelf room temps 70-90*F days 65-70*F nights about 12″ below a pair of 54 T5 High Output lamps


seeds.jpg





These cake or cookie containers my mother found for me at a rummage sale make nice high humidity environments. Seeds: N. beccariana & N. sumatrana


seeds2.jpg





Nepenthes seed are hit and miss, This tray was planted in April 2011. The top two containers are N. viking x ampullaria no germination, the center two are N. rafflesiana var. alata I got about 20 seedlings, the final two trays are N. ampullaria red speckled and have not germinated.
seeds3.jpg





N. “thorelii” (who knows what it will be) were planted in July 2011 no germination yet, container is two seed trays in a $1 plastic shoebox to create a high humidity environment.


thoreliiseed1.jpg





Here are three N. pectinata planted in Feb 2011 who need to be moved from some rather gross soil into live moss.
pectinata1.jpg





Out of about 50 N. inermis seed sown in Feb 2011 I got one one lone seedling, who has been moved to live moss.
inermisseed1.jpg
 
nice work

i'm seedkiller:-(
 
hey josh...i hear that raising up temps to around the 80s increases germination rates. the seedling temperature requirements arent that big of a deal until they get older.
 
Hi,

Although I usually sow on sphag, and sometimes peat moss, nowadays I always float some on water also. The latter usually germinates quicker for me, and often in better numbers.

It is a bit of work having to transfer them to "normal" soil after germination, but I think it is worth it.

Regards,

Christer
 
I have tried many methods, but so far here is what has worked best....

Temps: 80-90F day......68-71F night (HL seed is not allowed to get over 85F)

Humidity: 80% or higher.

Light: Best results with 2 20W T12s 6in over soil surface.

Soil: Best results with 2parts coarse peat, 1 part sand.

Watering: Tray method for the first few months, thewn top watering as the seedlings gain size.

I wait 6 months before dumping seeds...if the seeds look fine with no decay, I will wait longer.

pics of my setup.

lightcart2.jpg


lightcart.jpg
 
Thanks for the detailed run down of your setup Exo!

So HL temps aren't really needed for germination?


nowadays I always float some on water also. The latter usually germinates quicker for me, and often in better numbers.
I am very interested to see/hear more about this water germination method. I recall seeing someone germinating Utricularia seed on water.

How deep do you make the water, how quickly does the seed germinate?
 
Thanks for the detailed run down of your setup Exo!

So HL temps aren't really needed for germination?


Nope...even strict HLers seem to germinate best in intermediate temps...day temps of 80F, night temps of 68F.
 
Exo, what is this greenhouse you are using?
 
  • #10
nowadays I always float some on water also. The latter usually germinates quicker for me, and often in better numbers.


could you post pictures of this germination method?
I just got some rare nepenthes mirabilis var echinostoma seeds and I would like to try some out on this method incase they fail to germinate on spagnum.
 
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  • #13
HE HE well you could go to Mills Fleet Farm and get one for like $40. Gotta add your own lights. but it has the zippered cover better go quick they're getting rid of summer stuff.
 
  • #14
Hi,

It is nothing special really. I use cheap plastic food containers, like the one pictured. I don't have any seed germinating right now, but this one where I have transferred some seedlings on sphag, looks the same.

seedcontainer.jpg


I fill an empty container with water halfway up. I use reverse osmosis water, but I don't know if that makes a difference. After sowing I place the containers under light, but not very bright. After about two weeks, or so, I'll give them more light. The reason for this, is that ever since I started with cp's I have rarely had germination before two weeks, whether it has been Drosera or Nepenthes. Early on I instead focus on getting moisture to penetrate the seed coat, to wake them up. Also, I don't want to give algae a head start. I try to open the lid every day or so, to get some air movement inside. When I see signs of germination, I use tweezers to transfer them to a medium to grow on.

When I first sowed on water, it started as an experiment, but also there were times when the sphagnum did go moldy quickly before the seed had a chance to germinate. Of course unless it is a completely sterile environment mold will develop here too, but with less "foreign" material which might give mold a foot hold, I was hoping to see less of it.

The "water seed" have only germinated 2-3 days earlier on average. Other times there has been no time difference for the first seed to germinate on either medium, but a couple of days later usually a larger percentage of the seed in water had sprouted.

I go with the old saying 'don't place all eggs in one basket' so if possible I sow on different soils to improve my chances to at least get some seedlings.

Regards,

Christer
 
  • #15
I have gone the cheapo covered germination tray route (that allows watering from a sealed "well" below) for several years. I simply placed the seed on the surface of the compost -- typically milled sphagnum and sand -- and kept it under lights. Most trays -- whether highlander or intermediate -- were kept at room temperatures until the seedlings were several months old. Occasionally, I will sow the seed aseptically in TC media to ensure germination in suspect age seed; and have used gibberellic acid (GA3) in the past with valuable seed. Here's a set of photos from seed-pod (five minutes from Air Mail pouch) to one year old seedling plants:

Nepenthes hamata
HAMATA.jpg
 
  • #16
Thanks for the input on your methods Chister.

Bella I had purcahsed some GA3 some time ago I'm sure the 0.3 of a gram I bought is expired by now having spent a few years in my non-climate controlled storage bin but if I bought some more how much do I mix it up in a useable amount for say a gallon of distilled water?
 
  • #17
Thanks for the input on your methods Chister.

Bella I had purchased some GA3 some time ago I'm sure the 0.3 of a gram I bought is expired by now having spent a few years in my non-climate controlled storage bin but if I bought some more how much do I mix it up in a useable amount for say a gallon of distilled water?

How much to use depends upon which specific product and formulation you choose; either way, do not exceed, say, 200 ppm of GA3 in solution for Nepenthes seed. I experienced significant losses in concentrations any greater than that. GA3 is often available as pastes, powders; and now, some ready-made solutions are on the market.

Here is the general method for making a 1000 ppm solution, which can then be readily diluted:

The basic stock solution of 1000ppm (parts per million) is prepared by dissolving GA-3 in water at a rate of 1mg (milligram, one thousandth of a gram) in 1 ml (milliliter, one thousandth of a liter). Therefore, a 100mg packet is dissolved in 100ml of water or a little less than 1/2 cup (0.42 cup), a 500mg packet in 500ml (2.1 cups), or a 1000mg (=1 gram) packet in 1000ml (=1 liter, or about 1 quart plus 1 cup) water. Distilled water is best. GA-3 is slow to dissolve and may need prolonged stirring. You can just stir it in, then leave it overnight and it should be dissolved by morning. Other concentrations are prepared by diluting this stock solution.

To make 500ppm, mix equal amounts of 1000ppm and water. To make 750ppm, mix equal amounts of 1000ppm and 500ppm. To make 375ppm, mix equal parts 750ppm and water, and so on. Tiny amounts of these dilution for individual tests may be made up drop-wise - five drops 1000ppm plus five drops water to make 500ppm, etc.

Many . . . use 1000ppm for everything, but this may be too strong for many seeds. Stephen Bertrand, after many years experience using GA-3, reports that he uses 500ppm for most species, due to less trouble with excessive elongation of seedlings, followed by 1000ppm, and lesser amounts of the 750ppm and 375ppm solutions. With many seeds, he says that a few in each lot will etiolate . . . and the trick is to find the solution giving the most healthy seedlings . . .
 
  • #18
Thanks a bunch Bella! I will save that someplace. :)
 
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