FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

<MikeB uses magic fairy dust on his seeds> Ok, I started stratifying these seeds on 11/08/2022. Each packet or divided packet of seeds were in a condiment container sitting atop a brown paper towel inside a plastic container. The container had about 1/4" of water in the bottom to keep the humidity up. <MikeB uses magic fairy dust on his seeds> The top of the plastic container, a cheap food storage container, was sealed with some of that plastic "Cling-n-Seal" food wrap...that *really* sticky wrap. Then the lid was forced onto it, making a dog-gone good seal!<MikeB uses magic fairy dust on his seeds> The container was put into a drawer in our "garage refrigerator", a drawer that contains, uh, cold drinks. So, the containers were jostled fairly regularly. They were in sub-40F temperatures.

The seeds were planted on 01/10/2023, so basically two-months of stratifying. I noted the first sprouts probably a week ago. Here are the results so far of what has germinated. <MikeB uses magic fairy dust on his seeds>

# seedlings - species
1 - Binata "Marston Dragon" (FTC seed bank)
0 - Tracyii #1 pot(Gary Kong/ViralCPSeeds/Etsy)
1 - Tracyii #2 pot(Gary Kong/ViralCPSeeds/Etsy)
2 - Dreamsicle #1 pot (FTC seed bank)
4 - Dreamsicle #2 pot (FTC seed bank)
26 - filiformis.filiformis New Jersey #1 pot (MikeB)
58 - filiformis.filiformis New Jersey #2 pot (MikeB)
36 - filiformis.filiformis New Jersey #3 pot (MikeB)

MikeB uses magic fairy dust on his seeds. I also tend to think that during seed packing he pays Chef to dance naked around a pot of burning sage while efoliating his...scalp...with seeds he got from evenwind...but, this could be a misconception of mine...but I do think he uses magic fairy dust on the seeds!!!! WOW!!!!!

If I had did a better job scattering seeds with the pipette these would have been scattered better...I'm not sure which pot of MikeB's seedlings this is, but definitely a crowd of them!!! I would have posted some of the other species' cups, but, well, mostly an empty pot ain't that exciting, eh? <MikeB uses magic fairy dust on his seeds>

Wow, @MIkeB, looks like I might be doing some kind of a giveaway later this summer!!!
Thanks!!!!

Looks like the numbers are about the same except for....the filiformis.filiformis New Jersey which seems to be increasing...magic fairy dust, I tell ya!!!!

My plants don't know when to quit, that's for sure!

<chuckle> They sure do! Remember those T-tiny red fly traps and the intermdedia you sent me? I've got 18 flytraps in two 5.5" pots and the gallon of intermedia in one pot the same size. Sometime this summer I'll be spreading them out in other pots...maybe going to four flytraps per pot. They're not giants right now, but they've definitely grown from the size they were when they arrived here!!! I'll have to get a picture of them in a few days and post it.

The binata and dreamsicle I figured I would have better germination of the seed bank seeds, so I'm kind of confused on those. I planted a pot of wide-leaf capes prior to these and they're going like gang-busters!!! But, I think I might have one or two binata and maybe 4-5 dreamsicle sprouted in this batch...but, plants for the cost of a couple of stamps ain't bad!!! Still, I do wonder what the difference is. Mike's filiformis New Jersey seeds had nitro bred into them or something because I think every single seed sprouted (plus a few invisible ones!!! ).

It's the tracyii seeds that tend to kind of "stick in my craw", if you will. I found some on Etsy that a guy was selling, 40 for $8 and free shipping. The seller had a good feedback rating but only eight reviewers. Ok, as frenzied as I was at the time trying to come up with tracyii DNA here at the "lab"<LOL> I submitted to a moment of weakness and ordered a pack of the seeds. They went through the identical strat and germination that the others went through and I *might* have one sprout that appears to be struggling to live. I messaged the seller about the poor germination rate and waiting for his reply.

Oh, well, I think I'm set with filiformis for the foreseeable future ...it will just have to be a "process" in growing the herd. With a tracyii that Panman sent me, MikeB's forest of filiformis NJ sprouts , a Flordia Giant x tracyii that elaineo sent me (and the already established leaf cuttings from it!), a Florida Red-White Flower that Chef sent me, and an Escambia County, Alabama tracyii "stump"(I think) from a friend down at the Florida line...I think I'll have enough parent material to do leaf cuttings this summer!!! Oh, and the few Dreamsicle OP sprouts I have, I can't forget those!!! Hopefully some or all will produce some seed I can "pay forward" to the seed bank!

I'm looking forward to the summer!!!!!

Can you tell by the above message that I'm....happy?

I talked with the seller of the tracyii seeds and he said to be patient, that the tracyii takes longer to germinate, say, than filiformis.filiformis. I'd definitely rather have plants than a refund or something so I'm good to go. I know that some Florida Red / White Flower that Chef sent me didn't sprout by the time I thought they should have so I gave up on them but left the pots sitting around. Looked one day, probably a couple of months later and I saw a sparkle of dew with a reddish purple hint against the dark peat mix...those are about an inch long now. Seems like through all these years I would've learned a little patience. We'll see...

I think the only way the tracyi seeds would take longer would be if they weren't stratified or just much older than your other ones.

I was thinking along the same lines but the seller said the Tracyi can take a several weeks to sprout so I’ll be patient. Since the seeds have been in my possession they’ve been stored, stratified, and planted identically to the other sundews planted in this batch…all got identical stratification and are in the same container for germination. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. The seeds from MikeB were (I think) very fresh…and WOW!!! did they germinate!!!

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 3:43 pm It's the tracyii seeds that tend to kind of "stick in my craw", if you will. I found some on Etsy that a guy was selling, 40 for $8 and free shipping. The seller had a good feedback rating but only eight reviewers.

I would have put those 8 bucks toward a Drosera tracyii plant. With one of those, you can do leaf cuttings and get gobs of plants.

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:59 pm The seeds from MikeB were (I think) very fresh…and WOW!!! did they germinate!!!

Less than 6 months old. I'm a big fan of high germination rates.

Mike, hindsight is one of my best abilities.<groan> I agree. With the few leaf cuttings that I have done I see that is definitely the route to go. I'd already regretted the $8, once I got to thinking about it. I'm hoping that this summer I can get a lot of D. tracyi plants going from cuttings. Well, one thing is for sure...whatever you're doing with your seeds is definitely working!!! Oh well, the bucks are on the seller's side of the table right now...hopefully the seeds will do good. Have you started any tracyi from seed...I'm curious about others experience with germination times and rates.

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 1:20 am Have you started any tracyi from seed...I'm curious about others experience with germination times and rates.

I only have one more-or-less tracyii in my collection: an anthocyanin-free plant that sprouted from my Dreamsicle self-pollinated pile. I don't know if it has produced any viable seeds. I'm going to wait a couple months for the weather to warm up and then order a real tracyii plant.

@MikeB, going back to the filiformis New Jersey seedlings. I've got some that are looking a bit "brown" with some moving into the reddish realm of color. Are these dying or are they naturally changing colors? I've still got them in fairly high humidity...averaging 74%....average temperature around 75F.

That's red pigment lighting up the leaves. It looks like they have some colorful genes, but I don't recall having any red filiformis plants last summer.

I really wasn't expecting the color change so wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe some skeletons-in-the-closet coming out? I'll keep you posted as they come along.