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Growing under lights....suggestions

Hi I'm Lennoides. I've just started growing CP's under lights. I've been growing Gesneriads that way for 3+ years and now have almost three hundred plants.
I've always wanted to grow Cephalotus folicullaris, and feel like I've kinda learned enough from reading here on TF. I've seen seed on an auction site listed for 10 seeds for $11.00 with shipping. They're coming form the Czech Republic. What do you think? How long from seed till you see pitchers?
The humidty in the plant room is always above 60% with a summer temp average of 74f degrees and winter average of 62f at night and 68f during the day. I can vary the temp during the winter to bring it higher using a heat mat.
Let me know what you think. I also would like to do Nepenthes, and tropical Drosera. How long from seed with the Nepenthes till pitchers?
Thanks

One of the Drosera under my lights. It's in the cold frame now.
sundew-2-with-bugs-web.jpg
 
I am not sure about any pitcher plants (specifics and timelines) but you will get dew leaves from drosera seed in a few weeks from germinaton (tropial ones)... I dont know what you have right now in your collection, but I have a bunch of capensis Typical plants, some sethos plantlettes, and im prob going to have some capensis ala seed this month if this flower stalk doesnt touch the light bulbs (tit shouldnt)
 
I think I know what Czech seed dealer you are talking about. If it's the same one off ebay, then I believe there have been a slew of bad experiences regarding orders from them. I've never tried though. In general with ebay vendors a good way of determining if they are reliable and credible is to look at how many different sales they have going on at any time.

Are they offering multiple seemingly limitless quantities of very rare plant seeds?

Do these offers continue for months and months without seeming to phase out ever?

How genuine is the bulk of their ad?

It would seem to me that a place that offers large numbers of rare plant seeds for an indefinite period would have a high likelihood of offering very old seed or seed that is not viable.

Furthermore to answer some other questions of yours:

Cephalotus can take a long time from seed to become mature pitchering plants. I would count on at least a couple if not a few years. (or more?) I've never tried.

Nepenthes can produce pitchers (probably not mature) within a year or two of sprouting depending on what species or hybrid they are. An extremely vigorous hybrid could produce mature pitchers in as soon as year in proper conditions, but N. villosa will not be giving you much to look at for many years.
 
I've seen seed on an auction site listed for 10 seeds for $11.00 with shipping. They're coming form the Czech Republic. What do you think?

I'd better save the money and save up for a plant.

Growing Cephalotus from seeds may become a nightmare and in many cases even experienced growers are unable to grow Cephalotus from seed (even when starting with good seed and even if they could manage some seeds to germinate).

I don't know the actual seed quality for the offered Ceph seeds, but from what I have read in the German forum, you better not rely too much on seeds from Czech BCP and CZP companies. These companies are great in delivering plants of nearly every carnivorous plants species within Europe, but sometimes they fail miserably with their seeds. I know from growers in Germany that have ordered many different Nepenthes seeds and none germinated. Also with very rare species the germination seems to be bad. On the other side there are also many people reporting, that their Drosera seeds do quite well. So quality of seeds seems: varying. You never can be sure.

If you like to risk some money and want to give it a try, perhaps look up this information:
http://www.foxoles.dsl.pipex.com/cephalotusfolliw.html
In any case, even if you get seedlings to germinate and grow, it will take years to get a mature plant from seed.

BTW: I have sown Cephalotus seeds twice, had a few germinated, but could keep none alive for more than three months after germination. So I cannot recommend growing Ceph from seed at all.
 
thanks

Thanks for the link jessie. I have this masochistic thing about me that makes me want to try everything from seed. I'll you know how I make out, but, I think I'll save up some bucks and buy a plant.
 
I have this masochistic thing about me that makes me want to try everything from seed.

It's the same with me. I've invested several bucks into seeds from species that did not work, and finally purchased plants of that species.

But at first I tried several of the easy species to grow from seed: Dionaea muscipula (needs fresh seeds, best to purchase directly from a grower that harvested recently, or even better: harvested from your own plants), many Drosera from Africa (except the summer resting species), Drosera spatulata, from Australia D. binata, D. peltata and D. auriculata, tropical Utricularia calycifida, several Sarracenia species and hybrids. Winterhardy Pinguicula grandiflora and the winterhardy Drosera from Europe (sown indoors, cultivation outdoors).

On the other side there are several species that are very hard to grow from seed, even for experienced CP growers. Cephalotus is one of that species: I could not grow from seeds (tried two times), but I can keep the plants easily growing (needs chilly temperatures, do not keep at tropical temperatures).

So perhaps try something easier first, it's less frustrating to start easy than to start with seeds that most people have no success with.
 
I think you've already received good advice - here's a bit more on fleabay seed sellers...

With Cephalotus seeds, it's always a good idea to get fresh seeds from known CP growers. Many new growers look for seed out of season - why start with two strikes? This thread was posted to both provide a head's up on the availability of fresh seed and the fact that it was the time to be looking for seed in the Northern Hemisphere.

As Jesse said, they can be rough even for folks with experience (although I rreally don't know why) - probably a good idea to get a plant and try the seeds as a side-project.

There are pics of Ceph seedlings in my growlist (started in the fall of 2008).
 
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