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If your vft is flowering look here!

Hello all!
I have noticed an explosion of posts/topics about VFT flowering lately, as it is the season!!!
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 Some of these posts are frantic about the death of their beloved VFT. So, I'd like to set things straight. First of all, you need to determine, do I want seed? or Do I want a bigger VFT? I have around 15 VFTs, and 6 sent up flower spikes. On my biggest plant, I allowed it to get to 3'' before cutting. On the smaller ones, the maximum was 3.5''. I cut them all because I prefer more traps that are bigger, and because I don't have the time to spend pampering these plants...  No, your plant will not die if it flowers. (If it's in great condition) Albeit, like I mentioned, it won't be as vigorous, but it won't die. On the other hand if you do want seed, than you should have at least two flowers, that begin blooming at least two days apart. Get the second blooming plant, rub it's flower against against the first one's interior, and repeat for a couple of days to ensure good seed set. Once the plant is pollinated, you should make every attempt to keep these plants in optimal conditions so you can avoid unneccesary stress and complications. Optimal (at least for my plants) is 70*-80*F and around 65% Relative Humidity. The seed will ripen in about six weeks. At this time, you should crack open the now dried seed pod, and you should see several black shiny seeds. These can be sown immidiately on 50% peat/50% sand, or refridgerated for later use. They will germinate in about two weeks in humid and bright situations. Transplant after about a year of growth.

   Anyone who wants to pursue seed, BEST WISHES!!
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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">No, your plant will not die if it flowers. Albeit, like I mentioned, it won't be as vigorous, but it won't die.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>


I dont think it is guarenteed that a VFT absolutely Wont die; although death is unlikely. The drain of a flower may put a plant half on death's doorstep into further decline, and it may not make it, however a healthy plant will probably make it only with smaller traps. It is a preferance: seeds (the flowers arent exactly breath-taking), or larger, more robust traps.

Cole
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Thanks for the insight!
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(editing to match your comment&#33
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10/10 That was VERY good - When my VFT gets stronger I want to make seeds so I will follow your instructions!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PIN THIS TOPIC MODERATORS!
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Yes very good. I'll throw in some extra data:

What does a flower staulk look like?
A long thin stalk with a cluster of balls (buds) at the tip. It sort of looks like an unripe wild raspberry.

When is it a good idea cut the flower staulk?
A) If you only have one flower (because seed yeild is 0-very few)
B) If you want your plant to put energy into growth
C) If you don't want seed
D) if your plants pre-existing leaves show signs of decline after flowering.
E) if a single plant is making more then two staulks, remove at least 1 to avoid extra strain.

Things to remember:
1) VFT grown from seed take 5-7 years befor reaching flowering age. Cuttings and tissue culture grown plants take 1-3 years.
2) For many of those years, the VFT is to small to eat anything you will get to watch.
3) Producing a flower staulk and then the flowers and then the pollin and then the seed, all take extreamly large amounts of energy, so your VFT will not handle deep dormancey as well (less reserves). Watch out for opertunistic fungle attacks that winter.
4) If you have had your plant for a while and feel you can handle any potential issue brought on by flowering stress, their isn't much of a reson to fear letting your plant flower
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Good points guys.  Just to add to Darcy's 3rd point above.  Many times, house grown VFTs will send up flowers in late summer and fall.  I think this is an especially bad time for them to be using energy on flowers and seed that they will need for dormancy and spring growth.  Those that flower in the spring and early summer will at least have a few months to build up their reserves for dormancy.  Keep this in mind when deciding to keep a flower or cut it off.
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (lithopsman @ April 19 2003,2:21)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hello all!
....No, your plant will not die if it flowers. (If it's in great condition) Albeit, like I mentioned, it won't be as vigorous, but it won't die. On the other hand if you do want seed, than you should have at least two flowers, that begin blooming at least two days apart. Get the second blooming plant, rub it's flower against against the first one's interior, and repeat for a couple of days to ensure good seed set.....[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">No, your plant will not die if it flowers. (If it's in great condition)[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Thanks for pointing that out!
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I thought I was the only one who knew they usually won't die if they flower.
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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">On the other hand if you do want seed, than you should have at least two flowers, that begin blooming at least two days apart[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Actually, I one time self pollinated a single flower, I got 8 seeds. and another time when two flowers on the same plant were open at the same time, I pollinated with a toothpick to transfer pollen form one flower to the other flower, I got 16 seeds.
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-Spec
 
COuld i get some pics of seeds please
 
You can find a photo of Dionaea muscipula seed here.

[edit 4/23/2003 7:19 PM]

The photos should work fine. I check to make sure the link was not to my hard drive. Apparently there is an incorrect cached version sitting on the server. It should be fixed now.

Just in case it doesn't work...

VFTSeedsOnWaxPaper.jpg
 
  • #10
erm, could we get this topic cleaned and locked in addition to it's stickyness?
 
  • #11
Thanks Darcie, As i did also want this locked, because I knew that this would get off topic...
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At least it helped everyone!
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  • #12
Ok I cleaned it up a bit but I think this topic could be more helpful left open so people can continue to comment and learn. Ill delete my post and the last 2 in awhile just to keep this on topic
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  • #13
So, how long can they go in the refrigerator? And also, when the seeds first appear, when do I take them out of the pod?

Thanks!
FTG
 
  • #14
Nick did a webpage on growing VFT from seed back in April and has some info on seed harvesting.  Here's his page:  
Growing VFT from seed

Edited 6-5-03 @ 5:35pm I veered off topic and crashed in the ditch again.
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  • #15
I have read that the viability of the seed will only be 30% after 1 year in storage. So, out of 100 seeds, only 30 will sprout.

Here are some 3 week old seedlings:

VFTSeedlings3Weeks1.jpg

The largest trap is only 1mm.
 
  • #16
Ok, so, question #1: a couple of my seed pods are full of seeds and are opening. Should I collect the seeds now?

Question #2: how would the seeds do if they were in fridge storage for... say... two months at the most?

Please answer A. S. A. P.!
 
  • #17
#1: If the pod is browning and opening, then it is fine to collect
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#2: You will probably only loose the weakest seeds, which would probably die anyways... GOOD LUCK!
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  • #18
Thanks!!! Since the almost fully opened pod's seeds were looking like they were about to jump out of the pod, I collected them and put them in an empty, clean little plastic applesauce cup thingy. I got an amazing 19 SEEDS from that ONE pod!!!
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Whew! I must've done really good! Anyhowees, there are several other pods I have discovered that have apparent little bumbs underneath the pod covering, so I may collect those seeds today also. Once I get back from my trip to Massachusetts, I'm going to plant them temporarily in the same kind of little applesauce cups. I will burn drainage holes in the bottom of each one, put a miz of silica sand and peat in each one, and plant two seeds in each one. I've read that when the seedlings have at least three or so fully formed traps is the best time to replant them, so I will replant them all together into one big pot once they have three or four traps. I absolutely can't wait until they are all in a big huge pot... a carpet of death!
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Thanks for all the help!
FTG
 
  • #19
HOLY CRACK!!! I just now collected at least one hundred seeds from both the common and the green dragon put together! almost every pod on the common had seeds galore and the over half of the green dragon's pods had seeds. I knew I couldn't possibly create enough room for that many VFTs, so I had to ''dispose of'' many of them
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Don't get mad at me! I feel guilty, throwing away the seeds of an endagered species... but, I did keep 60 of the healthiest looking ones!  
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I have local friends who would love some VFTs, so, if the germination goes well, I'm going to be giving away some, but keeping many!
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And I will be very generous in giving some away, though, not that I don't want them... Heavens no... but because I just plain don't have the room for 60 VFTs! Anyhowees... I'm a very happy camper(or cper)! Except that I feel guilty about ''disposing of''(that's all I can bear to say)half of the seeds... support, anyone?

Greetings,
           FTG
 
  • #20
They would have been good for the trading forum.
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Here are the same seedlings at 4 weeks.

VFTSeedlings4Weeks.jpg
 
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