Mass decapitations

[Brokken]

Having served their purpose (looking pretty), most sarracenia flowers are unceremoniously decapitated and throw in the trash. (It's about halfway full).

 

[aaddaam]

why not make seeds?

 

[Brokken]

Those are flowers that were not selectively pollinated. There's still quite a few left on the plants. Besides, all the flowers take up space and cause pitchers to grow offsided and sometimes deformed.

 

[Not a Number]

No compost heap?

 

[Brokken]

Unfortunately no. We have dogs and they like the smell of the compost heap too.

 

[Nep Lover]

if you want to send em to me i have a home composting system and i think my worm kids might like em

 

[Chris_Himself]

Do people typically remove the flowers? I just got my sarr flowers ever this year so I don't really know what to do with them.

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

I made a match for each one, and those that I forget, well, I hear that honeybees are pretty good hybridizers. LOL! It's hardly a scientific thing over here!

 

[Woodnative]

Bouquets of Sarracenia flowers for Mother's Day.....

 

[billylh]

Do people typically remove the flowers? I just got my sarr flowers ever this year so I don't really know what to do with them.

you could self pollinate them just for fun if you want to try to collect seeds, like lil_stinkpot mentioned, bees are great pollinators so if you have different Sarracenias flower you could leave it up to them, or you could use the q-tip method of doing it yourself.

~billy

 

[Brokken]

On this side of the country, bees don't know how to pollinate the flowers. Often if they don't get pollinated by hand, they don't get pollinated at all.

 

[billylh]

On this side of the country, bees don't know how to pollinate the flowers. Often if they don't get pollinated by hand, they don't get pollinated at all.

Brokken, you got an article or anything that specifically says that bees in California can't pollinate Sarracenia flowers? I just find it hard to believe that they "dont know" how. I've heard you mention this before and I would love to read about it.

~billy

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

One of my plants bloomed while I was away, and I didn't get to pollinate it. But yet, it's got something in there. Not as many seeds as I would like, but it's got something.

I have always wondered about using Q-Tips and such. I just grab a finger-full and swipe. Like I said, it's no ISO-approved process over here.

 

[Fred P]

Brokken, you got an article or anything that specifically says that bees in California can't pollinate Sarracenia flowers? I just find it hard to believe that they "dont know" how. I've heard you mention this before and I would love to read about it.

~billy

Billy - Brokken is right on this one. I'm originally from Michigan and the bees had no trouble getting inside the flowers. I've watched the bees out here in CA and I have to admit, they are dumb. They just can't figure it out. I've seen a dozen of them try but they just can't seem to find a way under the petals. It's fun watching though.