FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Ok, so I've been into this hobby for a year or so now. Naturally, sometimes I wonder...what are you going to do with the plants you've got growing. But, then I see a rabbit and I'm off to chase it!

So, in regards to propagation of seeds...when should you really start new plants? The natural time for stratified seeds seems like it would be early springtime to get the new seedlings "in sync" with the seasons. For seeds that don't require stratification a little bit later seems like would be better...a tad warmer conditions. But, does it really matter when you start them, other than possibly giving the plants a "head start" on the seasons?

These rabbits get really bad at times...

Myself I am germinating everything that will come up. No matter the season. I have a greenhouse and 2 grow tents and will continue to do so until I grow tired of doing so or I kill them all. I am trying to get as many VFT's, Sarrs and Drosera as I can germinating and then growing. I will get them outside when I feel they are ready. Next Spring, Spring after??? No one really knows. I just get a kick out of watching the seeds germinate and become "real" plants. I plan to run one of my grow tents 23/7 for maximum grow time. I would like to be able to put some outside next Spring/Summer once my pond/bog is completed.
I am in the process of buying out an eBay seller that wants out so he can explore other ventures. Great for me. He just sent out the first batch which is a large number of dormant VFT's and some various Sarrs. This will really boost my collection, getting me to the point where I may start selling myself in the next couple years, as long as I do not kill them all!!!

I get Sarracenia sown at Xmas (gives me something to do), and leave them in my porch to stratify and they generally get going in April or May. VFTs and most Drosera I sow in March or April in the greenhouse.
Cheers
Steve

andynorth wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 2:15 am <snip...>ome "real" plants. I plan to run one of my grow tents 23/7 for maximum grow time. I would like to be able to put some outside next Spring/Summer once my pond/bog is completed.
I am in the process of...<snip>

Andy, I understand that you've got a large plan that you're working on so you're seeking a large quantity of plants. I'm looking for a small quantity and I'm curious about the natural flow of it all...what parts of the grow process we can tweak without throwing things too far out of the "order of things"...and what parts to leave alone. Most plants will adapt to their environments but I'm curious about what creates the least amount of acclimation/adaptation for them. I guess I'm just lazy and want nature to a lot of the heavy lifting for me.

That's interesting about buying out the eBay seller. Best wishes on all the plants!!!

steve booth wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 8:58 am I get Sarracenia sown at Xmas (gives me something to do), and leave them in my porch to stratify and they generally get going in April or May. VFTs and most Drosera I sow in March or April in the greenhouse.
Cheers
Steve

Thanks for the feedback, Steve! Your Sarracenia sowing...basically winter-sowing? I've been interested in doing that, but it seems our south Alabama winters are not consistent in regards to temperature and rain. It may be any combination of those two...temps in the 70's and no rain, temps in the 50's and drowning....vice-versa...and all kinds of other combinations. The last few years it does seems that the winters are a tad cooler/colder with less rain, though. In our area people *normally* use a "rule of thumb" of not planting their gardens until after the "Easter snap". The "Easter snap" being a phenomenon of a moderate to heavy frost/freeze a week or two before Easter each year...and it doesn't matter when Easter is, the frost varies to align with the timing of Easter. Sounds strange, but (many) more years than not it follows that pattern. It can pretty well be depended on to be the last frost of the spring. With winter-sowing my concern would be that during a warm spell the seeds may germinate and then BOOM!!!...the Easter snap frost hits. I live roughly 10-12 miles north of where D. filiformis some pitchers have grown in the past (I haven't been able to spot either of them in the wild, though). Apparently these plants were able to produce seed and grow in our climate, so maybe winter-sowing would work afterall and the concern about the late frost is warrantless. You've got me thinking.

You're in the UK, do you know what your equivalent USDA gardening zone would be? On the updated USDA map I'm in 8b...I was straddling 8a/8b prior to the update. I'm curious about it especially in regards to your drosera seed planting timing. Thanks for the feedback!!!

Thanks for the feedback, Steve! Your Sarracenia sowing...basically winter-sowing? I've been interested in doing that, but it seems our south Alabama winters are not consistent in regards to temperature and rain. It may be any combination of those two...temps in the 70's and no rain, temps in the 50's and drowning....vice-versa...and all kinds of other combinations. The last few years it does seems that the winters are a tad cooler/colder with less rain, though. In our area people *normally* use a "rule of thumb" of not planting their gardens until after the "Easter snap". The "Easter snap" being a phenomenon of a moderate to heavy frost/freeze a week or two before Easter each year...and it doesn't matter when Easter is, the frost varies to align with the timing of Easter. Sounds strange, but (many) more years than not it follows that pattern. It can pretty well be depended on to be the last frost of the spring. With winter-sowing my concern would be that during a warm spell the seeds may germinate and then BOOM!!!...the Easter snap frost hits. I live roughly 10-12 miles north of where D. filiformis some pitchers have grown in the past (I haven't been able to spot either of them in the wild, though). Apparently these plants were able to produce seed and grow in our climate, so maybe winter-sowing would work afterall and the concern about the late frost is warrantless. You've got me thinking.

You're in the UK, do you know what your equivalent USDA gardening zone would be? On the updated USDA map I'm in 8b...I was straddling 8a/8b prior to the update. I'm curious about it especially in regards to your drosera seed planting timing. Thanks for the feedback!!!

We also have something similar over here with regard to Easter, the plant nurseries know that it's a bank holiday for us, so for a few weeks before they have bedding plants hanging baskets, etc up for sale and everyone goes crazy, buys them and plants them, then as you say the frost hits them and they have to start again. Every time no matter when Easter occurs.
From what I can gather from the somewhat variable hardiness maps of the UK, I am in zone 8, probably 8B in these days of global warming, and I find that out in my bogs, there are a plethora of seedlings that just self-set themselves from flowers that I have missed collecting in autumn. So rather than do a fridge stratification I thought I need 8 weeks or more of cold wet stratification, so I plant them in December on a very wet medium, and they are ready to go from March but don't normally appear till May. The porch is attached to the house and is glazed so acts as a mini greenhouse but gets cold with the level of cold being tempered by the heat from the house. then in March they go outside to my unheated greenhouse where they sit till they decide its time to grow.

As seeds, they do get frozen on occasion, but not frequently, but with them being cold they don't germinate till after the frosts so the seedlings seldom get frosted till year two. But the seeds outside in the bogs, have no protection from wind, rain, frost, snow etc, and seem to grow very well.

I start the drosera seeds off later as they are smaller and would probably have a larger failure rate if left all winter in the cold/wet.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks for the feedback, Steve. It sounds like we're in much similar temperature climates. No greenhouse, per se, here...just a room in an old trailer with grow lights. It's sounds like the volunteer plants are doing what comes natural in the outside bogs. I'm trying to grow mostly plants in my area, including leucos and leuco crosses along with S. Alabamensis and its cousins. Nothing big time, and I'm beginning to think I really don't know what I'm doing. But, I keep trying! The sarracenia that I mentioned are temperate plants and, from what I've read, the leucos only require roughly four weeks strat time...I've even read that going to six weeks and longer can be counter-productive resulting in a lower germination rate. So maybe start stratification for these around February? I guess I'm a newbie trying to be an expert, or something.

I may go ahead and prepare some pots for planting and stick them outside in one of my wire cages (squirrels are terrors!). As for the drosera, I can see how they might have a difficult time outside....tiny seeds getting washed down into the moss/whatever in a bog situation. Maybe outside in a controlled setting (maybe a clear rain cover) they'd do okay. My interest with them are tracyi, a few of the Florida varieties of filiformis. The small rosette types here are capillaris and brevifolia...a perennial and an annual/biennial(?) type.

Thanks again for the feedback, Steve, much appreciated!