Cephalotus Germination!!!!!!!

[WildBill]

Last summer one of my cephs (the one in my large outdoor bog multiplanting for those of you who saw it at the NECPS Show) flowered. I was lucky enough to collect some seeds. I sprinkled them on finely chopped damp LFS and popped them in the fridge back in September, removing them after 6 weeks in November. Today I noticed germination... ...WOOHOO!

Enjoy the pics. WildBill

 

[Dave S.]

Awesome! Good luck with the seedlings.

 

[creepa200]

Good luck. I've had no luck with getting CPs to germinate but then again I only tried some VFT seeds

 

[rco911]

AWESOME!!!!!!!

 

[jimscott]

Great job! Which reminds me... could you re-post your wonderful approach to yearlong growing of temperate plants in the northern climes, complete with pictures? That oughta be pinned.

 

[Fryster]

oh man, that's cool!

I hope the little fellas live.

 

[xvart]

Fantastic! Good luck. On a side note: LFS always looks so nasty up close and personal!

Great job! Which reminds me... could you re-post your wonderful approach to yearlong growing of temperate plants in the northern climes, complete with pictures? That oughta be pinned.

Yes, I would be interested in reading that, too.

xvart.

 

[duckking]

Congratulation!!

 

[WayCool]

always a fasination to me to watch these little guys take root and grow so big from such a tiny seed. AMAZING !!! Love to see how big these little guys get in a couple of months.

 

[WildBill]

Thanks everyone. Wouldn't it be awesome if one of the seedlings eventually shows some unique variation?

I remember for YEARS I tried unsuccessfully to get my hands on a Ceph. Then, at the very first inaugural NECPS meeting back in Jan 2003, I traded a N. khasiana x ventricosa with John Phillip for a very tiny one leaf Ceph. I carefully nurtured it and must have watched it every day for signs of growth. Eventually it grew to the point where I could take divisions. One of those divisions was the plant in the outdoor minibog planter that flowered. It's a coincidence that this has come full circle almost 5 years to the day of when I got the leaf to the germination of it's offspring.

Here are some older pictures of the planter. It's about 16 inches wide by 16 inches deep. The bottom 1/4 is filled with styrofoam packing peanuts so it's not toooo heavy to lug around when I give talks. The rest is filled with long fiber sphagnum and a top dressing of live sphagnum. The plant in the very back that that dangles over the sides is a Bog Cranberry. Everything else is a cp. It sits outside on our back deck in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Right now it's in my basement under lights and two of the the Sarrs have sent up flowers. I'm really psyched about that since it's just in time - this will be at the NECPS booth at the Connecticut Flower Show Feb 21 -24.

JimScott - I don't have the entire treatise written out..... but my basic outdoor dormancy technique is posted in the CP Articles section here:

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100608

WildBill

 

[jimscott]

As long as it is accessible in something, I'm satisfied. Great planter!

 

[jm82792]

Beutyfull :d I did a minibog polanter but the sun killed of the lfs

 

[creepa200]

I wish NECPS meeting weren't so far away. I live in Boston and joined a fish club in RI and never really get to go. By the time I would be in from work and change and all that I always know I wouldn't make it. So ya I joined and went to like 1-2 meetings . The auctions are the BEST. I use to get so much good stuff.

wildbill let me know if you ever have a meeting near Boston. Thanks

 

[PlantAKiss]

Bill, you are a talent with the plants!

Those seedlings are so cute. I hope they do well for you.

 

[WildBill]

Hey Creepa -

We do have several members in the Boston area, maybe you could arrange a ride with someone. Rhode Island is a more central area for us since we do have members who come from Connecticut, New York, Massachussets, and other areas. Also, we are on incredibly good terms with the folks at Roger Williams Botanical Center and we have a large CP bog display in the new conservatory. It's worth going just to check that out. This is from the Jan 08 meeting:

Our meetings are on the second Saturdays of the month starting at 12:30 until 3 or so. I wish you could have been at the last one. Free nepenthes cuttings GALORE!!!!!!! I brought home a N. red leopard cutting.

We also will have a display at the Boston Flower Show, so if you go be sure to check that out.

 

[jimscott]

Who's who in the picture, with respect to Terraforums?

 

[WildBill]

 

[jimscott]

LOL! Emily's sister has better pictures of her... more animated.