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How long does it take after germination for first pitchers

  • Thread starter Vidyut
  • Start date
I had germination in some nepenthes seeds about a month ago. There may be some 6-8 seedlings with the initial two cotyledons. And then.... nothing. No real leaves have formed so far. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? If I look very carefully with a magnifying glass, it looks like a few of them may be considering growing a leaf - more like a speck forming between the cotyledons, but nothing remotely like a leaf or pitcher yet. Seedlings seem fine - not wilting or anything. To the best of my knowledge none have died yet. Some have even grown in size slightly (the cotyledons and tiny stem just becoming slightly bigger overall - this is nepenthes seedling scale - observable only to the obsessed, not like tomato seedling big)

On an average, how long does it take after germination for the first leaves/pitchers to form? I understand that they will be those indistinct tiny pitchers, but surely something should have happened by now?
 
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Be patient, it can be a slow process taking anywhere from a week to 2 months I believe. It'll start with just a little nub between the cotyledons.
 
Dear Vidyut-san,
Konnichiwa!
I believe some specialists here on TF will answer your question soon.
Please continue to pay attention to the ongoing thread:
How old is too old?
I am filling in the sowing date and the taking pictures day, etc.
Kind regards from the Far East
 
Be patient, it can be a slow process taking anywhere from a week to 2 months I believe. It'll start with just a little nub between the cotyledons.


Great. I have some nubs. Now to be patient....
 
Dear Vidyut-san,
Konnichiwa!
I believe some specialists here on TF will answer your question soon.
Please continue to pay attention to the ongoing thread:
How old is too old?
I am filling in the sowing date and the taking pictures day, etc.
Kind regards from the Far East

Oh yes, I'm keeping an eye on that thread. Didn't believe they were nepenthes at first, but then realized that without the seed husk, that is how they would probably look. Then you clarified that you had removed them from the seed covering. Now seeing the "nubs" of forming leaves in your photos also.
 
Update on these seeds. The few mirabilis var echinostoma (seller claims) that germinated first have two tiny leaves. Others have one, or nubs or nothing.

Some rafflesiana (seller claims) germinated too, but they don't appear to have any life ambitions and seem content to sit there with their two cotyledon leaves. Neither growing nor dying. At peace with the world and content to be themselves as they are or something.

No particular action on the others other than some swollen seeds. I suspect the weather is too hot for them. Hope they hang on till cooler weather in another month and a half and don't get fried.

I sowed more seeds on the 25th on sphagnum and a crazy TC experiment. Too early for news on either of them - good or bad.
 
The biggest seedlings of the Nepenthes mirabilis var Echinostoma now have two leaves and two of them are working on their third. But they are still too tiny for my camera to photograph without a macro lens (I can't find mine). Leaving them alone to do their thing.

The rafflesiana are in no mood to grow from the look of it. Been a loooong time they have just the cotyledons they germinated with. Neither growing nor dying. Probably because of the weather. Temperatures are in their thirties daily and having an east facing balcony means there is no such thing as a spot that doesn't get direct sunlight for several hours. Now planning to create shade, because most of the plants have started looking unhappy in spite of the misting system.
 
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