D.adelae

FinnishKid · Jul 8, 2003

I have a question regarding seed collection from my adelae.

There are three flower stalks that keep unraveling. The lowest flowers have closed and turned black but there's a never-ending supply of flowers at the end of the stalk. They just won't stop. There have been at least 50 flowers on each one. Can I leave the whole thing alone until it comes to the end and then harvest the entire stalk at once?
Basically, I don't want it to drop any seed before I harvest it. So I don't want to wait too long, but I also don't want to stop it in the middle of blooming.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
HOLDEN

CP2k · Jul 8, 2003

It is difficult to get D.adelae to set seeds without two clones of the plant. I usually bag the flowers.

Tamlin Dawnstar · Jul 9, 2003

As CpK2 notes, seed production in D. adelae is a rare event without plants of different clonal populations, but it occasionally happens.

Granting the ease with these plants will reproduce from the roots, seed is not really an issue. The plants are literally weeds when given enough leg room and will produce abundant offsets.

I generally harvest all the stalks once the flowering is finished, placing all in an envelope. After a week or so when the scapes dry, there may be a few seeds rolling around in the envelope.

Flowering often exhausts the plants, and individual rosettes may die off after flowering. If this happens, continue to keep the pot in cultivation, and new plants will be produced from the roots.

FinnishKid · Jul 9, 2003

Thanks guys!

I'll wait, bag the dried flowers and see what happens. I'm not too worried about new plants, I can't even count the number of individual plants in the 4-inch pot! Let's just say there are plenty! I had hoped to be able to share some seed, but I may just be able to eventually send out small plants.

Thanks again!

CP2k · Jul 11, 2003

Today I collected only 30 seeds of adelae from 8 flowering plants. Maybe only one in 30+ seedpods actually produced seeds.I have only obtained seeds from stalks that were not completely brown, suggesting that the seedpods open and drop the seeds. IMO, it is imporatant to bag the stalk when the seedpods start turning black.
There is a chance that insects helped pollinate the flowers as the terrarium(lid has an opening) with my adelae is out in the garage(open during the day).

FinnishKid · Jul 12, 2003

My flower stalks are starting to fall over from the weight of all the flowers, so I think I'm going to pick them today when I get to the gardening.

I don't really need the seed, but for kicks I hope that there are at least a few. When the first started blooming a few months ago, I would rub separate stalks together to try and get them to pollenate. We'll see if it worked.
Thanks again for the info!

Binataboy · Jul 14, 2003

I have seem to have "selfed" adelae. I think the issue is you need old and young flowers. I simply rubed flowers from diferent scapes (and different ages) and hoped for the best. Some of the pods are fattening up, and I ripped one open and found seeds inside. It seems only the ones I pollenated are producing seed.

George

Tamlin Dawnstar · Jul 15, 2003

George,

That would explain why so few flowers set seed! Could it be that we have debunked another CP myth?

This would be a good experiment for others to make: try active pollination of your flowers and give us the results.