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Post by Not a Number on May 31, 2010 7:37:16 GMT
The consensus is that drier conditions work best... So that's what I've been doing wrong... Aidan, I'm just reporting what other growers have observed, some of which have been growing Sarracenia and other carnivorous plant genera for over 40 years. You know better than me that the "wrong" way to grow plants is what doesn't work - (unhealthy plants and plants that die prematurely). And that what works for some people may not work for others. So if you take experience out of the mix then the answers must lie elsewhere. Consider - Darlingtonia califonrica germination - every grower I've talked to in California says to stratify the seeds. Yet growers in the UK and other European countries say no stratification is needed. My own tests with batches of seeds freshly collected from plants I hand pollinated or field collected from Darlingtonia in Gasquet, California results in no germination of unstratified seeds even after nine months. Later test showed no difference in results if the seeds had been stored refrigerated for several months. And to make matters more interesting I stratified the previously sown and unstratified pots and was able get a few germinations. I would say less than 20% germinations vs >80%. So who is doing it "wrong" here? Consider: Drosera anglica 'Hawaii' - from seed of two locations of the island of Kaua'i, Hawaiian Islands: Kanaele Bog and the Alakai Swamp. The Kanaele Bog is considered a low-elevation site at 2100 ft (640 m) and the Alakai Swap a highland site at 4000-4500 ft (1219-1371 m). When grown side-by-side in the same water tray on my windowsill or growing shelf (lights) the Alakai Swamp plants will die back or go dormant in the summer where as the Kanaele Bog plants continue to flourish. I successfully grow other highland species on the same windowsill. In this case what I'm doing "wrong" for one group is "right" for the other. Since the same grower is involved in both of the above cases you can take experience/skill out of the picture. Where then do the answers lie? When things go consistently "wrong" you have to try other methods. To do otherwise is, as defined by Albert Einstein, " Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." BTW: After two summers of trying to grow the Alakai Swamp D. anglica indoors I will put them outdoors this time around (new batch from seed).
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Post by Alexis on Jun 1, 2010 9:44:45 GMT
Never heard anyone say darlingtonia doesn't need stratification?
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Post by peterhewitt on Jun 2, 2010 9:49:20 GMT
The same confusion occurs with Cephalotus. Some growers report that stratification is not necessary and some say that it is.
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fredg
Full Member
Posts: 367
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Post by fredg on Jun 2, 2010 18:57:22 GMT
Good discussion. When you guys mentioned "full sun", I think it is better to mention the ratio of sunny days to cloudy/rainy days. In some cities, there are few sunny days, and most days are cloudy. So in these cities, even the plants are growing outside and enjoy "full sun", they actually receive less direct sunlight than those growing outside in other cities (eg. San Diego, where almost all the days are sunny in the whole year). So, even under the same growing conditions (e.g. outdoor, the tray method with the same water level), the same species may die in the former case while thrive in the later case. So, maybe Aidan's city has more sunny days than the cities of those who find the S.minor needs drier growing condition? I think you just said that the UK is sunnier than California
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zhilin
Full Member
touch the sky, reach the star
Posts: 294
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Post by zhilin on Jun 3, 2010 16:36:46 GMT
Well, let me refine my points. I think another important factor is where do you grow your plants. Even in San Diego, where there is rare cloudy days, the plants growing in different places of buildings/houses may receive different hours of direct sunlight. For me, I'm growing my sarrs. in my south-facing porch, and the plants receive only about 8 hours of direct sunlight every day. And I know a grower in this same city is growing his plants in an open place, and his plants receive about 12 hours of direct sunlight. And one of my friends is growing his plants in a building, where plants receive only 4-5 hours of sunlight per day. So, how many hours of direct sunlight plants receive depends on the weather and the places they are growing around houses. Good discussion. When you guys mentioned "full sun", I think it is better to mention the ratio of sunny days to cloudy/rainy days. In some cities, there are few sunny days, and most days are cloudy. So in these cities, even the plants are growing outside and enjoy "full sun", they actually receive less direct sunlight than those growing outside in other cities (eg. San Diego, where almost all the days are sunny in the whole year). So, even under the same growing conditions (e.g. outdoor, the tray method with the same water level), the same species may die in the former case while thrive in the later case. So, maybe Aidan's city has more sunny days than the cities of those who find the S.minor needs drier growing condition? I think you just said that the UK is sunnier than California
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Post by jfowler on Jun 8, 2010 15:55:42 GMT
For what it's worth, my experience with S. minor in the wild finds them in areas that are damp but not always soaking wet. They do like the ditches, but they grow up on the sides of the ditches and not down in the bottom. I've found them quite easy to grow, and mine are planted at the same level in my bog garden as all of the other carnivores. The surface of the bog garden is allowed to dry out somewhat between episodes of rain, but even an inch or so down, it is still damp.
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