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Post by Fred P on Aug 8, 2010 4:16:54 GMT
Thought I would share some pics of 3 DL seeds from germination to nice sized plants this year. Enjoy.(Dec ’09) 3 seeds sown and the first seed germinated(Jan ’10) All 3 seeds now germinated and growing(Feb ’10)(Apr ’10) Started to take them outside for the afternoons(May ’10) Outside full time and starting to catch a lot of insects(July ’10) After transplanting them in July they really started to take off!! I think all the hype about them disliking to be transplanted has been blown out of proportion IMO.(Aug ’10) Photo taken Aug 1st
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Post by kimbruun on Aug 8, 2010 9:39:11 GMT
Beautiful plants! I take it you're an experienced drosophyllum grower? I'm new here, so pardon my ignorance. What medium do you grow your Drosophyllum in, and how will you be overwintering them?
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Post by jdallas on Aug 8, 2010 15:09:02 GMT
Hi Fred,
I'd have to agree from my own experiences that Drosophyllum isn't all the terror it's made out to be at times. I've not been brave enough to do an actual transplant, but I've grown several in peat pots, then transferred them to larger ceramic or terracotta pots for their permanent home. Did you actually bare root them during the transplant, or just leave a soil ball together?
My biggest surprise with them is that they are more sensitive to drying out than one would be led to believe from all the hype about not keeping them too wet. I've found they like a moist soil, they just don't seem to like being waterlogged like Drosera.
Jeff
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Post by Fred P on Aug 10, 2010 4:41:32 GMT
Beautiful plants! I take it you're an experienced drosophyllum grower? I'm new here, so pardon my ignorance. What medium do you grow your Drosophyllum in, and how will you be overwintering them? Thanks Kim. This is actually my first attempt with Drosophyllum. My forte' is actually Sarracenia and other CPs. I live in a perfect climate though for Drosophyllum so I thought I would give them a try. The medium I used is about a 50/50 mix of screened sphagnum peat and crushed perlite (maybe a little more perlite) and a little bit of silica sand. They seem to be loving it. I plan on leaving them outside all winter since I never really experience a frost here. The coldest it gets at night is about 30 degrees (F).
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Post by Fred P on Aug 10, 2010 5:05:45 GMT
Hi Fred, I'd have to agree from my own experiences that Drosophyllum isn't all the terror it's made out to be at times. I've not been brave enough to do an actual transplant, but I've grown several in peat pots, then transferred them to larger ceramic or terracotta pots for their permanent home. Did you actually bare root them during the transplant, or just leave a soil ball together? My biggest surprise with them is that they are more sensitive to drying out than one would be led to believe from all the hype about not keeping them too wet. I've found they like a moist soil, they just don't seem to like being waterlogged like Drosera. Jeff Hey Jeff, I did not actually bare root the plants but because the medium is so porous, some of it fell away as I was transplanting the soil ball. But I have to tell you, they didn't miss a beat. In fact, they started doing much better. And I agree with the fact that they seem to be sensitive to drying out. That's why I transplanted them into a plastic pot. I was purposely trying not to overwater them initially (letting them sort of dry out between waterings) and they seemed to suffer because of it. Now I keep the soil very moist. I don't let them stand in water but I do top water them almost daily depending on how hot it is that day. They get full sun from about 11am on and it’s been about 90-95 degrees (F) during the day with low humidity.
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Post by gregallan on Aug 17, 2010 21:20:57 GMT
Nice photos. Your plants are coming on very well. As for the comments about watering, maybe it depends where you live or on the origin of the plants. I keep mine very dry- I water them from the top about once per week in summer and about once per month in winter. The poor British weather may mean that they don't need as much water over here, however Most of the time, the substrate, at least towards the top of the pots, is bone dry. I have found that seedlings are sensitive to drying out, however. I have kept them in water trays with no ill effects. I gradually keep them in increasingly drier conditions from when they are about 3 inches tall. It is interesting how you have two plants per pot. I have two growing in the same pot as well. They have been growing together in this way for 18 months and other than growing slightly more slowly than my other specimens, have shown no ill effects. Another myth, I suspect.
Greg
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Post by brokken on Aug 19, 2010 0:31:47 GMT
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Post by frenchy87128 on Aug 23, 2010 12:02:10 GMT
Glad to see the seeds did so well Fred Before you know it you'll have yourself a Droso jungle! Well done.
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Post by Fred P on Aug 24, 2010 4:23:03 GMT
Nice photos. Your plants are coming on very well. As for the comments about watering, maybe it depends where you live or on the origin of the plants. I keep mine very dry- I water them from the top about once per week in summer and about once per month in winter. Greg Thanks Greg. I'm curious what media you are using for your plants. And I would agree it depends on where you live. I'm in a very hot/dry area which is why I need to water them every day or every other day. It was 104 degrees today and they are sitting out in the full sun. I haven't gone through a winter with them yet but I'm sure I'll cut way back on watering.
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Post by Fred P on Aug 24, 2010 4:26:27 GMT
They grow remarkably quickly when they feel the conditions are right. Nice plant Brokken! Looks very happy. I'm curious what you are using for media as well. And is that a plastic pot it's in?
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Post by Fred P on Aug 24, 2010 4:32:48 GMT
Glad to see the seeds did so well Fred Before you know it you'll have yourself a Droso jungle! Well done. Thanks Yann. Yeah 100% germination isn't all bad. I'm just looking forward to all three of them flowering now. Anyone know just how long it takes from germination to flower when conditions are right???
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Post by brokken on Aug 25, 2010 15:48:39 GMT
Hi Fred.
It _is_ in a plastic pot filled with a combo of about 65% perlite and 35% peat. The bark and stones are merely decorative and to keep the medium from floating all over the place.
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Post by radar357 on Sept 4, 2010 10:52:39 GMT
Sweet pics and plants, one of my favs.
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Post by astroman on Sept 8, 2010 21:11:36 GMT
Dear Fred, You have a beautiful plant, it looks happy congratulation! I am extremely fascinated by this plant, since i could see it in the nature this year, i spent 1 year in Portugal. I also had the opportunity to collect some seeds from wild plants. I know that the germination of cultivated plants has a bigger chance, and its more likely to happen. Even my seeds are fresh, they dont want to germinate I was thinking ,that they need to experience some cold weeks?! I would like to ask you about how could you make the seeds germinating? I already read some topics about it, like using sandpaper, to break the seed coat. On some of the seeds i did this, but didnt make any effect. Now i came back to Hungary, and I sowed some seeds to terracotta pots, waiting for something to happen. We have 7-10 °C at night, so it might be enough for them...i dont know.. Best regards, Richard
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Post by gregallan on Sept 11, 2010 19:26:09 GMT
Hi Fred,
I am using a 1:1:1: mix of moss peat, perlite and horticultural sand with a bit of standard houseplant compost mixed in for good measure (after Slack's recommendation). How much rain do you get in winter? You plants may well need more water then mine. I think that in the wild, conditions are relatively damp and cool for these plants in the winter. The problem in rainy Britain is that, in winter, the lack of light coupled with the cold and incessant damp can easily lead to rot.
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