Just got a whole bunch of Byblis seeds

[Drosera36]

A friend sent me a B. liniflora plant about 2 weeks ago, and unfortunately, it died. BUT, it had a seed pod on it, and now the seeds are ripe, and I have several dozen sitting on a little plate on my desk. What do I do with them? Do I put them in the fridge? Do I try to germinate them? This is my first time growing Byblis, so I'm not sure what to do. All help is appreciated.

Many thanks,
-Ben

 

[Joseph Clemens]

I keep my Byblis liniflora "seedbank" in a hermetically sealed plastic vial with a capsule of dessicant (keeps it very dry). I have many hundreds of seed in that vial, originally collected in 1987-1988 that is still quite viable.

 

[Drosera36]

Where could I get these things? Could I sow the seeds right away? Or do I have to put them in the fridge for a few weeks first?

-Ben

 

[Joseph Clemens]

The plastic vials I get from suppliers of scientific supplies, they're called sample vials, I shop around on the internet whenever I need more. Usually get 500 for about $30.

Sown immediately, they should germinate rather quickly. See the topic in this forum, Byblis liniflora germination

 

[Drosera36]

Ok, thanks. Do the seeds need to be bleached? And will it work if they are soaked in room temp water?

-Ben

 

[Joseph Clemens]

They certainly don't "need" the bleach treatment. Neither is "hot" water that important. Fresh seed, sown on the surface of wet media and kept moist, should germinate easily. Pre-treatments are meant to improve/hasten the germination process.

 

[Est]

Quote[/b] ]Pre-treatments are meant to improve/hasten the germination process.

And in this case, the difference seems to be pretty noticeable. A 24 hour or overnight soak seems to hasten imbibition considerably and can make getting germination easier.

Good luck!

 

[Drosera36]

Thanks a lot guys. The seeds are now soaking, and I've already got their pot assembled.

-Ben