cindy
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Post by cindy on Jun 11, 2009 3:16:56 GMT
It is as Barry Rice described in his book. The seedlings are "sensitive to a fungus, but this risk decreases after the plants get past about 1 inch".
Not sure if that is considered as suffering from damp-off...'cos I thought damp-off is when seedlings die soon after they sprout. I see that in Sarracenia seedlings.
The Byblis seedlings, however, look very good for 2-3 weeks and then, they suddenly melt down and wither away.
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jun 11, 2009 14:32:20 GMT
Yeah... that's my experience. It's like having Anabantoid fry and watching them die when their breathing apparatus develops.
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Post by Brian Barnes on Jun 12, 2009 9:29:08 GMT
Hello Friends, In my experience with the genus Byblis, they all tend to like it much drier and sandier than most growers think. Sitting in a constantly filled water tray is a no-no. All of the species I've grown, especially my Byblis 'Goliath', like the soil to be damp at all times and despise total saturation. That's what is causing the proposed fungal problems that folks experience. Also, they love direct, unfiltered sun.... Happy Growing, Brian.
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jun 12, 2009 14:07:53 GMT
Would they do better in this setup, treated like my Neps? Or would this be better? I live in the buffalo, NY area, so I can't have them outside for more that a few months.
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jimmy
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Post by jimmy on Jun 12, 2009 22:47:40 GMT
Hey Jim,
My Byblis did great when I had them in the same terrarium that I grew my D. ordensis in, and used to sprout my Nepenthes seeds. Thing is, I couldn't keep any pings alive, and even some easier Drosera sprouts were declining in there.
So I would say that you should definitely try growing your Byblis in the same conditions as your Nepenthes and Petiolaris-complex Drosera. It has worked for me in the past, and still does - I get Byblis sprouts still - on my windowsill - months after sowing the seeds.
I think a lot of the problems with Byblis occur because people sow their seeds in the winter, when it definitely helps to sow them in the summertime (with warmer temps and better lighting).
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Post by kulamauiman on Jun 13, 2009 4:09:43 GMT
Hey Jim, My Byblis did great when I had them in the same terrarium that I grew my D. ordensis in, and used to sprout my Nepenthes seeds. Thing is, I couldn't keep any pings alive, and even some easier Drosera sprouts were declining in there. So I would say that you should definitely try growing your Byblis in the same conditions as your Nepenthes and Petiolaris-complex Drosera. It has worked for me in the past, and still does - I get Byblis sprouts still - on my windowsill - months after sowing the seeds. I think a lot of the problems with Byblis occur because people sow their seeds in the winter, when it definitely helps to sow them in the summertime (with warmer temps and better lighting). That might actually be the big difference with my situation vs many people. My climate here in Maui might be almost perfect for many plants. True it might get down to 35F in the winter (at we live at 3500 feet elevation) but over all not too hot and not too cold, or too dry or too wet. Come to think of it i need to make sure the seeds are kept warm and humid to get them to germinate. So might be too cold some parts of the year to start. Mine get to sit in water most of the time also......... Mach Fukada
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jun 13, 2009 16:15:03 GMT
When I get a new batch of seeds I'll put them in the mini-greenhouse. Meanwhile, these plants were cultivated (2004) in a shallow tray, in swampy, live LFS, by a window sill. It breaks all the rules, but... From 2008, this turned into a monster, that grew sideways after awhile. at the grow rack, under a Grolite: These are offspring that spent most of their lives in a terrarium setup, the precursor to the mini-greenhouse. They never got more than 3/4" tall and died out. Don't know why.
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cindy
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Post by cindy on Jun 14, 2009 4:27:05 GMT
Jimscott,
The media in your last photo looks moist. My growing condition is a lot more humid but I keep media with sphagnum moss much drier. No algae, no other moss can grow on top.
Once they are larger (>1"-2"), however, the seedlings can grow in the swampy conditions you have in the first pic.
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jun 26, 2009 14:07:11 GMT
I think the light reflecting off the media exaggerates the moisture a bit. But I hear ya.
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jun 26, 2009 14:09:16 GMT
Seed germination technique: Not as clear as Cindy's pictures, but there is one seed with a visible trail of purple dye. I taped a coffee filter to a mug and poured the 10 % bleach solution through. Then I poured out the fluid and kept rinsing.
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Post by Brian Barnes on Jun 26, 2009 15:20:36 GMT
Jim,
The Byblis in your 2004 photos is in fact, Byblis filifolia. The elongated internodes are typical of the species.
Brian.
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jun 28, 2009 22:31:58 GMT
Really?! Wow! I have all sorts of surprises! Sadly, they are long since gone. And to think i did nothing special to germinate them.
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Post by darenc on Jul 4, 2009 14:15:07 GMT
WOW very nice thread. I didnt know you where supposed to do all of these thing's to Bybilis seeds. I got some from Ebay about 6 months ago an i waited until April before i sow them . i never treated them or anything just threw them in a pot an left them . not sure if all the treating was done before i got them or not but here are a series of pic's . all seeds planted on 04 / 07/ 09 Now i heard they were fast but didnt realize they were this fast . These lil guys have been a blast to grow. But any how here are some pic's of them to their Flowering Stage . 3 weeks old 1 month old 4 weeks ago 3 week ago last week Today Thanks for looking Daren
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Post by gregallan on Jul 27, 2009 16:20:00 GMT
I have to disagree with the ID of Jim's plants. Byblis filifolia generally has much larger flowers and longer stems than B liniflora. A good techincal means of distinguishing the two is that in B liniflora, the anthers are shorter than the filaments, whereas in B filifolia the anthers are much longer than the filiaments. In my experience, B liniflora will develop relatively elongated internodes if given less than optimum lighting. See the following for a table of the main features of the tropical annual Byblis species: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/91873/Tel121023Low.pdf As far as growing B liniflora goes, I find them straightforward to germinate. The seeds require no special treatment. I sow and grow them in my heated terrarium (which is well lit with 4 fluorescent tubes) in a mix of 1:1:1: peat:sand:perlite. They generaly begin to germinate within 10 days. I think that the perlite is beneficial as it keeps the substrate light and makes it easy for the seedlings' roots to penetrate. I find that Byblis liniflora does not perform well in my greenhouse or on my sunny windowsills, although the poor weather in England is probably responsible for this. Bylis liniflora self-seeds, but I generally flick the anthers with a toothpick to ensure good seed production. My plants seem to be equally happy sitting in a cm or so of water or in merely damp conditions. Interestingly, I used to struggle with B liniflora when I grew them in a terrarium directly under fluorsecent tubes with no glass between the tubes and the plants. They tended to die once they had reached a few cm in height. I suspect that this has something to do with the heat from the lights desiccating the plants; I understand that the regions where this species grows naturally are very humid. I now have glass between the tubes and the plants, and they grow very well. Surprisingly, I have found that B filifolia, rorida and guehoi are easier to grow than B liniflora, as long as a few simple requirements are met. The seeds of these three, in my expreience, require GA3 treatment to germinate. I don't bother with actual fire treatment; GA3 is far more reliable. Fresh B rorida seeds can germinate within 24 hours of a 24 hour soaking in GA3 solution. The other two species take a bit longer than this. I germinate them in my heated terrarium, but as soon as they are 8-10cm tall, I move them to a sunny windowsill where they thrive and grow very vigorously and quickly. They also do well in my greenhouse in the summer. They are not picky about watering; they seem to do well sitting in a cm of water, or in damp conditions, or even in substrate that is quite dry, although I did recently suffer a rare loss of a B rorida plant when it got completely flooded with cold rain water. The flowers of these species will only produce seed if pollinated by a genetially different plant. Cross-pollinating is easy, however, as all three of these species flower very profusely. If the anthers of one flower are repeatedly flicked, pollen will be released. This can then be applied to the stigmas of all open flowers on the other plants, resulting in copius seed production. I use the same substrate mix as for B liniflora. Byblis aquatica is rather more picky. In my conditions, which are probably less than ideal, they grow slowly and flower production is sparse. They require high humidity, and will not tolerate drying out, but seem to appreciate a little air circulation. They will self, but do require GA3 treatment for germination. I have only had any sort of success in my heated terrarium. I have some spare B filifolia and rorida seed. If anyone wants some, and it is legal to post them to your country, PM me.
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jimscott
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Post by jimscott on Jul 29, 2009 12:45:12 GMT
Interestingly, a couple days ago I saw this with my P. primulifora: I really don't have a good theory as to how it got here unless it was the media I repotted the butterworts with: I toss seeds and leaves in this tub of LFS and hope for the best.
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