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Drosophyllum lusitanicum germination

  • #21
elgecko- Thanks for confirming the temp... I do not mist.. But there is a fogging system in the g/h. I can't say it keeps the media wet.. but I would assume it's not exactly dry either. Still no luck. I have a few more in the fridge... Maybe I'll read back over this topic and try another few using just suggestions here.
 
  • #22
When I saw that you replied to this thread, I thought you where going to say you had 1 germinate. :-O
But I see that is not the case. :(

How long have you been trying? I have read that sometimes it takes a long time for them to germinate.

When waiting for the seed to germinate, I do keep the soil really damp. Once the seed germinates I back off letting the top of the soil dry just a touch to keep the seedling from suffering from damping off.

I placed 2 seeds in the pot. No signs of the second seed germinating yet.

Here's an updated picture.

dewygerminationupdate.jpg


Good luck with your seed. I hope it germinates soon for you.
 
  • #23
I think I'm going on 3 or 4 months... They probably already damped off... it'd be my luck... :sigh:

Wow, grows pretty quick it seems :)
 
  • #24
They sure do. Once they get going they really take off.

Here is 2 shots from the first time I germinated a Dewy Pine.

Drosophyllum.jpg


Drosophyllum1.jpg


These pictures where 23 day apart.
 
  • #25
How do YOU sand them? Do you just use a manual like sand paper hand brick thing? I'm thinking if I ever try to germinate em again, I'll try a bit of bleach or maybe I'll put the GA3 I bought to good use. The seeds really are pretty small, it makes em hard to sand.
 
  • #26
I sanded some... I layed it on the sand paper, folded the paper over and rubbed it on itself. The seed did become white so i guess I got that part right. But I too would like to hear his method :p
 
  • #27
What I do is use 400 grit sandpaper. I place the seed on the sandpaper and then press my finger on the seed and move my finger back and forth over the sandpaper with the seed. This not only sands the seed, but the finger as well. :-))
I try to sand 2 sides of the seed till a see a little bit of the white showing through the seed coat.
Let's play where's the sand paper. If you look on page 2 of this thread, the first post by me, picture 4. can you find the piece of sandpaper?
 
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  • #28
triangle shape, next to scissors :) Do I win a few Drosophyllum seed? :D lol I have one more in the fridge to play with. I went and bought an eight inch pot, and a bag of vermiculite. :) (sand, peat, perlite,sand paper I have)
 
  • #29
adnedarn,
Have any luck getting any to germinate?

Here is an updated pic of mine.
DP5_20_07.jpg


And here is a pic of a seed I sanded, cut the tip off, and then soaked in water for 36 hours. It has beeen in the pot for a week and I can see It's sending out a root already. :beer:
DPgerminate.jpg
 
  • #30
Gecko,

Any updated pics on your 'lil baby Slobbering Pine??


I'd like to try my hand at this one, even though I'm still a functional amateur... :(

Is good seed hard to come by???
 
  • #31
Fryster,
All the seed that I used come from my original plant that died. I no longer have any extra seed, and do not know where you can find any at this time. They do surface from time to time, so keep an eye out for them.

Now on to the updates.

dpine6_4_07.jpg

This is the one I just sanded the seed coat and placed in the pot.

dpine6_4_07_2.jpg

This is the one I sanded the seed coat and cut the tip off. It soaked in water for 36 hours.

I just started to place the plants outside in full sun when I get home from work, typically 4:00 - 4:30 to sunset. I bring them back inside at night till I get home from work again the next day. The plants are very small and do not want them out in full sun all day, plus you never know when a surprise thunder storm might come along and create a mess for the tiny plants.

In case anyone wonders, it took me 5 seeds to get these 2 plants. The other seeds still have not germinated and at this point I do not expect them to.
 
  • #32
Nice growth!

Looks like a little octopus emerging from the soil... hehe.....

So, germination rate for drosophyllum can be pretty low 'eh? :(

I did find five seeds online. Gonna give it a shot...

Who knows, maybe I'll have beginner's luck. :)
 
  • #33
eBay almost always has some.

By the way Steve... I forgot to ask, how do you water them? Do you use the submersion method? (just dipping the pot in water)
 
  • #34
Kyle,
I do not submerge the pot.
Now that the plants are so small I use a spray bottle to water them. Actually I used to use a spray bottle. I now use a 1 gallon pressure sprayer on my plants. Works great.
Once the plant gets larger I will top water.

I've been thinking of making a post just on the pressure sprayer because it might not be something others have thought about. It is so much nicer then a spray bottle that has to be filled up a few times, and almost no control while spraying. Best $10.00 I've spent plant related in a long time.
 
  • #35
Crap.
I killed the small plant today. :-(

I went into work today 5:30 - 10:30 AM. When I got home I placed both plants outside around 11:00 after watering them. I went back outside to water the other outdoor plants around 5:00 PM. At the time I took a quick look to make sure both Dewy Pines where doing OK, since they usually are not out in full sun that long yet. The larger plant was fine, but the smaller plants roots must not be as deep. It was a little dried up plant. :censor:
I have a few seeds left to try. Next time I'll wait till the plant is a little bigger before letting it outside as long as I did.
 
  • #36
Awww man.. that sucks.. I've been trying to germinate the two that I have outside. I lost sight of them since and doubt I'll be seeing any sign of them germinating anymore. It probably would've croaked soon after germinating anyways.. it's been way too hot. I might bring it back inside and just hope for a while. I know I'll be keeping the pot around since I bought it just for drosophyllum. Best not let it go to waste!

Good luck on your next try.
 
  • #37
Okay, I got some seeds at the LACPS meeting. Jeremiah Harris of the Colorado CPS had given a bunch to Ivan Snyder for the seedbank when he toured SoCal a few months ago. Thanks Jeremiah!

Forbes has had considerable success germinating these, judging from the several pots of plants at the meeting.

Ivan Snyder told me that Forbes is just nicking the pointed end of the seed with a knife to scarify the seeds and sowing them on fine pure granite gravel in red clay pots. That's it.

Forbes tried various planting mixes and pure granite gravel gave superior results.

Now I just have to get some granite gravel and Ivan told me where to get all I want for free.
 
  • #38
... and that would be...? Alongside the road?

The seeds i found in my fridge.. I guess they kinda got buried in the vermiculite cuz I can't find them, lol. Stupid rain...
 
  • #39
I have five seeds that I purchased but have no idea how "fresh" they are... ???

But what I'm wondering about is, what is the proper time of the year to be sowing and germinating D.lusitanicum??

Is it okay to start NOW in the middle of June or best wait 'til another time??
 
  • #40
ChronoKiento said:
... and that would be...? Alongside the road?

The seeds i found in my fridge.. I guess they kinda got buried in the vermiculite cuz I can't find them, lol. Stupid rain...
Click to expand...

You got it. The San Bernadino Mountains are granite and the decomposing stuff slides down on to the roads. CalTrans just sweeps it onto the shoulders. Thinking back for years I've been hiking on this stuff as all the wash trails and riverbeds are covered with it.

It's kind of late in the season to germinate these but the Mediterranean climate of SoCal is close to their native climate so I'm not gonna wait.
 
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